Summer officially began on June 21th, but it’s been summery-hot since April here in San Antonio. Grilling and BBQing are intrinsically tied to summer, so I thought for this Hypercooking episode I’d take the camera outside. This go-round I’m covering BBQ chicken, but I also talk a bit about grill basics, BBQ sauces, BBQ rubs, and the difference between gas and charcoal grills.
If you take nothing from this video, remember this: grilling and bbqing should be social events. Standing over a fire cooking food should be a spectacle. Practice a few times and then have a party (don’t get too drunk until you finish cooking). Cook with flair. Have some drinks. Tell some jokes. Share good, homecooked food with your close friends. Don’t pay a restaurant for the privledge helping you and your loved ones create memories. You can do that yourself, with much better food, in your very own backyard.
Quick clarification: BBQing is when low, indirect heat cooks the food over a long period of time. Usually there is smoking involved with this process. Grilling is simply cooking over a grill. In this episode I use the terms pretty much interchangeably, and I realize that will irritate some people. Sorry.
During this episode, I mention Chef Todd Mohr’s YouTube cooking show “Cooking Coarse.” This is the episode I was referencing. I highly recommend watching Chef Todd’s other episodes, as they are all excellent.
Also, this is the basic ingredient list I used for my BBQ Rub. Feel free to adjust it to your taste (mine is fairly spicy).
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tbs black pepper
3 tbs kosher salt (only use kosher; if you use table salt you will have to adjust the volume)
1 tbs hickory smoked kosher salt
2 tbs sweet paprika
2 tbs Hungarian paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp cayenne pepper
This will keep for a couple of months without degrading in flavor. Keep it in a Mason Jar with holes punched in the top for easy shaking. To store, simply put some plastic wrap over the top of the jar, screw on the top, and put your rub in your pantry.
Special thanks go out to Leigh, who helped me film the last portion of this ep.
Food Network Challenge anyone?