15. What goes well with barbecue?

15.1 Coleslaw

[I hear that coleslaw is a favorite side dish with barbecue. Got any good recipes?]

Kit Anderson--

This is the recipe for coleslaw from Corky's in Memphis. This is the best slaw I've tasted. Many ingredients are the same in other slaws--the difference must be the celery seeds, vinegar, and mustard. Don't leave anything out. It is perfect.

Corky's Coleslaw

Kit's Coleslaw

Jack's Coleslaw

Red's Prize Winnin' Pintos

John Willingham's Sweet & Sassy Beans

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the sausage is browned and the onion softened. Add the pork and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer until the meat is just heated through. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the pork and beans, sauce, molasses, seasoning mix and liquid smoke, if using it. Stir well and transfer into a deep casserole. The dish should be large enough to hold the mixture so that it is no deeper than 4 inches and no shallower than 2 inches. Add the sausage/pork mixture. Stir well. Cook in the oven, covered, for 2-1/2 hours until hot and bubbling and the flavors are well-blended.

[Editor—If you're smoking some meat, put the beans in the smoker to cook. You'll get a delicious smoky flavor.]

Bill Wight--

Easy-Smoked Beans

Take three cans of your favorite beans: pinto, ranch, black, pork-and-bean, (or mix them) and put them into a saucepan on the stove. Include all the liquid from the beans. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato-based barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup of brown sugar, honey or molasses. Heat the beans to a boil and transfer them to a big dish that has lots of surface area. A Corningware dish works well for this. Put the dish in your smoker, uncovered, for 3-4 hours to absorb the smoke. Stir every 30 minutes or so to bring fresh beans to the surface so all the beans get some smoke flavor. Simple and one of the best side dishes you can make.

[Can someone help me with my beans? I've tried everything but they keep falling through the grill of my smoker.]

Editor--

What can we say here, except that some people should just get a different hobby.

15.3 Chili

[Does chili taste better when made with smoked meat?]

Ken Haycook--

Yes! The best chili is made with slow-smoked brisket.

Ken Haycook's Award Winning Chili - aka Garden Fresh Chili

Grilled Cajun Potato Wedges

Gaul Darn Delicious Tater Salad -- ala Rock

Add all ingredients to large bowl or tub, and mix by hand. Chill over night and serve.

15.6 Rice Dishes

[Anybody got a recipe for rice that goes good with barbecue?]

Glenn Manning--

Dirty Rice Dressing by Danny Gaulden

Place giblets (gizzards and livers) in 3 cups boiling water. Boil until tender (about 20 minutes). Remove giblets and save water as stock. Separate and chop liver and gizzards. Add one tablespoon of oil to skillet and brown ground pork and gizzards about six minutes. Add seasoning, onions, celery, garlic and bell pepper. Stir thoroughly. Add a little butter, and simmer for about ten minutes. Add the stock, and simmer for five minutes. Add the rice, chicken livers, green onions, and parsley. Stir and simmer five minutes. Cover and reduce to a low heat level. Cook until rice is fluffy (about 10 minutes or more).

NOTES: Some people get turned off with giblets--don't let this fool you. It is very good, and a treat to enjoy. I love this stuff.

15.7 Vegetables

[Can you give me some pointers on smoking vegetables

Kit Anderson--

"Smoke and Spice" and Chris Schlesinger's books cover smoking vegetables--check them out. Most vegetables can be smoked with tremendous results. Use temperatures of 200-220F. The time depends on the size of the pieces. Here are some general guidelines gleaned from "Smoke and Spice". They should be rubbed with oil or Italian dressing before cooking so that they don't dry out or stick to the grill. Most vegetables can also be grilled directly at higher temperatures but this is a different flavor than smoking.

Danny Gaulden—

Vegetables are easy to do in the smoker. Try these:

Whole carrots: scrape and wash. Brush lightly with a little olive oil and grill for about 35 to 40 minutes at 350F. I put them on the grill at the same time the corn goes on. They are surprisingly delicious. Oh, don't forget to turn corn and carrots a time or two as they are grilling. I use a Weber Gas grill for these items. When I think the carrots are done, I just take one off, cut off a piece, and eat it. If not quite ready, it goes back on for a few more minutes. Couldn't be easier!

Grilled onions are great too, and easy to do. Slice about 1/2 inch thick, brush with a little oil (both sides), and grill till caramelized, turning once. If you try to turn them too many times they will start to break up. Try to get a good 1015-Vidalia variety of onion. The smell alone, while grilling, will drive you crazy.

Editor--

List members report on the success of grilling all kinds of vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, to name a few. Just brush the sliced veggies with a little olive oil and grill over hot coals (or gas) about 10 minutes on a side. Cut tomatoes in half and grill 10 minutes on a side also.

15.8 Cornbread

[Can someone give me a recipe for a good cornbread to serve with my barbecue?]

Earl Cadenhead--

Smoke Stack Jack's Manna From Heaven Crackling Corn Bread

Have ready 1 1/2 cups Hormel Cracklings. I like the cracklings chopped up kind of fine. Toss out any that might break a tooth. Hormel's the best brand, unless you can get some from a barbecue place that does a lot of pork and sells the skin as cracklings. Add and stir the cracklings into the batter with a few quick strokes. Pour batter into a preheated 10 inch cast-iron skillet greased with bacon drippings. Bake for twenty-five minutes at 425F on the oven's top shelf. Serve with barbecued pork-enhanced bean soup, and try dunking the crackling corn bread into the soup as you would a steak sandwich into au jus sauce.