The Eleven Essential Flavors of BBQ…

What flavors are essential to good BBQ? I have always felt that when comes to cooking, especially barbecuing, simple is always better. My grandmother taught me at a young age to keep my recipes simple and utilize the ingredients and foods that I can easily get my hands on. What are your favorite barbecue flavors? What barbecue woods do you like? I use many different spices, seasoning and sauces, but rely on eleven staples that are essential to my BBQ.

Among my stash of apple, cherry and maple smoking woods I like to always have on hand a few vital BBQ flavors. In my backyard kitchen (which consists of a large Rubbermaid and a few toolboxes that I move from the garage to the patio) I stock what I consider to be the eleven essential flavors of BBQ. The ingredients below can be combined in many different ways to make many vastly different rubs, brines, mops, and BBQ sauces for all of the major BBQ meats: ribs, Boston Butt, brisket and chicken.

1. Apple juice: Ideal for basting all BBQ meats (especially pork butt, ribs and chicken). I use both apple juice and apple cider in many of my brines, barbecue sauces, injections, mops and spays. I also often use it in my water pan.

2. Apple cider vinegar: Great ingredient for many BBQ sauces and mop recipes. I use to cut store bought sauces to make quick and tasty mops and marinades. We also use it to make potato salad and coleslaw as well as to dress pulled pork.

3.Whiskey and Bourbon: Brings great malt flavor and balance to mops, sauces, injections and sprays. I fill a large spray bottle with a half and half mixture of Jack Daniel’s and apple juice for basting all BBQ meats.

4. Brown Sugar (light or dark): A main ingredient in many of my BBQ rubs and sauce recipes. A nice way to bring subtle sweet flavors to Boston Butt, ribs and chicken. Blends well with hot and spicy flavors.

5. Cumin: The ultimate BBQ rub and chili recipe ingredient. Brings great smoky flavor to the party and is one ingredient I will never go without.

6. Hot Hungarian Paprika: The primary ingredient in my BBQ rub recipes as it helps to even out and distribute other rub ingredients. Adds great color and subtle smoky flavor to all BBQ meats.

7. Chile Powder: A flavorful seasoning blend that can be used on all BBQ meats as well as fish. I often mix my own, but there are many great commercial blends available.

8. Granulated garlic powder: A major ingredient in many of my BBQ rubs and spice blends. Brings a sweet heat as is brings balance to spicy flavors.

9. Onion powder: Another major ingredient in many of my BBQ rubs and spice blends. Works with well with all BBQ meats.

10. Kosher salt: Helps to bring out the actual flavor to BBQ meats-- More subtle, flavorful and forgiving than common table salt.

11. Black Tellicherry pepper: Thought to be the best tasting and most well balanced black pepper available today. Sweet and spicy fragrance and rich bold flavor that is perfect for BBQ. Everything tastes better with pepper.

Actually, in the right combination these flavors work for just about anything you might want to toss on the grill or into the smoker. I have also made some very tasty BBQ just using salt and pepper for seasoning. The truth is BBQ is more about using the equipment and flavors you can easily get, to make food that you like and enjoy cooking. Remember keep it simple and practice often.

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