RECIPES

Pecan-Crusted Spareribs With Kentucky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Sauce

1 large onion, thinly sliced, top to bottom

6 cloves garlic, crushed

juice and grated zest of 1 lemon, divided

2 cups Kentucky bourbon

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

11/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 cup tomato paste

4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup liquid smoke

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

2 dashes bitters

In a heavy-bottom 4-quart pot, combine the onion, garlic, lemon zest and bourbon. Bring the bourbon to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Continue to cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.

Remove from heat and puree the sauce until fairly smooth, using an immersion blender or blending in stages in a stand blender. Place the sauce in a nonreactive container and set aside until it comes to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed. Warm the sauce before using.

Pecan Mustard Rub

2 whole racks pork spareribs

1 tablespoon salt

freshly ground pepper

4 teaspoons chopped garlic

3/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

4 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup beer

Kentucky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Peel the tough membrane lining the underside of the spareribs, then rinse the ribs, pat dry and place in a large roasting pan.

Evenly coat the racks on both sides with the salt, several grinds of pepper and the garlic. Set the racks aside while you make the rub.

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, sugar, chile powder, onion powder and Tabasco to form a thick paste. Stir in the pecans until combined; this will form a sticky wet rub.

Rub the pecan mixture evenly over the rib racks on both sides to coat. Pour the beer into the roasting pan, then cover tightly with foil.

Place the ribs in the oven and cook until the meat is tender and curled away from the ends of the ribs (you should see about 1/2 inch of bone at the end of each rib), about 21/2 hours.

Remove the foil from the pan and mop the ribs with a generous coating of barbecue sauce. Cook the ribs an additional 30 minutes to allow the barbecue sauce to thicken and form a "crust" on top. Remove from heat and allow the ribs to cool slightly. Slice and serve immediately with barbecue sauce.

Hickory-Smoked Brisket With Southwestern Barbecue Sauce

FOR THE BRISKET

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (3- to 4-pound) beef brisket with a layer of fat no thicker than 1/2-inch

4 cups beer

2 cups water

Hickory chips, soaked

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin and garlic powder. Rub the mix into the brisket and let sit at room temperature, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare your smoker or grill to cook over low, indirect heat for several hours. Set up a drip pan underneath where the brisket will smoke, and fill with the beer and water. Shortly before cooking, adjust the heat as needed to maintain a temperature around 250 degrees, and add hickory chips to start smoking.

Place the brisket (fat side up) in the prepared smoker and cook for 21/2 hours. Adjust the heat as needed (add several coals to either side of the grill as needed if using a kettle grill) to maintain the ambient temperature (around 250 degrees); replenish the chips as needed to keep smoking. Baste the brisket every 30 minutes or so to keep it moist.

After 21/2 hours, wrap the brisket (fat side up) tightly in foil and continue to cook over indirect low heat until the meat is fork-tender, 3 to 4 additional hours (time may vary depending on the heat of the smoker and size and thickness of the brisket).

Remove the brisket from heat and, still wrapped in foil, cover it with a layer of newspaper and kitchen towels to keep warm. Set aside, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving.

FOR THE BARBECUE SAUCE

1 large onion, thinly sliced, top to bottom

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced

2 poblano or pasilla chiles, seeded and diced

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1 beer, preferably ale

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups ketchup

1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B

1/4 cup molasses

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon New Mexico chile powder

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Prepared smoked brisket

In a heavy-bottom 4-quart pot, combine the onion, garlic, jalapenos and chiles with the coffee and beer. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, maple syrup, molasses, cumin, salt, chile powder and red wine vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and blend the sauce using an immersion blender or in stages in a stand blender, until fairly smooth. Set aside.

Remove the brisket from the foil and slice across the grain into thin strips, reserving any pooled juices and leftover bits. Stir these drippings into the barbecue sauce. Serve the brisket warm with the barbecue sauce on the side.

Stuffed Pork Chops With Roasted Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Roasted Cherry Barbecue Sauce

4 pounds fresh cherries, preferably Bing, stemmed but unpitted

1/4 cup almond oil, divided

1 onion, thinly sliced, top to bottom

3 cloves garlic, crushed

grated zest and juice of 1 orange, divided

1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground

1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup cherry liqueur, preferably Heering's

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably Grade B

2 dashes Tabasco (or other vinegar-based hot sauce)

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cherries in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the almond oil and toss to coat lightly. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast until the cherries begin to burst and are very fragrant, about 25 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to pit.

While the cherries are roasting, heat a heavy-bottom 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons almond oil, then stir in the onion, garlic and orange zest. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the ground fennel, chipotle pepper and cumin to coat, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and leaves a film on the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully that the tomato paste doesn't burn.

Stir in the red wine and cherry liqueur and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange juice, chicken broth, mustard, maple syrup, Tabasco and salt and bring to a simmer. Stir in the liquid smoke, if using. As the sauce comes to a simmer, pit the cherries, discarding the pits. (Pit the cherries over the roasting pan, saving any juice.)

Stir most of the pitted cherries and all of the cherry juice into the sauce, reserving about a quarter of the cherries for texture. Cook the sauce at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Puree the sauce until fairly smooth, using an immersion blender or blending in stages in a stand blender. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the remaining cherries. Continue to gently simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavorings and seasonings as desired. Remove from heat. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Warm the sauce before using.

FOR THE PORK CHOPS

6 ounces thick applewood-smoked bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3/4 pound fresh goat cheese

1 large head fennel

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup roasted and salted almonds, coarsely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

8 center-cut pork chops, 1- to 11/4-inch thick, preferably bone-in

Roasted Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon starts to crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and cool. Pour out the fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Reheat the bacon fat in the pan over medium heat. Stir in the fennel and saute until tender and lightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the goat cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in the bacon, fennel, thyme leaves and almonds. Season with a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.

Stuff the pork chops: Using a boning knife, slice a pocket (no more than 2 inches wide) lengthwise into the side of each pork chop. You will cut a pocket through most of the chop, but leave a 1/2-inch border all around to prevent the pocket from ripping when stuffed. Repeat with the remaining chops. Divide the stuffing into 8 portions. Stuff each of the 8 chops, using a little of the stuffing at a time and distributing it evenly into the pocket with your fingers. Close the pockets with a toothpick or two. Wipe any excess stuffing from the outside of the chops.

Heat a grill over medium heat. Oil the grill rack and place the chops on the grill a few inches apart. You may have to do this in batches. Cover the grill and cook the chops, 6 to 7 minutes on each side, until a thermometer inserted reads 140 degrees for medium (or about 8 minutes per side for well-done). When the chops are almost done and need only a couple more minutes on the grill, baste them with a light coat of the barbecue sauce and continue to grill.

Remove the grilled chops to a platter and remove the toothpicks. Serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce.

Total time: 2 hours

Servings: 8

Each serving: 582 calories; 56 grams protein; 17 grams carbohydrate; 3 grams fiber; 31 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 136 milligrams cholesterol; 664 milligrams sodium

In all recipes, make the barbecue sauce at least one day in advance to allow the flavors to develop. This makes about 6 cups of sauce, more than is required. The sauce will keep for up to 1 week, refrigerated.