Michael Symon - Michael Symon’s Playing with Fire: BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace

OUR RUB RATIOS

At Mabels, we often need to double, triple, or even quadruple rub recipes depending on the menu item, day of the week, or some other external factor like a home Cavs, Indians, or Browns game. Thats why we prefer to use ratios instead of recipes. Because they rely on fixed proportions of ingredients relative to one another, they can easily be scaled up or down in quantity.

All these ratios are based on volume (tablespoons, cups) as opposed to weight. So, for example, if you were to base the Basic Rub ratios on 1 part equaling 1 cup, then you would combine 2 cups kosher salt with 2 cups freshly ground black pepper, cup celery seeds, and cup ground coriander. The total yield would be 5 cups. Thats a lot of rub! For a smaller amount, do the same thing, basing 1 part on 1 tablespoonyou get the idea!

Basic Rub

2 parts kosher salt

2 parts freshly ground black pepper

part celery seed

part ground coriander

Pork Rub

5 parts Basic Rub

1 part sweet paprika

Beef Rib Rub

5 parts Basic Rub

part garlic powder

part yellow mustard seeds, coarsely ground

part sweet paprika

Lamb Rub

5 parts Basic Rub

1 part dried oregano

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The book in your hands is the fifth cookbook that Ive written in nine years; youd think the process would have gotten easier by now! Each new project brings its own set of challenges and rewards, and Playing with Fire is no exception. But one thing remains constant: the amount of help and support I receive from a very wide circle of friends, family, and colleagues.

I wouldnt be here without Liz and Kyle, who are both so understanding about the excessive demands of work and travel. It was my mom, dad, and grandparents who all instilled in me not only a love of food, but a love of people, regardless of backgrounds. Our frequent family gatherings showed me how food has the power to strengthen bonds and friendships.

Thanks are due to my longtime friend, business partner, and golfing strategist Doug Petkovic, without whom I would have far fewer restaurants and many more golf balls!

Everybody who knows me recognizes that I wouldnt function properly without my dedicated and meticulous assistant, Rebecca Yody, who has been by my side since the beginning. Thanks for your bottomless support.

Thanks to Culinary Director Katie Pickens, whose painstaking testing guarantees that every recipe will come out great. Over the past decade, Katie has become like family to me and Liz. Corporate Chef Derek Clayton, my partner in crime, does all the heavy lifting and ensures that every plate in every restaurant is as good as or better than if I made it myself. Heres hoping that one day, my friend, your glass will be half-full! On the ground in Cleveland, Brad Ball, Dan Young, and Ryan Kassonaka the Big Threeare honest-to-goodness masters of meat, who make smoked-meat dreams a reality each and every day at Mabels BBQ.

Thanks to my manager of fifteen years, Scott Feldman of Two-Twelve Management, a real mensch who represents me as if Im his only client and who understands the food and media business better than anybody. Thanks also to Jon Rosen and William Morris Agency, a team that always manages to ink the perfect deal. My longtime friend and PR wizard Becca Parrish, along with the rest of the folks at BeccaPR, always manage to paint the perfect picture.

My hilarious TV family at The Chew makes it feel like were not even at work. Im so fortunate to be a part of something so amazing.

This is the fourth book Ive done with Douglas Trattner because hes a pleasure to work with and always manages to make me sound like I actually know what Im talking about!

Photographer Ed Anderson, along with Andie McMahon and Devon Grimes, captured the mood and spirit of Playing with Fire while making every recipe look as delicious on the page as it does in real life. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime honor to work with super-stylist Susan Spungen. She, with help from Catherine Yoo and Laura Kinsey Dolph, brought such a sharp eye and unique sense of style to the entire project. The book is so much better for it.

Raquel Pelzel, our editor at Clarkson Potter, might have come to this project midstream, but she carried us all to the finish line while keeping everybody on task and improving every detail.

And last, but not least, my heartfelt thanks go out to Kent Black of Blacks Barbecue, Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Mike and Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue, Rodney Scott of Scott's Bar-B-Que, Samuel Jones of Skylight Inn BBQ, Pat Bosley of Moonlite Bar-B-Q, Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker, Patrick Martin of Martins Bar-B-Que, Joe Pearce of Slaps BBQ, and Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson BBQ. You amazing pitmasters are an inspiration and have been so generous with your endless knowledge and continued support.

MABELS PORK BELLY

SERVES 12 TO 15

When it comes to cooking and eating, there are few things in this world that I love more than pork belly. This affordable cut of meat is so versatile. Most of us know that pork belly becomes bacon when its cured and smoked. But when you simply season and smoke it, like we do at Mabels, you end up with something completely different in texture. Our popular pork belly is smoky, meaty, and deliciously rich. Some might even say its unctuous. Hows that for a $10 word!

1 (10- to 12-pound) skin-off pork belly

1 cup Cleveland BBQ Sauce ()

1 cup Pork Rub ()

1. Prepare and preheat your smoker to 225F.

2. Cut the pork belly crosswise into two equal pieces so its easier to handle. Coat all sides of the pork with the barbecue sauce and then season it all over with the pork rub.

3. When the temperature in the smoker reaches 225F and the smoke is running clear, add the pork belly fat-side up and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 185F, about 5 hours. For the best results, use a probe thermometer to continually monitor the meats temperature.

4. Slice to the desired thickness and serve immediately, or hold for up to 4 hours according to the instructions on .

Be liberal with seasonings in order to achieve deep flavor and develop that magical bark.

MABELS PORK RIBS

SERVES 4

When it comes to pork ribs, nobody does them better than Mike Mills, who dominated the competition barbecue circuit for so long that he earned the nickname the Legend (see for his pork steak recipe). One of the biggest misconceptions about ribs is that they should be fall off the bone tender, but ask Mike and hell tell you that fall off the bone is shorthand for overcooked! If you tried to pass those off to the judges at the world championship barbecue competition in Memphis, youd quickly find yourself in the Losers Lounge. Perfectly tender is a result we strive for every day at Mabels. We also have a couple of secret weapons that make our ribs extra special: our rub has a good dose of flavorful celery seed, and as soon as the ribs come out of the smoker, we hit them with a pickle juice glaze, which gives them a nice punch of sweet and sour.