McCartney Jennifer - Slow cooker dump BBQ: everyday recipes for barbecue without the fuss

Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but its a start. Anthony Bourdain SLOW COOKER DUMP BBQ CONTENTS

Americans love their barbecueand slow cookers offer busy home cooks the perfect way to prepare delicious BBQ without the time-consuming hassle of using an expensive outdoor grill. Slow Cooker Dump BBQ is a handy (mostly) 5-ingredients-or-less slow cooker handbook that covers the essential styles of American barbecueCarolina, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas Citywith easy, no-fuss recipes the whole family will enjoy. Here youll find more than 50 flavorful and fun recipes for pulled BBQ pork, braised beef, pulled BBQ chicken, and essential sides like cornbread, grits, and baked beans. Whether its Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, or just a regular weekday, cooks and families everywhere will love this easy-to-use guide for delicious barbecue recipes. A Brief History of Barbecue The practice of barbecue is thought to have originated in the Caribbean.

Some etymologists believe the word barbecue is derived from barabicu, from a language spoken by the Tano people of the Caribbean as well as the native Timucua people of Florida. The Spanish then appear to have adapted it to barbacoa. The first English usage of the word didnt come until 1661. Barbecue back then was pretty similar to how we know it today. A cut of meat was set on sticks and roasted above a fire. The smoke would impart the meat with flavor.

The practice of barbecue was soon established in the Southern United States with pork as the primary meat, owing to the abundance of pigs in the region. Barbecue continues to be popular, owing to its affordability (no expensive cuts of meat required) and how easy it is to makenot to mention its delicious taste. Barbecue Styles and Sauces Southern barbecue is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Europes wines or cheeses; drive a hundred miles and the barbecue changes. John Shelton Reed Barbecue is a serious business. Lots of people have recipes for homemade marinades and sauces that have been handed down over the generations and which incorporate different styles and traditions.

Below are some of the basic barbecue styles in the U.S. Of course there are many more regional styles and theres no one true way to make a barbecue saucedespite what regional experts may tell you. At the end of the day, whatever tastes good to you and your family is what matters! Kansas City Style This is probably what most people think of when they hear the word barbecuethe thick, ketchup- or tomato-based sauce that you commonly find on ribs and sliders in restaurants and backyard grills throughout the country. It is pretty sweet and can include everything from brown sugar to molasses and honey. Yield: About 4 cups 2 cups ketchup 2 cups water 2 tablespoons tomato paste cup cider vinegar cup dark molasses cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper Combine all ingredients and simmer them in a saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes. Tip: Use this recipe in place of store-bought sauce in any of the recipes.

Two cups will substitute for an 18-ounce bottle. Texas-Style Barbecue Texas style is light on the tomato and sugar and heavy on the spicesthese thinner sauces are commonly packed with black pepper, chili pepper, cumin, fresh onion, and green pepper. Meat drippings are often added to the sauce for extra flavor. Yield: About 11/2 cups 1 tablespoon butter white onion, chopped 1 cup ketchup cup brown sugar cup Worcestershire sauce cup lemon juice 1 chipotle chili, minced, with seeds 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer them for 20 to 30 minutes.

Tip: These sauces can be used as a side to any of the dishes in this book. Low Country Carolina Style Mustard sauce (a.k.a. Carolina Gold) is made primarily of (you guessed it) yellow mustard, plus vinegar, sugar, and spices. This mustard-style barbecue is found in southeast South Carolina and was made popular by German settlers in the area. Yield: About 1 cup 1 cup apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons yellow mustard 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Combine all ingredients and simmer them in a saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes. Carolina Variation This vinegar-based sauce, heavy on the black pepper, is popular on the coast of North Carolina.

Yield: About 2 cups 1 cups apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons hot sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Dash of liquid smoke Combine all ingredients and simmer them in a saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes. Stocking Your Kitchen Shopping for BBQ recipes is very easy. Meat, sauce, and spices is usually all it takes. There are many more complicated recipes out there, of courseones that use a lot of different spices, or ones that require a fancy backyard meat smoker with wood chips from Malta that have been dried and cured for nine years. But most of these recipes call for a few straightforward ingredients that are easy to find at any store. I like to have a few of these items on hand to ensure I can always throw together a delicious barbecue meal if Im in the mood.

I use a 6-quart slow cooker for all of these recipes. 1. A good Kansas-style barbecue sauce. Brands like Sweet Baby Rays, Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce, or Hunts are all common brands you can find at the grocery store. The Texas-made Stubbs Spicy Bar-B-Q is also a good option if you like your sauce spicy. Ketchup. 3. 3.

Apple cider vinegar. This is a common addition to lots of barbecue dishes, especially East Carolinastyle recipes. 4. Essential BBQ spices like cracked black pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cumin. 5. Your favorite mustard.

I like regular yellow mustard or honey mustard. This ingredient is commonly included in Low Country Carolinastyle recipes. 6. Soft white rolls. Perfect for loading up with pulled pork! Slow Cooker BBQ tips Use a liner: Barbecue is a messy business (and doesnt messy food somehow just taste better?), which can mean a lot of cleanup. To keep cleanup to a minimum, I recommend using a slow cooker liner for all barbecue recipes.

Drain the excess liquid (and serve on the side): If you take a peek at your meal in progress and it seems like theres too much liquid in the slow cooker, dont panic. That liquid is often soaked up during the cooking process. But feel free to drain it off. There can be many reasons for excess liquid: some barbecue sauces are thinner than others and slow cookers cook at different temperatures depending on the brand. You can also reserve the extra liquid and serve it as a dip on the side, or drizzled over the top of the meat. If its too thin, a quick 10 to 15 minutes in a saucepan helps reduce the extra liquid.

No sense in wasting it! Add a dash of liquid smoke: Lots of barbecue lovers crave an authentic just-off-the-grill flavor. By adding a dash of liquid smoke to the mix you can give your recipe a hint of that charred, smoky flavor. Embrace experimentation: One of my good friends swears by chicken thighs for all her slow cooker chicken recipes. She finds chicken breasts just dont work for her and can come out a bit dry. Just one of the mysteries of slow cooking, I guess! The point is, slow cooking offers lots of opportunities for innovation depending on your taste preferences, your type of slow cooker, and what you have on hand. So feel free to adapt and add your own twist to these recipes.

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