Posted by Mindy Merrell on February 3, 2010
The dudes loved the Cheater ribs.
RB’s buddy Tim threw a belated 13th birthday sleepover for his son George. Here’s how it went down.
Few Days Before the Party
RB: Dude, what are you feeding the boys?
Tim: I don’t know man, something on the grill. Burgers maybe.
RB: Dude, let’s make them some ribs.
Tim: Ribs, man? You sure? Isn’t that hard? Can we do that? Oh, man, George would just flip over ribs. He’s still talking about the pulled pork you brought over. He thinks you’re cool, man.
RB: I’m cool? Then dude, we’re definitely doing cheater ribs. I gotcha covered.
Tim: Cool, we get in some hang time and some bonus family points as well.
RB: So we’ll need to make a Costco run, dude. And I have everything else we need and so do you. Brown sugar, cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, paprika…stuff like that.
Tim: Okay, man. Pantry staples. I hear ya.
Party Day
(The girls are leaving the house for the night and the tunes are blasting.)
RB: Dude, fire up the Rhapsody. We need some Allman Bros. Okay let’s get the ribs in the oven. Get them done ahead. All we need are rub, smoke, and foil.
Tim: Okay, cool man, but I don’t know about that liquid smoke. Isn’t that some weird chemical from New Jersey?
RB: No dude, it’s not. It’s all natural liquid smoke in a bottle. It’s cool, man, it’s cool. They even sell it at Whole Foods. We’ll rub them, sprinkle with the smoke, and wrap them in foil. Into the 300 degree oven for about 3 hours. Before the kids eat, we’ll brush them with sauce and toss them on the grill.
Tim: Hey man, you forgot to put the smoke on that rack.
RB: Sorry dude.
Tim's first rack of ribs. Ever.
Couple Hours Later
Tim: Man, the house smells like a barbecue pit. Smoky.
RB: Yeah dude, hope Frances is cool with it when she gets home tomorrow.
Tim: Yeah, she’ll be cool. That’s why I married her, man.
Party Time
RB: Dude, find out when the kids want to eat. We need a half hour for the big finish on the grill.
No one complained about the liquid smoke at this table, dude.
Tim: (whisper) Hey man. They’re eating those things up in there.
RB: Dude, told ya. Now you can do this anytime you want. Dude, I’m starving. Glad we made that second three pack of baby backs.
Cheater Man loves his own ribs.
Tim: Hey man. We need another beer. We can let the kids stay up a little late tonight can’t we?
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Posted by Mindy Merrell on January 23, 2010
Doesn't this look like a still from a sci-fi movie? The marshmallows puff up beautifully in the oven. Smoky charred flavor without an ash on them!
R.B. and I chatted up cheating on the Jan D’Atri Show on KFYI-AM radio in Phoenix, AZ, recently and welcomed another new convert to liquid smoke. You go Jan!
She was especially intrigued by our Cheater Smoked Dessert Sauces–Deep Smoked Chocolate, Smoky Caramel and Toasted Marshmallow. Talk about a party home run. Eliciting an “oh, what is that,” people go crazy when we tell them they’re laced with just a tig of liquid smoke. Easy. Fantastic.
Speaking of dessert, with the NFL Conference title games on tomorrow and the Super Bowl coming up. Have you got your cheater menu ready for game day? We’re probably going for shredded smoky brisket nachos with lots of jalapeno peppers and a side of chunky pure guacamole seasoned only with fresh lime juice, garlic and salt .
As our new friend Jan D’Atria would insist, don’t forget a smoky dessert! Pull a sheet of our favorite Cookie Sheet S’mores out of the oven and everyone will start cheering no matter who’s winning the game.
Why don’t we make these more often?
Cookie Sheet S’Mores
8 flat cookies such as peanut butter, chocolate, gingersnaps or sugar
2 milk or dark chocolate bars, about 1 1/2 ounces each
bottled smoke
8 marshmallows
Heat the oven to 450 F. Place the cookies on a baking sheet. Top each with a piece of chocolate. Bake for 1 minute or so to soften the chocolate. Remove from the oven. Pour a small amount of bottled smoke into a small dish. Dip each marshmallow lightly in the bottled smoke. Place one marshmallow on its side on the chocolate. Bake in the 450 F oven or broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat source for 3 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallows are lightly browned and puffed. Remove from he oven and serve immediately or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings, but we know you’ll want to make more.
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Posted by Mindy Merrell on January 9, 2010
Min's got to learn how to pose for a picture. Stacy Case knows how to do it. She's standing on a box so we're all about the same height.
We did a couple of quick segments with Fox 17 News Anchor Stacy Case about feeding your family and guests for cheap during the holiday season. Here’s the link to the first one on Fox 17 Cheap Eats.
It’s no big secret–we made a big cheater pork butt and showed how cheap and easy it is to serve barbecue style with buns, slaw, and sauce. You can do the same with cheater brisket. It’s all make ahead and ready for the crowd. Keep it in mind for TV tailgating during the football play-offs and Super Bowl. You can’t go wrong. Everyone will love it.
Even better, you’ll have plenty for lots of meals. We call them Tw0-Timing Cheaters in the book. Keeping with a Tex-Mex theme, we made a big pot of spicy posole and some fantastic smoky cheater any meat tacos with Pico Slaw.
Min is mixing up the Pico Slaw for the any meat cheater tacos. The recipe is on this website. It's one of Min's favorites.
Cheater BBQ is camera crew approved!
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Todd, Mindy, R.B. (hogging center stage in his dry rub gloves) and Alex on the set of WREG-3's Live at 9! at Peabody Place.
Even a couple of Nashville cheaters got a warm welcome over in barbecue heaven, Memphis, Tenn.
Check out our big moment on Live at 9. Click the “Cooking Segments” tab.
So, last Sunday we packed up the car with our traveling cheater pulled pork kit and rolled acrss Tennessee on I-40. The pimped-up flaming slow cooker and big cooler raised eyebrows at the front desk when we checked in. The dudes who rode up with us in the elevator took one look and wondered aloud about the party in our room. When we told them about cheating, one said “In Memphis? That’s a tough sell, but it is cold outside…”
After roaming around Beale Street and saying hey to our fellow Kansas City Certified Barbecue judge, Silky O’Sullivan, at his institution, we returned to the room/indoor barbecue pit to enjoy some Sunday Night Football on the flat screen knowing we needed to gear down for an early start.
At 4 am, R.B. turned on the slow cooker to rewarm our smoked pork butt for the 9 am show. Wrapped tightly in foil on low, it reheated like a champ. Smelled fantastic and pulled beautifully. In fact, the barbecue-loving morning camera crew and show producers devoured cheater pulled pork sandwiches for breakfast (and lunch). So much for anti-liquid smoke baggage.
Now that we’re back home and have had a chance to review tapes (and critique Mr. Nervous’ set hogging performance), we know next time to say a word about R.B.’s goofy surgical gloves. And Min has learned to use her pointy elbow a bit more if R.B. starts edging her out again.
Before show time, R.B. secretly plots to push Min to the background.
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Have you seen our buddies the Lee Bros.’ new cookbook Simple Fresh Southern? They’re not kidding about the knockout dishes with down-home flavor. It makes a great holiday gift for anyone who loves to cook and read about this new generation’s take on southern food.
They’re on book tour right now and may be appearing in your area. Maybe you’ve seen them duking it out with Bobby Flay. Check out their travel schedule at simplefreshsouthern.com.
Who knew when they came for a visit to Nashville about 10 years ago that the radish butter Min served as an appetizer would inspire a recipe in the book. And they gave a nice shout out for Cheater BBQ in the headnote. Thanks guys!
They swing through Nashville whenever they can. In the summer of 2008 on a barbecue trek for Travel and Leisure magazine…they looked like this:
The 1972 Buick Electra 225 Custom gets pole position in front of Union Station Hotel. Living was easy back in 2008.
Now they look like this…
Now on book tour, they're traveling with a very good looking entourage. Yay, more Lees!
Life on the road for book tour isn’t all Tennessee sturgeon roe and charcoal mellowed whiskey. They bunked at R.B.’s house, who unfortunately was out of town. Rats, Min forgot to turn up the hot water heater for them. No hot showers! She did send them off with a good hot oatmeal breakfast.
Time to pack up the mini van.
Along with their celebrity lives, the car has changed a bit, too. The TV demo pickle kit is ready to go somewhere in there along with lots of baby clothes.
Off they go in the sporty navy blue mini van. Next stop Channel 5's Talk of the Town in Nashville. Good luck guys!
Come back soon! We love the book and you will, too.
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Posted by Mindy Merrell on November 4, 2009
The trio of sauces really makes the squash. The one in the front is perfect for the holidays--chutney, dried cranberries and almonds. But, don't discount the savory tomato squash sauce, a complete about face from the usual sweetness. Nothing wrong with sweetness. The third sauce combines butter, pecans, applesauce and brown sugar. No, this time we didn't do one with liquid smoke!
This winter squash recipe from Cheater BBQ is an old holiday favorite that helps eliminate menu anxiety so you can get back to worrying about all those other holiday issues.
- It’s made in a 9 x 13-inch casserole, perfect for a pot luck or serving on the sideboard during the holidays. What would the holidays be without a 9 x 13 casserole?
- The inspiration behind it is the micro-grilled squash R.B. always likes to make, but now it’s transformed into an indoor, broiled, big, family casserole.
- It comes with a trio of very easy groovy sauces. Make one and drizzle it over the casserole before serving. Or, make all three and pass them at the table so everyone can pick a favorite. The sauces are great on baked sweet potatoes, too.
- You pre-cook the squash in the microwave and then broil it. The process is super easy and the charred top looks fantastic.
- It feels fancy and goes with any winter holiday menu—pork roast, turkey, beef tenderloin, duck. Can’t beat that.
- It’s all make ahead. Do the squash and all the sauces in advance. You can reheat the squash in the microwave and then broil it at the last minute.
Micro-Broiled Winter Squash
2 medium winter squash (about 2 pounds each)—Hubbard, butternut, acorn, turban, spaghetti or buttercup
¼ cup olive oil or ½ stick (1/4 cup) melted butter
Kosher salt
Pick a squash sauce
Pierce the skin of the squash in a few places with the tip of a knife. Place it in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave one squash at a time on high for 10 to 12 minutes. The squash skill should feel soft, but not mushy. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes.
Heat the broiler. Grease a large ovenproof casserole.
Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds. With a big spoon scoop the flesh into the prepared dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt to taste. Broil on high about 4 inches from the heat source until lightly charred to your liking, about 5 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Serve with the squash sauce of your choice.
Sweet Squash Sauce
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
½ cup pecans
½ cup applesauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of kosher salt
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the pecans and cook over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon the sauce over the warm squash.
Chutney Squash Sauce
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
½ cup Major Grey’s mango chutney
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
Pinch of kosher salt
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the almonds and cook over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon the sauce over the warm squash.
Savory Squash Sauce
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, sage, thyme or oregano
Pinch of kosher salt
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon the sauce over the warm squash.
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And Number One in Meats, too!!! Woo-Hoo!!!
All this thanks to Lynne Rossetto Kasper who re-played our Cheater BBQ segment from The Splendid Table this weekend on NPR stations across the country. Click here to catch R.B. on The Show for People Who Love to Eat in case the first and second round weren’t quite enough or you’re just craving the idea of some pulled pork shoulder.
Also in Cheater BBQ news, guess which shelf-space challenged food store makes room for two flavors of liquid smoke? Whole Foods in Manhattan, that’s who!
See, Liquid Smoke MUST be cool now! Even Whole Foods thinks so.
A Cheater Pantry Essential
Posted in Cheater BBQ, Liquid Smoke, Pork 1 Comment »
Another excellent application for liquid smoke--Smoky Baba Ganoosh
Why didn’t we think of this before?
We had some excellent baba ganoosh at Kalamata’s Mediterranean Cuisine with the nicest hint of smoke the other day. When I asked the chef about it, he started in on a set of instructions including an indoor smoker contraption with wood chips. His hands were waving around like John Madden outlining football plays. Too complicated.
Why doesn’t he just use liquid smoke we wondered.
You can simmer the eggplant in smoky water. Works like a charm. It’s a great example of how to use all-natural liquid smoke in a more delicate application. We know we practically beat you over the head with liquid smoke in Cheater BBQ and and it’s fantastic. Now try this on the other side of the spectrum.
We used 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke to 1 quart of water.
Smoky Baba Ganoosh
1 medium to large eggplant, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
A spoonful of tahini, or to taste
Juice of one lemon, or to taste
1 small garlic clove, mashed into a paste with salt
A pinch of ground cumin, or to taste
Garnishes–drizzle of Olive oil, parsely, lemon wedges, finely chopped onion, tomato, whatever’s handy.
Toasted pita bread
Combine the eggplant, about 1 quart of water and the liquid smoke in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft. Drain the eggplant in a colander and press out any excess water. Place it in a food processor and add the remaining ingredients except the garnishes. You’ll want to taste it as you go to get the balance of salt, lemon and tahini to your liking. Chill. Garnish as you like and serve with the pita bread. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Posted in Appetizers, Liquid Smoke, Sides 1 Comment »
Posted by Mindy Merrell on September 29, 2009
Our man Philip rocked out the old year and into a new decade with a Cheater BBQ birthday party this past March. Philip comes from an old Boones Mill, Virginia, clan who strongly believe that good eating is essential for family togetherness.
The cheater cupcakes crowned with homemade butter cream and toasted coconut were a big hit. Philip, you're going strong!
R.B. and I traveled to Raleigh, NC, where Philip now lives to help out with the cheating. We had crocks filled with smoky pulled pork and brisket, slaw and sauce, plus Philip’s favorite salmon, his mother’s famous oyster loaf and pimiento cheese, lots of deviled eggs, and a fantastic modern take on braunschweiger pate crowned with a free-form floating vegetable design in glistening beef aspic, and of course, a special cocktail.
Yeah, we had fun and the food was fantastic. Lots of happy togetherness.
Not one of the guests worried about the cheating part of the barbecue. They just ate it all up. And these are folks from Virginia and North Carolina where they know a thing or two about “real” barbecue.
The party table with all the good looking food--no barbecue purists picketed outside.
Here’s a look behind the scenes.
Philip's brother Steve built an entire back porch for the party while we were inside cheating.
R.B. manned the cheating station. He's rubbing down the pork butt.
Now we're rubbing down the brisket before it gets smoked in the oven. We love foil steam pans. See that big bottle of liquid smoke. We used pretty much all of it for the party.
The pork butt is in the crock, the brisket is in the oven slow-smoking away. R.B., you can wash your hands now.
Carolyn took care of the deviled egg station--a Bernard party must. Come to think of it, mine too. Every party could stand a platter of deviled eggs.
R.B. took time to do a dramatic reading from the book while everything was cooking.
Philip's aspic design for the pate looks like the stained glass pieces he did back in college. That's Max to the left. He's interested in shiny artistic objects that smell like beef.
I helped Philip unmold his masterpiece, well, one of his many masterpieces.
Party time!
We wore name tags noting the year that we each met Philip. Mine said P'80. We go way back. Adam, a more recent P friend, snatched a few stray name tags. Someday this dude will rule the world. You heard it here first.
A toast with the special cocktail. Philip's neighbor Marcia wore a really hot outfit.
This happy party guest is enjoying a Cheater BBQ koozie. Cool.
Philip gave a little speech before blowing out his candles. You can tell we all love Philip.
It was a really great party.
Nothing like supportive friends. Here's Philip's family. I've been cooking and eating with the Bernards for close to 30 years.
Happy Birthday Philip!
Posted in Cheater BBQ, Liquid Smoke, Living the Dream, Pork, Slaws, Slow cookers No Comments »
Posted by Mindy Merrell on September 21, 2009
Here in Nashville, we’re at the center of a spiderweb of interstates that lead to just about any kind of regional barbecue. Go east on I-40 toward North Carolina and Virginia. Go west to Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma and Texas. Catch I-24 toward St. Louis, turn west to Kansas City or take I-24 southeast down to Georgia. I-65 will get you up through Kentucky or down through Alabama.
Don't cheat on the sauce. You'll have plenty of time to make a good one while the meat is in the oven or the slow cooker. If your barbecue has been heavily doused with a spicy/salty dry rub, you really don't want too much pepper and salt in your sauce.
We’re smack dab in the middle–the crossroads of barbecue. That’s why in Cheater BBQ it seemed like a good idea to organize our interpretations of regional barbecue sauces by the interstate system. We’ll take you all over the country, but the Nashville Crossroads Cheater Q sauce is still our favorite because of the nice balance of sweetness and tartness. It’s all because of this secret ratio:
Equal parts ketchup, brown sugar, and cider vinegar
It’s that simple.
After many years of judging the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue Competition in Lynchburg, TN, and testing hundreds of over-thought, overwrought recipes for a Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce contest, we have an important observation to share.
People put way, way too many ingredients in barbecue sauce.
Yuck. More is never better. Never. Balance is what counts.
Remember, it’s the smoky meat you really want to taste, so don’t cover it up.
Here it is. Our simple Cheater Q sauce that we make over and over again. Don’t complicate the simple. Start with our secret ratio and make it your own.
Nashville Crossroads Cheater Q Sauce
1 small onion, grated (on the big-holed side of a box grater to get the onion minced very fine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsley ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
Cook the onion in a small saucepan over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes or until thickened and smook. Makes about 2 cups.
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