THE PIT & THE PENDULUM

Meat & Three barbeque recipes
VIRGINIA WILLIS
The Atlanta For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/27/06 The South is covered with tin-roofed barbecue shacks with red cedar picnic tables out front and oilcloth-topped tables inside. Barbecue has, however, gone uptown. Not those faceless, nameless chains that use liquid smoke --- we are talking real barbecue made by chefs.

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Unlike many of the more traditional pitmasters whose sauces and methods are well-kept secrets, neo-traditionalists like David Larkworthy of Five Seasons Brewing and David Roberts of Sam & Dave's BBQ 1 are more forthcoming. That's partly because these inventive chefs depend not just on one recipe but have many that they are constantly revising and adapting. Here are some of the formulas for sauces, rubs, brines and sides that distinguish their 'cues --- old and new, traditional and creative. We've tested them with techniques that can be used by any backyard chef, with or without a smoker.

Barbecue Spareribs

4 to 6 servings
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

If you don't have the time to patiently slow-cook the ribs on the barbecue, there are a couple of methods that won't be quite as good but are certainly acceptable. One technique is to leave off the sauce for the majority of the cooking on the grill and brush the sauce on the ribs only at the end so the sauce won't burn at the higher temperature. The other way is to bake the ribs in the oven at a fairly low temperature, brush on the sauce toward the end of cooking, and broil them to achieve those delicious smoky brown bits. Whatever you do, don't parboil the ribs! All the flavor goes into the water --- which then goes down the drain. For "barbecue" indoors, par-baking is better.

3/4 cup Sam & Dave's Spice Rub (see recipe)
2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) slabs of spareribs
2 cups Sam & Dave's Barbecue Sauce, (see recipe)

Rub the spice rub all over both sides of the ribs. Loosely wrap with plastic wrap and let ribs stand at room temperature for up to an hour, or, for a longer seasoning, loosely wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To prepare the charcoal grill: Light a mound of briquettes and place on one side of the grate. Open the bottom vent of the grill. Position the rack on the grill. (To prepare the gas grill, simply heat the grill to 250 degrees.)

Place the seasoned ribs on the grate opposite the hot coals, cover with the lid, and open the lid vent about halfway, directly over the ribs. The initial heat will be a little higher, but eventually you want the temperature to be between 200 degrees and 250 degrees. If you need to lower the temperature, close the vent to decrease the heat, and open once you are in the correct range. Turn the ribs every 45 minutes and check the cooking temperature. For charcoal: If necessary, add additional coals to keep the temperature constant. Cook until the meat begins to pull away from the bones and be reddish-brown on the surface of the meat, about 2 hours. Leave plain to serve the sauce on the side or, for charred brown bits, brush the heated barbecue sauce on toward the very end of cooking, the last 10 minutes or so. Otherwise the sauce will burn and become bitter.

Remove the ribs to a large, warm platter. Cover with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. When you are ready to serve and after the ribs have rested, unwrap and brush with additional barbecue sauce (or pass sauce separately). Cut into individual servings and serve.

Per serving (based on 4), with Sam & Dave's Barbecue Sauce: 558 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 38 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (14 grams saturated), 104 milligrams cholesterol, 2,773 milligrams sodium.

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Barbecue Brisket

8 to 10 servings
Hands on: 1 hour
Total time: 4 hours

Brisket is a real labor of love. If you don't have a smoker, it involves a minimum of 4 hours on the grill or a combination of the grill and oven. Indirect heat is the best way to cook a brisket. This means that you are going to place the meat on one side of the grill and have the burner underneath the meat turned completely off. The burner on the other side of the grill is going to be turned to cook low and slow.

3/4 cup Sam & Dave's Spice Rub (see recipe)
1 flat or point portion of brisket, about 5 pounds
2 cups Sam & Dave's Barbecue Sauce (see recipe), heated

Rub the spice rub all over both sides of the brisket. Loosely wrap with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature about an hour.

To prepare the charcoal grill: Light a mound of briquettes and place on one side of the grate. Open the bottom vent of the grill. Position the rack on the grill. (To prepare the gas grill, simply heat the grill to 250 degrees.)

Place the seasoned brisket on the grate opposite the hot coals, cover with the lid, and open the lid vent about halfway, directly over the brisket. The initial heat will be a little higher, but eventually you want the temperature to be between 200 degrees and 250 degrees. If you need to lower the temperature, close the vent to decrease the heat, and open once you are in the correct range. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the brisket from the grill, cover with barbecue sauce, wrap in foil and return to the grill. Return the brisket to the indirect heat of the grill and cook for an additional 2 hours, rotating the meat periodically so that all sides will be exposed to the direct heat during cooking. (Or, to finish in the oven, bake in an oven preheated to 300 degrees until tender, an additional 2 hours.)

Remove the meat from the grill (or oven) and set aside in the foil on a warm platter to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap the brisket and place on a clean cutting board. Slice on the bias across the grain, into very thin slices. Moisten slices with the barbecue sauce mixture and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Per serving (based on 8): 575 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 64 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 29 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 196 milligrams cholesterol, 2,482 milligrams sodium.

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Sam & Dave's Spice Rub

Makes about 3 1/4 cups
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes 1 cup coarse kosher salt

1 cup paprika
1/2 cup ancho chile powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons celery seed
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Fresh thyme leaves, optional

In a medium bowl, mix together salt, paprika, chile powder, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, mustard, celery seed, cayenne, white pepper and cumin. Store in a sealable container. After rubbing meat with the mixture, sprinkle with thyme leaves, if desired, before barbecuing.

Per tablespoon: 25 calories (percent of calories from fat, 27), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1,749 milligrams sodium.

Sam & Dave's Barbecue Sauce

Makes about 5 1/2 cups
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes

2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Texas Pete, or to taste
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon A.1. Steak Sauce
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste

Combine vinegar, water, tomato paste, salt, Worcestershire, Texas Pete, oil, steak sauce and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature 8 hours or overnight. Store in a sealable container.

Per tablespoon: 34 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, no fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 295 milligrams sodium.

Sam & Dave's Baked Beans

6 to 8 servings
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Baked bean arguments aren't nearly as serious as the sauce wars, but once again, there are fervent believers in what recipe is best. Some joke that only Southerners would take a healthy high-fiber protein and add sugar, molasses --- or both.

2 (16-ounce) cans baked beans, drained
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Vidalia onion, chopped

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine beans, brown sugar, molasses, barbecue sauce, mustard, jalapeno, Worcestershire and onion in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a large baking dish. Bake until bubbly and reduced, about 1 hour.

Per serving (based on 6): 371 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 8 grams protein, 88 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 914 milligrams sodium.

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Five Seasons Brewing Brined Barbecue Chicken 4 servings

Hands on: 45 minutes
Total time: 7 hours

Brining poultry produces moist and tender results. Muscle fibers absorb liquid during the brining period. Some of this liquid is lost during cooking, but since the meat is juicier at the start of cooking, it ends up juicier in the end. Moisture loss is inevitable when you cook any type of muscle fiber. The heat causes the coiled proteins in the fibers to unwind and then join together with one another, resulting in shrinkage and moisture loss. Meat loses about 30 percent of its weight during cooking, but brining reduces the moisture loss during cooking to as little as 15 percent.

1 gallon cold water
11 tablespoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 garlic cloves
2 allspice berries
1-2 juniper berries
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 whole chicken, cut into 6-8 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for the grill

Barbecue sauce (homemade or bottled), warmed, optional

Combine the water, salt and brown sugar in a large plastic container and stir to dissolve. Add the garlic, allspice, juniper berries, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf and thyme. Add the chicken; cover and refrigerate to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

To prepare the charcoal grill: Light a mound of briquettes and place on one side of the grate. Position the rack on the grill. (To prepare the gas grill, simply heat half the grill to 350 degrees.)

Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels, season with pepper and set aside.

Using long-handled grill tongs, dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and wipe the grill grate. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hotter side of the grill; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Move the chicken, skin side up, to cool side of grill and cover with disposable aluminum roasting pan; continue to cook until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, passing optional barbecue sauce separately.

Per serving: 276 calories (percent of calories from fat, 30), 31 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 89 milligrams cholesterol, 1,340 milligrams sodium.

Five Seasons Brewing Smoked Fingerling Southern Potato Salad

6 to 8 servings
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes, plus chilling

Outdoor grilling without potato salad just doesn't seem right. David Larkworthy smokes the potatoes for flavor after they have cooked, but if you do not have a smoker, the key is to use wood chips on the grill that have been previously soaked in water.

2 pounds fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
Zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon white truffle oil, optional
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with 2 inches of cold water and add salt. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until tender and just done, about 15 minutes. Remove to a bowl filled with ice water to cool quickly and stop the cooking process. Once cooled, cut into 1-inch discs.

Place the discs on a small baking sheet and place in a smoker. Smoke the potatoes with your favorite soaked fruitwood chips at 200 degrees until light smoky aromas have penetrated the potato, about 30 minutes.

Alternatively, prepare your charcoal or gas grill. Heat the grill to 200 degrees. Assemble a wood chip pouch by wrapping 4 wood chunks (about 3 inches each) or 3 cups wood chips in double sheet of heavy-duty foil. Prick at least 6 holes in top of foil pouch with knife tip to allow smoke to escape; place on top of ash-covered coals or near the burner element in the gas grill.

Remove the potatoes from the smoker. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add eggs, mayo, celery, onion, relish, chives, parsley, mustards, cayenne, zest and truffle oil; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 45 minutes.

Per serving (based on 6): 436 calories (percent of calories from fat, 65), 6 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 33 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 75 milligrams cholesterol, 1,443 milligrams sodium.

Five Seasons Brewing Lamb Chops With Honey-Curried Barbecue Glaze

4 servings
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Lamb loin chops and rib chops can be pricey. An alternative is to use lamb shoulder chops. At Five Seasons, David Larkworthy uses this glaze on grilled lamb, barbecued lamb ribs or shoulder.

4 lamb shoulder chops, about 3/4 inch thick
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Honey-Curried Barbecue Glaze, warmed (see recipe)

To prepare the charcoal grill: Heat enough coals to cover surface area large enough for four chops. Once coals are covered with gray ash, spread them, set grill rack in place and cover grill with lid in order to heat the rack, about 5 minutes. (To prepare the gas grill, simply heat the entire grill to 375 degrees to 400 degrees.)

Sprinkle both sides of each chop with salt and pepper to taste.

Position the chops over hot coals. Grill until bottom of each chop is well-browned, about 2 minutes. (If chops start to flame, pull off the heat for a moment or extinguish the flames with a squirt bottle.) Turn each chop, and lightly brush occasionally with half the glaze. Cook about 2 more minutes for medium-rare or 2 1/2 minutes for medium. (Do not start glazing early in the cooking process or the glaze will burn.)

Remove from the grill to a warm platter to rest for 2 minutes. Serve with the remaining warmed glaze.

Per serving: 469 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 26 grams protein, 79 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 79 milligrams cholesterol, 192 milligrams sodium.

Five Seasons Brewing Honey-Curried Barbecue Glaze

About 1 cup
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

Chef Dave Larkworthy keeps these spices whole for the glaze. He says, "The idea is that they provide visual, textural and flavorful parts of the sauce within the sauce." It pairs especially well with lamb but would also go well with chicken.

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup clover honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add coriander, cumin and fennel seeds and black pepper. Toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the honey, vinegar, molasses, curry powder and garlic; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Store in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Per tablespoon: 74 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), trace protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 3 milligrams sodium.