One problem with making your own BBQ sauce has always been collecting the wide array of ingredients you need. All sorts of spices and rubs, it can all get kind of expensive and overwhelming. This is the first sauce mix I’ve tried. It’s very easy to make, it all takes less than 10 minutes, and very tasty!

One benefit is you can make as much or as little as you’d like. No need for it to go to waste!

Try this…

PAMA Glazed Beef Skewers

1 cup PAMA liqueur reduced to 1/2 cup
3 oz of Dr. Marinade Jerk Sauce
1 sprig of thyme
2 teaspoons of hot pepper sauce
Salt & Pepper
1 lb of flank steak
1 package of skewers

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Slice steak into 1/2 inch thick
strips, place strips in bowl with marinade and soak overnight.
Dip skewers in water to prevent burning and secure beef strips onto
skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
Place skewers on hot grill for a several minutes on each side, and
cook to desired temperature.

For Glaze:
Add 3 oz of PAMA liqueur to the leftover marinade and reduce until
mixture turns to glaze. Pour glaze over cooked skewers.

You order them frozen, then make sure you give yourself 48 hours of thaw time (in the fridge) before popping them in the oven. These are ready to cook. I’ve got one coming, I will let everyone know how it is.

Burgers are not for dieters

You must start with a ground beef that’s at least 20 percent fat. Otherwise, your burger will be dry and tasteless. Sorry, this is the truth. If you want lean, look elsewhere. Much of that will cook out of course, but will keep the burger moist and tasty while cooking. Ground chuck is the label to look for. Some folks mix this with ground Sirloin, but I don’t find it worth the time. For four people, I recommend 1 1/2 pounds.

Use a gentle touch, don’t mangle your burger

It is important not to overwork the meat. For this reason, don’t attempt to mix any seasonings while forming your patties. There’s time for that later. Divide the meet into 4 portions and form each one into a ball. Then, shape into 3/4 inch patties. Again, be gentle and avoid pressing down on the meat. Make an indention in each with your thumb to keep them flat after cooking. Stacking them on wax paper makes them easy to separate later. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Season burgers last

Heat the grill to high and let it get good and hot, about 15 minutes should do it. Clean and oil the grate to prevent sticking. When ready to begin cooking, remove your burgers from the fridge and season generously with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy, but season well. Don’t do this until right before you grill your burgers, or it may suck all the moisture out of them.

Grill your burgers on high heat

Cook about 6 minutes per side for medium. If the burger sticks when trying to flip it’s too soon. As the burger crusts up it will unstick itself. Whatever you do, don’t press down on the burgers while cooking. This just squeezes the juice out of them.

Give your burgers a rest

After cooking, let your burgers rest for a few minutes to let the juices settle in. Cutting open the burger too soon may cause it to dry out. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Maker’s Mark bourbon
• juice of 2 limes
• zest of 1 lime
• 3/4 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 1 Tbsp of chili flakes
• 1 onion, cut in rings
• chopped garlic

Directions

Place 1 Large Flank Steak in Large Ziplock bag and add enough Maker’s Mark to cover when laying on it’s side (about 2 cups). Add the remaining ingredients and mix well with your fingers. Marinate overnight, flipping the bag occasionally.

Grill to medium rare over charcoal.

Take remaining marinade and bring to a boil, cook well and season to taste (with more chili flake and Salt & Pepper). You can also add a little sugar and more Maker’s Mark. When you get it to how you like it, add cornstarch to thicken, simmer and constantly stir until you get the desired consistency you’d like.

To cut Flank steak, take your knife down the path to the wide end, lay your knife almost flat on top and slice perpendicular to the grain. Thin slices are best. Serve with sauce.

Start with a good cut of meat, or don’t bother starting at all. I would recommend a 1 1/2 inch thick New York strip, graded Prime. If you just can’t swing the extra cost for Prime, then you can go with Choice, but never any lower. Prime really is much better. Select a steak that’s well marbled and, if you can get it, bone-on. Your butcher, even at mega-marts, will be happy to cut you steaks. Don’t settle for what happens to be packed out front.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator a half hour before cooking to get their internal temperature warmed up a bit. I usually do this while waiting on the fire to heat up. Pat them dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle a teaspoon or so of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on each steak. Drizzle a little olive oil on each side, a light coating. I find it easiest to use a pastry brush. That’s it. You don’t need any other spices, assuming you are using a good quality cut of meat.

Now, your grill should be good and hot. If using a gas grill, let it heat for 20 minutes or so with the lid down. You will be cooking on high! Clean and oil the grates before placing the steaks down on the grill. Cook for approximately two minutes, until you can life them steak with tongs (never a fork!) without it sticking. Turn a quarter turn so that you produce fancy grill marks.

Cook another couple of minutes, then flip. Follow the same procedure on this side, but after the quarter turn start paying attention to the steak so you can pull it off when it reaches the proper temperature.Poke the steak with your finger. The steak is rare when it feels like your cheek and medium when it feels like the tip of your nose. Practice makes perfect. Poke it with a thermometer if you must, but you will lose some precious juices.

When done, remove and place on a platter. Top each steak with a pat of butter – plain or seasoned. (Note, I said butter, not margarine.) Let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes. A sheet of foil can be placed loosely over the platter to keep them warm.

I bet you can take it from here!

Step by step with lots of photos. the experts over at this extensive barbecue website will have you cooking with the best of them in no time. Expecially not the instrunctions on trimming the ribs, and removing the membrante. This is a step novices often miss.

h2. Ingredients

* 6 ears sweet corn, in the husks
* 6 tbsp butter, cut into 12 equal pieces
* 6 good sized mint sprigs

h2. Directions

Soak the corn in salted water for one hour. You’ll need enough water to cover the corn completely. This will allow the husks to steam, rather than burn and will keep the corn most. The salt is for seasoning.

Peel back the husks so you can remove the silk, but be careful not to detach the husks from the ears. Each ear gets 2 pats of butter and a mint sprig. Pull the husks back up over the corn, completely covering the kernels.

Grill over medium-hot coals for 10-15 minutes, or until the kernels are tender. Turn frequently to prevent burning.

h2. Ingredients

* 20 sea scallops
* 1/3 cup minced shallots
* 2 sticks unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 2 tbsp Champagne vinegar
* 1/4 cup stock (fish, chicken, or vegetable)
* 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1 tbsp minced Italian parsley
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
* 6 cups of mixed greens

h2. Preparing the dressing

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Set aside 1 tablespoon of shallots for the salad, and add the remaining to the pan. Cook over low heat until tender. Add the wine, Champagne vinegar, stock, and lemon juice. Cook over high heat until reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat.

Whisk in the remaining butter gradually. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the pan. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. (White pepper would be best). This dressing will be served warm.

h2. Grilling the scallops

To grill the scallops you’ll need some skewers. If you use wooden skewers you’ll want to soak them in water for 30 minutes or to keep them from burning. Thread 4 or 5 scallops on to each skewer and brush with a couple of table spoons of the olive oil. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until tender. Like shrimp, scallops will turn opaque when done.

h2. Preparing the salad

Whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Toss the greens with vinaigrette and add the reserved shallots. Divide the salad into four plates. Place 5 scallops on each bed of greens and drizzle with the warm dressing.