Beer BBQ Pork, Dixie Chicken Sticks: Recipes for Memorial Day

Ya'll be careful out there.

Over hot charcoal embers, smokers or gas fired grills, barbecue and grilling cooks will be all over the place this weekend.

This year, I'm taking it easy with simple and fast cooking, easy clean up too. But the best part, delicious barbecue flavor.

True barbecue as we know it, is cooked over a long period and over a slow heat – Grilling is fast cooking, turning every few minutes on each side and basting with a marinade that leaves a barbecue taste. Basting the meats with mopping sauce further enhances the flavor and leaves a barbecue essence on the palate. Basting the meat during the quick cooking time also helps to keep it moist as it lays on an added layer of goodness. And as you may notice, I always bring the marinade to a good boil when using it as a baste or mop solution. It's been mingling with raw meat for goodness sake.

Here are two recipes I hope you will enjoy...



Dixie Chicken Sticks
southern style vinegar base BBQ flavor

1/2 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 pounds of boneless chicken meat, breast and/or thigh

Cut chicken into strips or pieces for the skewers. Place all ingredients in a large sealable bag, seal and massage chicken to evenly distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and place on skewers. If using wooden, be sure to pre-soak them for at least an hour in warm water. Place the marinade in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer cooking for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the chicken skewers over a medium high heat fire (350 to 400 degree F) basting with the marinade and turning occasionally for about 10 minutes total. Make sure the the natural juice of the chicken runs clear.

Serve with your favorite sauce.


Beer BBQ Pork with Summer Pork Rub
pure essence of summer tasting seasonings with a sweet, BBQ taste

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork strips from the loin, country style cut does well

Summer Pork Rub
1 tablespoon crushed dried summer savory
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Beer BBQ Mopping Sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 head garlic, diced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chili sauce or ketchup
1 cup of beer

Mix together in a small bowl the ingredients for the rub and put aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except beer for the mopping sauce. Pulse to finely dice the onions and garlic. Add the beer and stir to mix.

Cut the meat into bite-size pieces about 1/4-inch thick and lay onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with the pork rub and pound into the meat. Place meat on skewers threading it like ribbons if necessary and place skewers into a oblong dish deep enough to cover with the mopping sauce. Add the sauce and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 3 hours.

Remove skewers and heat the sauce in a saucepan cooking for at least 3 minutes.

Place the skewers over a medium high heat fire (350 to 400 degree F) basting with the marinade and turning occasionally for about 8 to 10 minutes. Check for doneness.

See more recipes under the Outdoor Cooking, Marinades, Sauces and Seasonings categories found on my Index Page.  And don't forget the sides too.