Barbecue Secrets

I usually barbecue chicken because where I grew up the summers were full of smells of smoking charcoal and the sizzle of chicken fat dripping down into the fire. Folks set up those skinny black grills in their front yards and hawk their food: "Get your red hot b-b-q! I got me RC Cola here you can have. And you gotta get a moon cake, too. Get your red hot b-b-q right here!"

So anyway, that's why I barbecue chicken. The secret to making your chicken nice and juicy is to marinate it at least one day, preferably two days before you plan on grilling. Good marinades have tenderizing acidic liquids like vinegar, wine, citrus juice, and even soy sauce. The marinade tenderizes the meat and adds flavor. Now, I could give you some recipes for some great marinades, but let's face it. Who really wants to make it? Wouldn't you rather be outside enjoying the summer? I use Salamida's New York State Fair Bar-b-Que. Sauce.

About four hours before you plan on grilling your chicken is the time to take it out of the marinade and apply the rub. It's going to need time to soak into the meat and form kind of a crust. A rub is a combination of spices that you can shake and apply all over the meat. The rub adds flavor and also helps tenderize the chicken even more. If you plan on making your own rub, remember that too much salt can dry out the meat by drawing out the moisture and sugar can burn. I use a great rub from the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. (It is also a great place to eat and hear the blues when you are in Syracuse.) It's called Cajun Foreplay and can be found in some grocery stores in the area.

Finally when it's time to put the chicken on the grill, you will want to check the temperature of the fire. Chicken is best cooked on a medium heat. To check the temperature of your fire, hold your hand palm down about an inch or two from the grill. If you can hold your hand there for about 4-5 seconds before you have to snatch it away, then you've got a medium heat going.

While the chicken is cooking keep a close eye on it so that it doesn't burn or begin to dry out. I like to keep a little marinade in a squirt bottle and spritz it when it looks a little dry. When the chicken is almost finished cooking, I brush on the barbecue sauce. If you put it on too early, you risk the sauce burning. Usually sauces have sugar or molasses in them that burn easily. I use a spicy sauce, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Habanero Hot Wango Tango Sauce. This sauce can be purchased at many of our local grocery stores.

Grilling Veggies

Brush veggies with olive oil or marinate with an oil and vinegar salad dressing. Keep the veggies moist so that their natural juice-ness stays in with the grilling. Grill your veggies on a medium heat. Here are some suggestions:

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