Everyone has their own favorite way of grilling and barbecuing, depending on cuts of meat and resources at hand. My goal was to barbecue some baby back ribs (beef), and grill some chicken with a sweet 'n' sour glaze....and cook them at the same time on my charcoal grill.
What's the difference between grilling and barbecuing? Time. Barbecue is a gentle heat that can last for hours; grilling is a higher heat, and the process takes only a few minutes. Both processes have different outcomes.
When I considered cooking the ribs, I wanted rib meat that was juicy-moist, lightly enhanced with a honey-smoked sauce, and so tender it could drop off the bone by itself! Since my husband is a diabetic, I do not want layers of thick rich sauce, which can be too sweet. However, I do want tender meat packed with that rich savory barbecue flavor.
The usual mistake in barbecuing baby back ribs is cooking it so fast over the grill that the meat gets tough, retains some of the gristle and fat, and the outside gets dry and burnt. To compensate for flavor the cook will daub on abundant sauce in a effort to camouflage the poorly cooked meat.
The secret to really good ribs is not the sauce, as most sauces work quite well. The secret is to BAKE the ribs slowly in a 225 degree oven for four hours: The first hour rub the ribs in oil and place on a rack in an uncovered pan. The second two hours keep the ribs covered, wrapped in tin foil, basting them in olive oil occasionally. The last hour take the foil off, baste the ribs in olive oil, and then baste them several times with your favorite barbecue sauce (Honey Smoke, for me). This low-heat process seals in the juices, keeps the meat from drying out, and tenderizes it. All it needs then is to sit on the edges of the charcoal grill while the chicken is cooking. The highest heat in the center of the grill will cook the chicken, and the diffused lower heat along the edges will glaze your ribs to perfection.
Be sure to grill your chicken over a MEDIUM heat (hold your hand over the top of the grill for 5 seconds - that's medium heat). I marinate my chicken for five hours (while the ribs are in the oven), then brush them with Asian peanut sauce when they are ready for the grill. Put the skin-side down first, for 70 % of the cooking. This will cause grease to drip from the skin, so you'll have to move the chicken away from the flame to keep it from getting charred. I actually split the chicken breast the last few minutes, to sear the inside saturating it with the Sweet n' Sour sauce. At the very end I add salt and pepper, and remove all the meat immediately from the charcoal grill so it will not dry out.
I cooked a pot of basmati rice, lightly singed some onion rings, and fried up some panko bread crumbs to sprinkle over everything.
I served our evening meal on these old enamel camping plates - I've had them over 35 years. They just add a rustic touch to outdoor eating, and bring back so many wonderful memories of cooking outdoors.When grilling or barbecuing, it is always a good plan to cook more than you can eat at one meal. That means sandwiches the next day! The meat will still be incredibly tender and juicy. Warm the chicken 15 seconds in the microwave and then grill under the oven-broiler for a minute. That activates all the flavor. I like sourdough bread, frying both sides in olive oil. Then I lay a thin covering of mayonnaise on top of the bread, then the chicken.
A sprinkling of red onions and any other finely chopped vegetable or herbs can make this sandwich very festive. Hot from under the broiler, and ready in 3 minutes - you can't beat that! And, it will taste like you've been in the kitchen all morning.
