I already have Jamie's cookbook and it's fantastic...so no need to send me one. I have to share my favorite pulled pork recipe that I made for Memorial Day. It comes from Bon Appetit (sorry Jamie!). We used our new smoker for this....and it was like having a newborn...you had to check it every hour....in this case, to make sure the temperature was maintaining. Despite that headache, the results were remarkable! Enjoy.

In this recipe, a "dry rub" of brown sugar, pepper, paprika and salt flavors the meat before it is cooked, and a vinegary "mop" is brushed onto the pork to add more taste as it is smoked. Once cooked, the meat is "pulled," that is, shredded into slivers that are just the right size for piling onto a bun. The sandwich —drizzled with a bit of the vinegary sauce, which cuts the richness of the meat — is the ultimate in Carolina barbecue. Cook this in a smoker or a barbecue that has been converted to a smoker

Serves 12.

ingredients

For dry rub

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 untrimmed boneless pork shoulder halves (also known as Boston butt; about 6 pounds total)

For mop

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coarse salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

8 pounds (about) 100% natural lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes

6 cups (about) hickory wood smoke chips, soaked in cold water at least 30 minutes

12 soft hamburger buns with seeds, split

Carolina Red Barbecue Sauce

Tangy Coleslaw

preparation

Make dry rub:

Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend.

Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each piece lengthwise in half. Place on large baking sheet. Sprinkle dry rub all over pork; press into pork. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Make mop:

Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Following manufacturer's instructions and using lump charcoal and 1/2 cup drained wood chips for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue, start fire and bring temperature of smoker or barbecue to 225°F. to 250°F. Place pork on rack in smoker or barbecue. Cover; cook until meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 165°F., turning pork and brushing with cold mop every 45 minutes, about 6 hours total. Add more charcoal as needed to maintain 225°F. to 250°F. temperature and more drained wood chips (1/2 cup for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue with each addition) to maintain smoke level.

Transfer pork to clean rimmed baking sheet. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite-size pieces. Mound on platter. Pour any juices from sheet over pork. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer pork and any juices to baking dish. Cover with foil; chill. Before continuing, rewarm pork, covered, in 350°°F. oven about 30 minutes.)

Divide pork among bottoms of buns. Drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce. Top with coleslaw. Cover with tops of buns.

This is a very, very simple Japanese Salt-flavored Chicken Wing recipe. It may not sound very enticing, but it's really really delicious. Here's the recipe:

-- Chicken wings

-- Salt (lots of salt -- more than you think you'll need)

-- lemon

1. Salt wings a lot before you put on the grill. Add more salt, just to be safe.

2. Grill until cooked --- less than 6 minutes, usually

3. squeeze lemon on chicken

4. serve hot

5. eat fast

It's amazing how well chicken wings, salt, and lemon go together!

This is my favorite marinade for grilling tri-tip; but I have to admit that I'm so grilling-challenged that I only do the marinade and let someone more adept actually do the cooking.

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I just use the whole bunch)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup tequila

7 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

I stab the trip-tip all over to make sure the meat is infused with the marinade and will marinade either over night or for at least 3 hours.

I know lots of people have barbecue recipes that are more detailed than science manuals. My attitude towards grilling is that a good recipe is easy and adaptable. I got this marinade recipe from Sunset magazine a few years ago and I use it on everything. My favorite is pork chops:

the Soy-Balsamic marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (I actually add an extra clove because I like the flavor)

and a large red onion (my own add to the recipe)

Mix it all up and put the marinade in a large ziploc bag with about 6 pork chops (I use thick-cut, on the bone). Cut the onion up cross-wise (so you can see the rings... leave the rings together) and put in the bag too. I marinate for a few hours and put the chops on the grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Grill the onion slices too and serve them on top of the chops.

Jamie: I have a question for you. I can never quite figure out if the chops are done without cutting into them. I know that's a no-no because it lets the juices out, but with pork, I just do it. Any suggestions?

I brine the ribs first in two cups of kosher salt, two cups of sugar and four quarts of water for two hours.

I skip the liquid smoke in the recipe.

Happy finger licking

Ingredients:

2 slabs baby back ribs

***First Stage Dry Rub***

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup paprika

1/3 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

***Second Stage***

3/4 cup apple juice per slab

1/4 cup liquid smoke per slab

***Third Stage***

1/2 cup First Stage rub

***Finishing Glaze***

1 1/2 cup bbq sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Combine First Stage rub and mix well. Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs. Gently pat to ensure that rub will adhere. Place ribs meat-side up on a broiler or sheet pan and bake for 2 hours.

Remove ribs from oven. Place each rib meat-side down on its own doubled aluminum foil square. Foil should be large enough to completely wrap rib. Pour 1 cup of apple juice over each rib. At the same time wrap and seal each rib tight. Return to the oven for 1 hour.

Remove wrapped ribs from oven. Remove from foil and apply a medium coat of the Third Stage rub to the meat-side of the ribs. Place uncovered in the oven meat-side up for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Brush finishing glaze on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in oven for 10 minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen.

This recipe for The Best Baby Back Ribs...Ever! serves/makes 4

I just love salmon on the grill, but I'm a bit of a purist...I do a little salt & pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. But then, I make a little aioli for dipping:

1 cup good mayonnaise

juice of whole fresh lemon

pinch of kosher salt

3 -4 tablespoons of fresh dill (or 1.5 tablespoons dried dill weed)

Mix it up and make sure to let it sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour to let flavors develop.

Yum with a glass of chardonnay or sauvignon blance, a little parmesan risotto and green salad. And you MUST grill some peaches and serve with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

This is a recipe we use for our family gatherings. The base is a basic teriyaki sauce from Mrs. Fukawa of San Francisco's Boy Scout Troop 58. Then improvised to get the "korean style".

Heat in a pot over low heat:

- 1 cup soy sauce (prefer Yamasa)

- 2 pcups sugar

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup sake

- 2-3 cloves of garlic (pressed or minced)

- 1 T of grated ginger (less of the powered ginger)

- red pepper flakes; to taste

When the sugar is dissolved, add

- 3-4 green onions sliced on the diagonal

Cool.

Pour into a gallon sized ziploc freezer bag.

Add ~5lbs "flanken style" short ribs.

Marinate overnight or longer.

Extra marinade (w/o the green onions) can be kept in the frig in a glass jar for another use. (Such as teriyaki hot dogs, or spam musubi).

First go to the ATM withdrawing $40. Then drive to Old South BBQ in San Leandro purchasing 2 slabs with 3 sides. Now do not be chicken, order the Hot not Mild sauce. Feeds at least 6' MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! LOL

PS Some time my wife does cook the ribs but we always get the sauce at Old South along with the sweet potato pie.

PK Real Potato Salad

6 large potatoes

8 eggs

Mayonnaise

Miracle Whip

dill relish

Yellow mustard

large onion

Paprika

Boil potatoes to a cooked but firm state cutting into medium cubes. eggs hard boiled. I save one egg to slice on top then sprinkle with Paprika.

I do not have a recipe on the proportion of ingredients.I mix to my taste.

When ever I bring this to a BBQ I go home with a empty bowl.

This is a different sort of BBQ chicken recipe but it is fantastic and always gets a great response from people who eat it.

First make a roux with white flour and butter:

melt butter (3/4 stick) until just past bubbling and add flour (1 cup). Cook until slightly browned stirring constantly. Remove from direct heat and begin adding heated water (or preferably, chicken stock) and stirring vigorously until the first portion of the stock is incorporated. Return to heat and, while stirring, add more water or stock until you have a very thick soup consistency. Cook until just bubbling and remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Add:

2-1/2 Tablespoons "A-1" sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

dash of salt

1 teaspoon Cayenne

and/or

2Tablespoons Black Pepper (I usually use Black Pepper, my brother uses Cayenne- depends on cooks preference and, of course, who's going to be eating it. Either tastes great)

Taste for balance of Lemon and Pepper and amend as necessary.

This is not a marinade but a basting or "mopping" sauce and is simply basted or mopped onto the chicken as it is barbecued. Be liberal with this sauce as some sticks to the skin and meat but most of it falls off or cooks off but just flavors the chicken marvelously as it cooks.

I rarely measure ingredients so the amounts may take adjusting to get it just right. Like my Grandmother used to say "just use good ingredients and a little common sense and you can't go wrong". Bon apetite!