Thai-Dipped Beef Tri Tip – Satay, Unskewered

Thai-Dipped Beef Tri Tip – Satay, Unskewered

Asian Cuisine Barbecue Beef Grill Recipes Spicy

There are so many examples of big foods being re-imagined into smaller, bite-sized versions, but going the other direction is not nearly as common. That's what I was attempting to do with this satay-inspired, Thai-dipped beef tri tip.

I enjoy beef satay way more than I do skewering small pieces of beef. Besides, I’ve never made satay, and not stuck a bamboo skewer into my finger at some point in the process. And not only did this involve less labor, but you can cook this in any number of ways.

I decided to go low and slow, over indirect charcoal heat, until I reached an internal temperature of 132 F.  If you’re in more of a hurry, you can cook tri tip over higher heat, and it’s perfectly fine, as long as it doesn’t overcook. You can also roast this in the oven at 325 F., just in case a thunderstorm tries to mess up your plans.

All the ingredients here are easy to find, with the possible exception of lemongrass. Most big city grocery stores carry it, but in other parts of the country, I’ve seen it sold as a tubed puree, displayed in the produce department. If you can’t find it, you can add some lemon juice and zest to adjust. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one beef tri tip roast:

2 1/2 pound trimmed beef tri tip top roast

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup chopped lemon grass (peel off woodiest parts, pound with back of knife, then chop)

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons grated raw onion

1/3 cup fish sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- Grill, smoke, or roast to an internal temp of 130 to 135 F.

Bulgogi Beef – How They “Barbecue” in Korea (the Good Korea)

Bulgogi Beef – How They “Barbecue” in Korea (the Good Korea)

Asian Cuisine Barbecue Beef Spicy

This is going to be a pretty easy post to write, since I know almost nothing about the fine art of bulgogi. I do know that if you follow along with what I did in the video, you’re going to end up with something very delicious, and fairly gorgeous, so that’s a good place to start.

I also know that you can control the texture by making your slices thicker or thinner, as well as changing the marination time. Obviously, the thinner the slice, and the longer it’s in the marinade, the softer and more tender the meat becomes. However, you can go too far, ending up with something mushy, and unappetizing.

Unfortunately, this is a matter of trial and error, and so to avoid all that, I generally go with just an hour or two, which always seems like plenty to me. I don’t want mushy meat, in the best examples I’ve had of this in Korean restaurants, while tender, still had a little bit of chewiness to them. Besides, the fact that this is such a fast-acting marinade, is one of the big advantages.

If you don’t do the boneless short ribs, and go with pork loin, or chicken, you’ll want to be especially careful, since it has less connective tissue. By the way, if you are an experienced bulgogi master, please feel free to pass any tips along. I really hope to give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

1 1/4 pound boneless beef short rib, or any other meat, sliced about 1/8-inch thick

4 finely crushed garlic cloves

1 generous tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/3 cup freshly grated Asian pear

1/4 cup grated yellow onion

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 or 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, depending on how sweet you like it

1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

sliced green onions to finish

steamed rice

Eastern North Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce with a West Coast Twist

Eastern North Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce with a West Coast Twist

Barbecue Dips Sauces Spicy

I’m not sure if using honey instead of sugar really qualifies as a “West Coast twist,” but it does ensure that people from North Carolina can’t attack me for this Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue sauce not being authentic. 

Anyway, while this isn’t exactly what you might find in the Tar Heel State, it was fantastic on the pork, and I hope it inspires you to add this deliciously different barbecue sauce in your repertoire.

As I mentioned in the video, I’m heading down to SoCal to work on a top-secret project, but since I teased this sauce in the recent paper pork recipe, I wanted to get this posted before I left. Unfortunately, I can’t give any details about what I’m doing down there, but let’s just say…actually, I can’t even say that. So stay tuned, and in the meantime, I really do hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon honey, or other sweetener to taste

1 generous tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 generous tablespoon hot red pepper flakes

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Paper Pork Shoulder – It’s a Wrap

Paper Pork Shoulder – It’s a Wrap

Barbecue Pork Tips and Techniques

This “paper pork” was inspired by a technique for smoking beef brisket that involves wrapping the meat in parchment paper after a certain point in the cooking process, in an effort to keep the meat moist, and succulent. Turns out it works great for pork shoulder.

I decided to try it for an oven-roasted pork shoulder, wrapping it from the beginning, and it came out so perfectly tender, and juicy, I’ve been doing it that way ever since. Like I said in video, I’m not exactly sure how much better this comes out with the paper, verses just wrapping tightly in foil, but it seems to stay moister, and more importantly, it looks cool on the table.

We don’t get any kind of crust using this method, but it doesn’t lack for flavor, and if you’re going to use this for pulled pork sandwiches, along with your favorite bbq sauce, I don’t see how that’s going to be any kind of a problem.

Speaking of barbecue sauce, I’m going to show you an unusual one next week, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I really hope you give this paper pork a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast

for the rub:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne

- Wrap and roast at 225 F. for 1.75 hours per pound