I’ve been around a while now and I’ve tried many different marinades, rubs and barbecues sauces and I keep coming back to my own concoctions. I can purchase one of those fancy schmancy bottles of barbecue for 3 or 4 dollars each or I can empty a couple of cheap ketchup bottles into a bowl, add my not so secret ingredients and presto some mighty tasty barbecue. Or if I just want some grilled chicken breasts I don’t need to turn on the tube and see how Emeril or Guy or Julia does it. I just start sloshing a little this and that into a bowl add the breast meat, let it set long enough to get my grill hot and before you know it we’ve got some very nice chicken.
I learned how to make barbecue sauce a few decades ago when I was a young pup in the Marine Corps. Upon entering the Marines we were given a series of aptitude tests to see what we would be best suited for. For some reason they determined I was best suited to be a cook. I guess I wasn’t smart enough to pick up cigarette butts on the parade grounds like most of the other guys. I didn’t mind though because the cooks didn’t have to stand inspection every morning or endure a lot of other military kind of stuff.
Anyhow we used to make our own barbecue sauce and it wasn’t bad. I have since made a few changes and now it’s pretty darn good. There is one problem. I don’t measure, so the sauce turns out a little different every time but it’s always good.
Marine Corps Style Barbecue Sauce:
I start with 2 -36 oz bottles of cheap ketchup, add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce or so to taste, several shakes of Tabasco or more to taste, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt. You can add mustard but I never do. You can add more vinegar or Franks hot sauce to make it more zingy or more brown sugar to make it sweeter. Mix all ingredients and spoon and spread over beef, pork or chicken and cook onto the meat over your grill. I boil the meat first until cooked through then cook the barbecue sauce onto the meat over the grill closing the lid to let the smoky goodness do its thing. Turn and lather with sauce several times. Be sure the sauce gets cooked thoroughly onto the meat. (enough sauce for 10 people) This sauce is also great for hot wings.
For hot wings simmer sauce for twenty minutes. While the sauce is simmering dredge chicken wing portions in seasoned flour and fry in 350 oil for seven minutes. Dip cooked wing portions in barbecue sauce and allow to set for 1 minute. Then have at it. Boy are they good. For traditional hot wings just use the recipe on the back of Franks Red Hot sauce. It’s very good.
Chicken Breast Marinade: My chicken breast marinade has received a very high approval rating from the BYU Idaho campus where my daughter Jessica has introduced it to some of her fellow students.
Take one 15 ounce bottle of soy sauce, 1 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix ingredients and place chicken breasts in marinade and allow to set for at least 20 minutes and then grill. Remember not to overcook the breasts. It sounds pretty simple, and it is, and it sure is good. Will marinate about 3-4 pounds of boneless chicken breasts.
Beef Steak Marinade:
Dump one 15 ounce bottle of soy sauce into bowl add 1/2 cup olive oil, 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, mix and add your steaks. Allow to set overnight if you can and then grill. Enough for about 3-4 pounds of steak.
Enjoy,
John