BBQ Recipes from Chef Craig Flinn

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

A great homemade barbecue sauce is always better than bottled sauce from the grocery store. This is our current favorite at Chives Canadian Bistro, served with just about anything off the grill, but particularly good with pulled pork.

• 1 cup (250 mL) Jack Daniels whiskey
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (500 mL) ketchup
• 1/2 cup ( mL) red wine vinegar
• juice and zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup (310 mL) molasses
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp (3 mL) black pepper
• 1/2 tsp (3 mL) sea salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato paste
• 2 tsp (10 mL) liquid smoke
• 1 tsp (5 mL) Tabasco sauce

1. Cook the whiskey, onions, and garlic together and flambé the alcohol.
2. When the flames extinguish, reduce the whiskey by half.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer the sauce over very low heat for 1 hour.

Barbecued Pulled Pork

• 1 bone-in Boston butt pork roast or pork shoulder, about 10 lb (4.5 kg)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) paprika
• 1/2 tsp (3 mL) cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) onion powder
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin
• 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
• 2 cups (500 mL) hardwood chips (apple, maple, or hickory), soaked in water
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) apple cider or apple juice in a spray bottle

1. Preheat your barbecue to 225F (110C) using only one burner. Remove the grill over the flame but keep the grill in place where the flame isn't lit. This will allow an indirect, slow cooking for the pork roast. Remove any excess fat from the outside of the pork with a sharp knife.
2. In a small bowl mix all the spices together. Rub the spice liberally all over the pork and pat it into the flesh. Place the pork on the grill, ensuring that no flame is directly beneath the meat. (This would cause the flesh to burn and cook too quickly.)
3. Using a piece of aluminum foil, make a pouch large enough to contain one cup of the water-soaked wood chips. When the chips are sealed, poke about 4 or 5 holes, about 1/4" /5 mm in diameter, in the top of the foil. Repeat this for the second cup of woodchips. Place the first pouch of chips directly over the flame of the barbecue (I usually sit the foil pouch right on top of the burner shield down inside the base of the barbecue). Close the lid of the barbecue and allow the smoking to begin.
4. Cook for a total of 8 to 10 hours, until the internal temperature of the pork is between 165 and 175F (73 to 80C). During the cooking, constantly check the thermometer of the barbecue and maintain as close to 225F (110C) as possible through the cooking. Every now and then, spray some apple cider from the spray bottle over the meat. When the pork is ready, rest for at least 45 minutes or an hour before pulling the meat apart.

Serves 10 to 12 people