Saturday, August 23, 2008

Barbecue Heaven

One of the fun tings to do in Central New York State in the summer is to attend as many barbecues as you can. Many organizations use barbecues as a fund raiser, and we have tried to do our part to support any needy cause. Many years ago, when I was a kid, Cornell University developed and promoted a different barbecue recipe that is fantastic on chicken or on spiedies (chunks of meat on sticks). At the end of this segment I will include the recipe and hope that, you, the reader, will try it in the near future. We frequently had chicken halves barbecued in this style and always wanted to go back for more.

Our friends the Zagatas offered chicken barbecue at the New York State Fair for many years and we always looked forward to the tasty treat.

Another typical style of barbecue is to dig a pit, put lots of firewood in it, light the whole thing, and gradually you get a pit with great coals. Then you cover the coals with a light layer of dirt, place wrapped pieces of beef on top, cover all with more dirt, and leave the whole thing to steam over night. The next day, the pit is re-opened, and the beef is unwrapped for another delicious type of local barbecue. We tried that the other day in Berkshire and it was wonderful.

The recipe for Cornell barbecue sauce is: 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of vinegar, 1 egg, 6 tablespoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning and pepper to taste. Whip this mixture up in your blender. Pour the sauce over several pieces of raw chicken and let marinate as long as possible (over night is wonderful). Put the chicken pieces on the grill and cook until done, turning frequently and basting with the sauce as needed. Don't let the heat get too high as the chicken can easily burn. The end result is delicious. Happy feasting!!

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