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So how to make easy perfect ribs and grilled chicken, here are some of the simplified distilled things that I do:
h3. Ribs
OK, you won’t believe it, but the easiest way to make ribs doesn’t involved the grill (gotcha). Go find the best ribs you can is the most important, the QFC or Safeway kinds just don’t cut it. Where we live “Costco”:http://www.costco.com/ has the best ribs. I like the big fresh cut pork ribs from there. There are of course lots of specialty stores, but this is one area where the ingredient makes a difference.
Next, salt and pepper the things, or put whatever kind of sauce you like. Now, get up early in the morning, put the oven on at 180 F (I’m not kidding, lukewarm). Then put the ribs in for as long as you can. 6 hours at least, but you get the idea. This slow cooking makes everything amazingly moist and tender. Of course, you tell your wife about all the hard work you are doing, etc. as well.
To make them tasty, the best is a spice rub. There are lots of recipes, but basically a dry rub you put on infuses into the meat. I like it spicey, but even a simple soy sauce, sugar and ginger works well.
h3. Grilled Chicken
This is one of the hardest recipes to get right. Believe me I’ve tried. Here is one that is pretty foolproof and actually works well on a gas grill. I love charcoal, but gas is simpler, but requires some adjustment. The biggest is charcoal is hotter, so all charcoal recipes you modify for gas by closing the lid. That increases the heat.
So, here goes, the first thing is not actually the ingredients, but making sure to brine the chicken. This takes 1 1/2 hours, but is worth it. A quart or so of water and equal parts salt and sugar are all tha you need. Usually about a little less than half a cup of each is about right. Throw it into a big ziplock.
When you take it out wash throughly (so it isn’t a salt bomb!) and pat dry. Put a bunch of salt and pepper on or a dry rub. Don’t put on anything that can burn like a sauce.
Now put your grill on nuclear hot. Seat one side and then the other for one minute each. This makes it look golden brown.
The hard part now is to turn your grill down so that the skin isn’t going to burn. You are now slow cooking. Close the lid and wait 6-10 minutes more. Check it, but it should be good. If the fire flares, put it out as soon as you can with a spritzer of water.