As a veteran on Memorial Day, I’ll say a prayer for my fallen brothers and sisters in arms and then succumb to the more pedestrian way of recognizing the upcoming holiday as the unofficial start of summertime. And since I am avowed and unrepentant hedonist, just about any reason to celebrate sets off a series of dizzying ideas about food and wine combinations. So, with Memorial Day weekend coming up, I have been conjuring how I’ll create menus with appropriate pairing wines to enjoy with family and friends. Since I’m going to concentrate on menus that feature picnic foods, I plan to grill pork and accompany it with that very versatile red – pinot noir.
There
is
no
better
red
to
match
with
picnic
fare,
especially,
barbecue
than
pinot
noir.
Barbecue
can
mean
different
things
to
different
people.
For
some,
it’s
a
verb
as
in:
“I’m
going
to
barbecue
some
hamburgers.”
For
others,
barbecue
is
a
noun
and
refers
to
a
type
of
cooked
pork
or
beef
rib
meat
that
is
immersed
in
various
sauces,
chopped
and
served
on
a
bun.
Since
I
love
to
grill
out,
barbecue
means
a
style
of
cooking
to
me.
You’ll
find
just
about
every
kind
of
food
on
my
grill,
including
(but
not
limited
to)
pork,
chicken,
beef,
lamb,
fish,
vegetables
and
sometimes
even
fruit.
In
my
estimation,
barbecuing
also
requires
a
grill
that
uses
“real”
charcoal.
But
newer
gas
grills
usually
have
a
smoke
box
that
allows
folks
using
them
to
approximate
the
flavor
of
charcoal.
Regardless
of
what
type
of
grill
you
use,
there
is
no
question
that
adding
wood
flavors
to
your
picnic
food
is
delicious
and
adds
a
wonderful
nuance
to
them.
Barbecue
pork
roast
dry
rubbed
and
ready
to
be
slathered
with
JB’s
Tangy
Sauce
I’ve
often
thought
that
there
is
something
almost
ritualistic
about
grilling
animal
flesh
or
things
that
grow.
A
return
to
simpler
times?
I’m
not
sure
I
want
to
know
why
this
practice
is
so
appealing
to
me
–
but
it
is.
So,
in
the
interest
of
making
barbecue
believers
of
you,
I’m
going
to
share
a
simple
recipe
for
my
barbecue
sauce
that
works
well
with
most
pork,
chicken
or
meat
dishes,
particularly
bone
in
center
cut
pork
roasts
and
barbecued
pork
ribs.
Whether
you
use
pork
roasts,
baby
backs
or
large
slab
ribs,
this
recipe
begins
with
a
dry
rub.
One
of
my
favorite
dry
rubs
consists
of
one
tablespoon
each
of
cumin,
chili
powder,
kosher
salt,
coarsely
ground
black
pepper,
brown
sugar
and
cayenne
pepper
(optional
for
those
faint
of
heart).
Stir
this
mixture
and
then
rub
it
onto
both
sides
of
the
meat.
If
time
permits,
let
the
pork
sit
in
the
refrigerator
overnight
or
for
a
few
hours
allowing
the
meat
to
absorb
the
flavors.
At this point, I often grab a handful of hickory or apple wood chips (available at some grocery stores and most home improvement centers like Lowe’s and Home Depot) and immerse them in warm water and allowing them to soak for at least half an hour. This is optional, but I think really gives the meat a great smoky flavor.
If you’re using charcoal, fire up the grill and when the coals turn white/gray, move them to each corner of the grill, leaving space in the middle for the meat to cook indirectly. Then add the wood chips to the charcoal. If you’re using a gas grill, heat it up and then add the wood chips to the smoke box and place the meat indirectly on the grill away from the direct heat source. On either grill, adjust the air vents to cook the pork at temperatures ranging from 275F to 300F for about three hours. Check the air vents regularly to adjust the heat if necessary and turn the meat once during grilling.
Once off the grill, I cut the pork into bite-size pieces. You may wish to serve as is, but I prefer to slather the meat in my tangy sauce (recipe below) and put the pieces back on the grill directly over the heat source for about five minutes and turning them once, before serving.
JB’s
Tangy
Barbecue
Sauce
–
one
cup
of
ketchup
–
one
half-cup
of
white
vinegar
–
one
12-ounce
beer
–
two
ounces
of
orange
juice
–
one
tablespoon
each
of
molasses
and
brown
sugar
–
one-half
teaspoon
of
cayenne
(optional)
–
Bring
the
mixture
to
a
boil
and
then
allow
it
to
slowly
thicken
for
about
half
an
hour.
Chehalem
Pinot
Noir
-a
perfect
pairing
with
pork
barbecue
Here
are
some
of
my
favorite
pinot
noirs
to
pair
with
this
barbecue
pork
roast
or
rib
recipe:
Chehalem
Willamette
Valley(Oregon)Pinot
Noir;
La
Crema
Sonoma
Coast
Pinot
Noir;
Gary
Farrell
Russian
River
Valley;
Pinot
Noir;
Siduri
Santa
Lucia
Highlands
Pinot
Noir;
Brewer-Clifton
Santa
Rita
Hills
Pinot
Noir;
Frank
Family
Vineyards
Carneros
Pinot
Noir;
Goldeneye
Anderson
Valley
(Mendocino
County)
Pinot
Noir;
Bouchaine
Napa
Valley
Pinot
Noir;
Domaine
Serene
Evanstad
Vineyard
Pinot
Noir.
Enjoy!