Skillet Cornbread, Wilted Lettuce, Potato Salad, Baked Beans...

Peace, Love, & Barbecue : Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue
by Mike Mills, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

(Page 2 of 2)

John Hudgins's Skillet Cornbread

Jeanette's husband, John Hudgins, comes from a long line of good cooks, too, and he's pretty particular about his food. We welcomed his family recipes—and him, too—right into our own. We especially like his skillet cornbread, and to this day he makes it when we're having barbecue, chili, or the ham and beans we always eat on New Year's Day.

4 tablespoons olive oil 1¼ cups coarsely ground       yellow cornmeal ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt, finely    ground 1 cup buttermilk or plain    yogurt 1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Coat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk or yogurt, egg, and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.

Place the oiled skillet in the oven for about 3 minutes or until hot. Don't allow the oil to smoke or burn. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cut into slices and serve with plenty of butter.

SERVES 4 TO 6

VARIATIONS: You can add ½ to 1 cup fried pork cracklings, ½ cup crumbled crisp-fried bacon, ¼ cup drained jalapeño peppers, or ½ cup grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese to the batter.

We often serve sorghum butter with our cornbread for a real taste treat. To make sorghum butter, mix together 4 tablespoons of softened butter and 4 tablespoons of sorghum. Drizzle on warm cornbread.

Bob Mills's Wilted Lettuce

For years, wilted lettuce was my brother Bob's contribution to any family picnic. Sadly, Bob passed in 2003, but he lives on with this salad. Bob used oak leaf and black-seeded Simpson varieties of lettuce straight from his garden and poured a hot, tart bacon-and-vinegar dressing on them just before serving. You can make this dish year-round with lettuces from the supermarket, but it will be its very best if you, too, are lucky enough to be able to harvest fresh greens from your own backyard right before you make it. Lettuce from a farmers' market is a close second.

The trick to making good wilted lettuce: Right after you pour on the dressing, give the lettuce a quick toss and then cover the salad bowl with a plate so it can steam for a minute and wilt the lettuce leaves. I've been known to make a meal out of a giant bowl of this tangy salad.

6 to 8 slices bacon, cut into    2-inch pieces ½ cup sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1⁄3 cup water 1 teaspoon kosher salt,    finely ground ½ teaspoon coarsely ground     black pepper ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic     or 1 clove garlic, minced     (optional)

½ teaspoon celery seed     (optional) 2 bunches leafy lettuce (Bibb,    oak leaf, black-seeded    Simpson, red leaf, or field    greens), washed and dried ½ large red onion, very thinly     sliced 2 large eggs, hard-cooked,    peeled, and sliced 2 or 3 radishes, thinly sliced

Brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set on paper towels to drain. Leave the drippings in the skillet.

Add the sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper—and the garlic and celery seed, if you wish— to the drippings in the skillet. Stir and simmer over medium heat until well blended.

Tear the lettuce leaves into pieces. Don't cut the lettuce, as this causes the edges to darken. Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl and crumble in the bacon. Scatter the thinly sliced red onion rings on top of the lettuce. Pour the hot dressing over the lettuce, toss, and cover the bowl with a plate for a few minutes. Remove the plate, add the eggs and radishes, and toss the salad again. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4 TO 6

VARIATION: You may also add the green tops of scallions to the lettuce.

Mama Faye's Home-Style Potato Salad

There are are dozens of different potato salads, but I'm still partial to Mama Faye's. This recipe includes one of our family secrets: pickle juice, straight from the jar. Pickle juice is an easy way to add a little extra zip and flavor. I use the juice from dill pickles, but the liquid from sweet pickles will work, too. Another secret to good potato salad is making it well in advance. The flavors need time to blend, and the salad should be well chilled before you serve it.

3 pounds small red-skinned    potatoes, scrubbed 1 cup finely chopped onion 6 large eggs, hard-cooked,    peeled, and chopped 1 tablespoon celery seed 2 cups mayonnaise (she used    Hellmann's) 1 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons kosher salt, finely    ground

1 teaspoon ground white    pepper 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons pickle juice or    pickle relish Paprika or 2 tablespoons    finely chopped scallion tops    or chives (optional)

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 40 minutes or until tender. Test the potatoes by sliding the blade of a sharp knife into a potato. When it slides out clean, the potatoes are done. Don't overcook them or you'll end up with mashed potato salad.

Pour the potatoes into a large colander to drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into ½-inch dice, leaving the skin on. Place in a large bowl and toss the still-warm potatoes with the onion, eggs, and celery seed.

In a separate large bowl, make a dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar, and pickle juice or pickle relish.

Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix gently with your clean hands until the potatoes are well coated. Sprinkle the top lightly with paprika or garnish with the scallions or chives, if desired.

Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours before serving.

SERVES 8 TO 12

Mama Faye and me celebrating her 95th birthday in April 1998

Mike's Crunchy Cole Slaw

There are two kinds of cole slaw: creamy and vinegar-based, and both have their merits. At 17th .' Street Bar & Grill, we use a simple vinegar-based recipe that's always been very popular. I was young, I looked forward to the annual chicken-and-dumpling dinner held by the Shriners club in Ava, Illinois. Their bright yellow cole slaw was the best I ever tasted. It was an all-you-can-eat event, and I always tried to get my money's worth. I finally figured out how they got that yellow color—they boiled the marinade ingredients with turmeric before pouring it over the cabbage. My slaw has that same great flavor; it's just not yellow.

1 head green cabbage, finely    chopped (about 5 cups; see    Note on opposite page) ¼ head red cabbage, finely    chopped (about 1 cup; see    Note on opposite page) 1 carrot, shredded DRESSING 2 cups apple cider vinegar 2 cups sugar

1½ tablespoons canola oil or     other mild vegetable oil ½ cup chopped onion ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper ¾ teaspoon celery seed ½ teaspoon kosher salt, finely    ground ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon chopped garlic

Toss the green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrot in a large bowl.

Make the dressing: In another large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Use a measuring cup to transfer half of the dressing to the bowl with the cabbage and carrots. Toss with clean hands or a large spatula to combine. Keep adding dressing, 'A cup at a time, but be careful not to drench the cabbage. You may not need all of the dressing; any leftovers can be saved, in a covered container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days and used as a dressing for salad or a marinade for vegetables.

SERVES 10 TO 12

NOTE: Today you can buy your cabbage already shredded. However, chopping it fresh does make a difference in the texture of the slaw. You can use a food processor or a grater to shred the cabbage, but I prefer to prep it by hand. Using a very large, sharp knife, slice the cabbage into '/i-inch slices. Lay the slices flat and finely chop them—first sideways, then up and down.

VARIATION: For a creamy version, mix 1 cup of the dressing with 1 cup of Hellmann's mayonnaise or Miracle Whip salad dressing.

Chow

It's traditional in some parts of the country to serve cole slaw on a barbecue sandwich. Pile chopped or pulled meat on the bun and top the meat with a spoonful of cole slaw, which is also known as “chow” down South. The tart, crunchy cabbage goes perfectly with the smoky flavor of the meat.

Freezer Cole Slaw

Did you know you can freeze cole slaw? Simply boil the dressing and pour it over the cabbage. Let it cool and transfer to large freezer bags or covered plastic containers and freeze. Keeps up to one month.

Marinated Vegetables

Prepare a medley of vegetables—red and green bell pepper slices, carrot sticks, sliced red onion, fresh mushrooms, large black or green olives, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, or any other vegetables you like. Pour the dressing from Mike's Crunchy Cole Slaw over the vegetables and let marinate for three to four hours or overnight. Serve these vegetables as a side dish or salad alternative.

Judy Mills's From-Scratch Baked Beans

Judy Mills is married tomy oldest brother, Landess. She always brings from-scratch baked beans tofamily picnics, and they are good. She goes on and on about how much better they are because she started with dried beans. When I started working on this book, I asked Landess to watch her make the beans and write out the recipe for me. He laughed and laughed. “She doesn't make those beans from scratch,” he said, dashing the story I'd known to be true for more than 50 years.

Judy wrote out the recipe for me, and I've altered it, using dried beans. The color will be lighter since you're starting with white beans, and the texture will be just a little firmer. You'll have to start a day early to soak the beans, but I guarantee the end result will be worth the extra time and effort.

1 pound dried great northern    beans 4 to 6 slices bacon ½ cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups ketchup (I like Hunt's) ½ cup molasses

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon yellow mustard    (I like French's) 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons Magic Dust (see    page 67)

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with salted water by 2 to 3 inches. Soak the beans overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Return the beans to the saucepan and cover with fresh water by about 4 inches. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours or until the beans are tender but not bursting open.

While the beans are cooking, mix the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder, and Magic Dust together in a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Drain the bacon on paper towels, crumble it, and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. The onion should still be a little crunchy.

Drain the beans, reserving 2 cups of the bean water. Pour the beans and bean water into the bowl with the sauce. Add the bacon and onion and stir to combine well. Pour into a 1 3 X 9-inch baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until bubbly. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

SERVES 8 TO 10

Chris Mills's Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Bringing your first attempt at cooking to a family party is a rite of passage in our family. You have to develop a thick skin because your food will be critiqued. When he was a teenager, my son, Chris, proudly made up one of these Texas sheet cakes for Christmas Eve, but he forgot the buttermilk—a key ingredient. The cake didn't rise, and it was as hard as a rock. He knew something was wrong when people ate only one bite, but he's never forgotten that his Uncle Bob tried to make him feel better by eating two large pieces. Chris has mastered the recipe now, and this spongy, chocolatey cake disappears quick. This is a perfect dessert for a large gathering.

CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted    butter ½ cup solid vegetable shortening 3½ tablespoons cocoa powder ½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup     milk mixed with 2 tablespoons     white vinegar) 2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ICING 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted    butter 1⁄3 cup milk 3½ tablespoons cocoa powder 1 box (1 pound) confectioners'    sugar ¾ cup walnuts, chopped    (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 18 X 12-inch sheet pan. Make the cake: Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl.

Combine the water, butter, shortening, and cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the flour mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla together. Add to the batter and blend thoroughly by hand. Don't use an electric mixer. Pour into the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

When the cake has baked for about 15 minutes, make the icing: Combine the butter, milk, and cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in the confectioners' sugar and walnuts, if desired. Pour the icing over the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven and spread it out evenly. Let the cake cool completely on a rack before serving from the pan.

SERVES 20

My Sister Jeanette's Fruit Cobbler

When I was a child, most people had a garden, and friends and neighbors shared the harvest. Going to orchards and farms and picking fruit and berries in season was, and still is, a popular seasonal activity. Stopping by with a just-picked bushel of apples or peaches or a right-off-the-bush bucket of fresh berries is a neighborly thing to do in Southern Illinois.

Mama Faye believed that we all needed to learn to make jelly and pickles, can tomatoes, and put up corn, berries, and fruit for the winter. She also thought it was important to learn to make a good pie crust, and Jeanette learned her lesson well. Her crust is so flaky and tender you can eat it all by itself. To this day, she always has a batch of frozen pie crust dough in her freezer just in case a neighbor stops by with some fruit.

Jeanette is the pie and cobbler expert in our family, and she brings a fresh fruit cobbler to all family events. Here are a few of her secrets: First of all, she uses very fresh, local fruit, and she doesn't skimp—she piles it high in the baking dish. She also puts half of the sugar-and-flour mixture on the bottom of the crust before she adds the fruit; then the rest of the mixture goes on top. She often combines several fruits in her cobbler—the very best combination, in my opinion, is peaches, blackberries, and blueberries.

CRUST 10 tablespoons ice water 2 tablespoons apple cider    vinegar 2 large eggs 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt, finely    ground 2 cups solid vegetable    shortening, well chilled

FILLING 2 cups sugar 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon     (optional) 4 large peaches, peeled and sliced 4 cups blueberries 4 cups blackberries 3 tablespoons unsalted butter,    cut into small pieces FOR SERVING Ice cream

Make the crust: Whisk the ice water, vinegar, and eggs together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Or use a food processor and pulse to cut in the shortening. Do not overprocess.)

Sprinkle the flour mixture with the liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Toss with a fork after each addition of liquid until the flour is all moistened and the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball. (If you're using a food processor, pour the liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, down the feed tube and pulse to combine after each tablespoon of liquid is added. Stop when the dough forms a ball.)

Divide the dough into one-third and two-third portions. Shape each portion into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the filling: Combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon (if desired) in a small bowl.

Roll out the larger portion of dough on a floured surface to a thickness of ¼ inch and large enough to fit a 1 3 X 9-inch baking dish. Lift carefully into the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the sugar-and-flour mixture on the bottom of the dough. Add the fruit. Sprinkle the other half of the mixture on top of the fruit. Dot with the butter.

Roll out the remaining dough; carefully lift and place on top of the fruit. Crimp the edges together to form a seal. With a knife blade, slit the top of the dough in several places.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The pastry should be browned and the fruit bubbling. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream.

SERVES 10 TO 12

© 2005 by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe. All rights reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

About the Author

Mike Mills is the only person to win three Grand World Champion titles at the Memphis in May International Barbecue Festival. He is also barbecue guru and partner at Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke restaurant in New York City and owner of six notable barbecue joints, two in Southern Illinois and four in Las Vegas.

Amy Mills Tunnicliffe is a journalist and publicist. She also conducts training seminars and is a sought-after public speaker.