That's Baked, Barbecued and Fried! As for the Barbecue The next time you are out in the woods and hungry for some good old-fashioned barbecue, get out your old grill, pile on the charcoal and set up for a little pig out. Here are a few great recipes to try to get your "pit" ready to serve! The pork butt, pork shoulder, pork rump and hams, come from the pig’s rear legs and are usually from the upper part of the rear leg. We use them more often in our traditional recipes. The pork loin and the chops, are from the hind legs and are fatter than shoulder cuts. We use these cuts of meat more often in restaurants because they are much more tender than the shoulder cuts. The baby back ribs or spare ribs are from the lower portion of the pig’s rib cage. They are great when slow smoked and served with BBQ sauce or honey BBQ sauce. The long thin spare ribs (not barbecued ribs) are commonly used in Oriental and Mexican dishes. Baked Ham Ham: One of the oldest food products, ham is still a very popular, versatile food! When ham is prepared it's called baked ham. When buying ham for baking, choose a fresh ham, not a fully processed ham. You'll find ham labeled Baked Fresh, Air-Dried, Processed and Hormel Ham or Cooked Ham. You can also have it sliced or in big chunks. When making ham for baking, choose bone-in pieces. Use only the meaty part of the ham (avoid parts with large pieces of fat or skin). The fat should be white and tender, not yellow. The best ham for baking is a smoked and aged ham with natural juices, as you are going to bake it in the oven. Fresh, canned or partially cooked ham cannot be baked and will most likely be too salty for your taste. When you have your ham ready for baking, mix together 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix together in a shallow dish and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Add the ham and turn to coat well. Baked ham usually takes 8-12 hours to bake, depending on the size. During this time you can add the brown sugar mixture. Place ham in a baking pan, the ham should fit into pan. Place the ham in a preheated 350°F oven and bake about 1 to 1 ½ hours or until ham is tender and the juices run clear. To test doneness at least 45 minutes before it is done remove a slice and look for pink juice inside (done). It is better to cook longer and then remove some of the juices. The juices in the oven will create a lovely sauce. Let the ham stand about 10 minutes and slice while still warm. Place a slice on each plate and serve with the juices. If you use the ham when it has cooled, the juices won’t run clear. You can spoon the remaining juices into a serving bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of chopped garlic to the juices for a great dip for bread! You can also use the ham in sandwiches with hot mustard, mayonnaise or spicy brown mustard. Baby Back Ribs Baby Back ribs - These are the short rib pieces cut from the rack of the animal. The ribs are usually between 4 to 6 pounds. When making ribs the most popular cuts are Riblets (3 ribs cut into 2) and St. Louis Cut (Rib with meat cut off). Riblets are very popular because they are so versatile: they are great with coleslaw and barbecue sauce or any type of BBQ sauce, or with BBQ baked beans, barbecue stew or even stewed and baked beans. Sides of baked potato and macaroni and cheese are popular to complement the ribs. Preparation: Wash the ribs, place them on a tray and chill for 2 hours. The fat will drip off easily. Cut the membrane away from the meat, cut into individual ribs and keep separate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Baking: Place them on a preheated 325 F baking pan. For a 5 pound oven 2 ½ hour is sufficient, but the times for each rib may vary. They are done when the meat is tender and when you insert a knife between the bones of two ribs. Ribs will take at least 10 minutes longer than single racks. To prepare them for your oven: Sprinkle the baking dish with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. With a pastry brush or basting brush, brush the ribs with oil. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake at 325°F for about 2 hours, turning occasionally, until the meat is tender. Let the ribs stand for 15 minutes before cutting the bone out and serving with barbecue sauce or your favorite dipping sauce. Remove them from the oven, drain any fat off and separate the bones from the ribs. Pour off any excess fat. With a large fork flake the meat from the bones and mix it in a large saucepan or pot. Add the remaining brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and a cup of warm water and combine well. Mix the liquid together before stirring it into the meat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils. If there are any lumps, remove the pot from the heat and blend with an immersion blender or a hand blender. Return to the heat and simmer until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, a cup of warm water, and the chopped ribs for a basic meatloaf or meatballs. Baked Stew Baked Stew Cooking: This is one of those recipes that you can adapt to your taste and to suit what you have available. As long as you are cooking with a good thick stewing beef and use the flavorful bones when browning them, your stew should taste great. Remember that all the ingredients should be prepped ahead of time and ready to go before cooking the stew. When I make it I start with the meat base and then I pick and choose from a selection of things to put in. I make the selection as I go along, but always trying to use up the stock! There are lots of different ingredients and flavors that you can use to jazz up your stew. I use what I have on hand or whatever sounds good when you start to cook. There are a couple of recipes that come to mind when we talk about the flavorings. Try the Italian Beef Stew or the Beef in Mushroom Gravy. Those are my favorites, but there are many others out there that you can try. Let your imagination soar. Cooking Beef: When I first started thinking about how to make beef stew, I made it with brisket. There were just two things that I kept as standard. One was the color. The other was the cut of meat that I used. That’s it! I used to go with the round cut of beef, and then when I moved on to roasts, I went with the chuck roast. It was a combination of those two cuts that made the best flavors and best taste. As far as the cut of beef that I use today, I have had several recipes that used a chuck roast and beef short ribs. Either way works fine, so use whatever you have available or like. For the fat: I add some of that when I cook the vegetables and at the end, once all the flavors have melded. There are several ways to make this stew. The first is my preferred method: In a large pot over medium high heat, melt the butter, add the onions, celery, garlic, and salt. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the beef and saute for 3-5 minutes. Season the meat with the black pepper and sage. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break up. Add the stock and broth. Add the beef broth if using and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Add the beef pieces to the stew. Let the stew simmer for 20 minutes or until the meat is tender. Transfer to a serving bowl or individual serving bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with a hamburger bun