We've seen the pizza belt before and know of a Jello belt, citrus belt and corn belt, but a barbecue belt? Of course, geographically speaking a barbecue belt would probably cover most of South and Southwest, although this particular version will just cover your waistline. It is a handy way for a 'cue-lover to have all their tools at the ready. The tools aren't included, but don't you already have them?

The belt is made of 100% cotton canvas and has a hook for tongs, a holder for the spatula, pockets for seasonings, sauces and condiments, and a beer holder. Because we all know it's important to have beer on hand at a barbecue. You know, for marinades and such...

I have had mixed feelings about silicone kitchen supplies in the past, but generally, I think it only makes unsatisfying bakeware and great tools - especially outdoor tools. In this case, I'm talking about silicone basting brushes. Once I got one last summer, I didn't want to go back to a regular bristled brush.

The silicone brushes are ideal for use in grilling because they are heat resistant and durable. You can spread on any amount of sauce or glaze without having to worry about the brush drying out or charring due to heat and, best of all, you'll never have a bristle come loose onto your food. They are also dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup a breeze. I use a short handled one most of the time, which works very well, but the serious griller might be more interested in long-handled versions, like the Grill Friends Angled BBQ Brush or BBQ Basting Mop.

Cook's Illustrated has featured their taste test of bottled barbecue sauces on their website as we head into the summer grilling season. They sought out all the "original" flavored BBQ sauces that they could find in their local (Boston, MA) markets and tested them as dipping sauces for chicken tenders. Barbecue sauces are clearly a personal matter, but the tasting panel looked for a balance of sweetness, smokiness and spices that had a good tomato flavor and a relatively thick consistency. While 30 sauces were tested, only 8 made the final cut.

I have a couple issues with the test, the first one being that not all of these sauces are nationally available, though I wouldn't expect them to test every brand in the country. The bigger issue is the fact that the winning sauce had a "thick, coarse texture" and seemed "unprocessed." Even when I make barbecue sauce, I try to have it thick and smooth, not chunky or textured. Also, do most people eat their barbecue sauce purely as a dip? Was this really the best way to compare how the sauces would hold up to, say, grilled foods? It's hard to know, but here are their results:

For those of you who have never encountered a McRib Sandwich, it is a boneless, rib-meat pork patty that is shaped, dunked in BBQ sauce and sold by McDonald's. The McRib bizarrely appears to have bones in it, due to its shape, though this is merely to give the product recognizability. McDonald's actually maintains a spoof site about boneless pig farmers, poking fun at the boneless nature of their patties. Processed meat patties are inherently unattractive on their own and McDonald's knows this. It is for this very reason that the McRib patties are dunked in hickory barbecue sauce before being served with onions and pickles on a 6-inch bun. For anyone wondering what the patty looks like on its own, Fast Food Facts has kindly deconstructed the sandwich for your viewing pleasure. And if, by some chance, you do not find processed meat to be pleasurable, it's at least very interesting.

When I first laid eyes on a Sloppy Joe, I was about 5. I had no idea what it was and my parents had certainly never tried to serve one to me. A Sloppy Joe is essentially ground meat cooked in a skillet with a tomato based sauce and tastes more like a chopped up hamburger drowning in ketchup than the pasta-topping meat sauce it is related to. In fact, I'm fairly certain that the first one I ever had was simply ground meat in ketchup - a combination likely to win the heart of any 5-year-old. Another big selling point was the fact that it made for messy eating, hence the name.

I think that ribs are best when they are falling apart and so tender that you almost need a spoon to eat them. I know that many people prefer ribs that have some chew to them, but I never liked the feeling that I was gnawing at a bone. For me, meltingly soft meat is the way to go. A slow cooker is the perfect way to achieve this outstanding texture because it keeps the meat perfectly juicy as it cooks at a low heat. All you need to do is buy some baby back ribs, cut each slab in half to make sure they fit in your cooker and peel off the silverskin (silvery white connective tissue on the underside of the ribs). Then, simply layer the ribs with barbeque sauce and set the timer. I use 3-4 pounds of baby back ribs in my 5-quart slow cooker, though it could easily hold more. Refer to your manual for the exact capacity. I cook them on high for about 5 hours or low for 6-8. Towards the end of the cooking time, it is best to test them with a fork just to be certain the meat is done.

You can use any barbeque sauce for a recipe like this one. The homemade sauce recipe below has a nice tang to it and it goes very well with pork. I like to use dry spices in barbeque sauces because they’re always on hand and they flavors meld well as the sauce cooks.

Now that we know how foods gain acceptance, there are a few items poised to rise in the eyes of mainstream eaters in the upcoming year. Some of these are just making their way onto the plates of foodies, while others are already beginning to appear in widely available products. The popularity of all of these items is sure to rise over the coming 12 months.
Chimichurri is an Argentinean dipping sauce that has a spicy, intense flavor, though, like salsa, its ingredients and heat are highly customizable. Already a regular at high-end eateries, it is beginning to show up on mid-range menus, too.
Churrasco is a Brazilian style of barbeque in which fire grilled meats are both roasted on and served from a large skewer. The meal also usually includes tapas-like appetizers, which had gained tremendous popularity in the past few years.
Premium breads are fast making their way into homes across the country, with ordinary grocery stores carrying decent baguettes and fast food restaurants offering their sandwiches on ciabatta or artisan sourdoughs. There are whole chains of restaurants that have sprung up around artisan-style bread, indicating that it is only a matter of time before people can properly discern between French and focaccia.
Regional Mexican is developing the same way that knowledge of regional Italian developed over the past 40 years. Spices and dishes from the Yucatan and Oaxaca, including unusual spice rubs and moles, are fast gaining recognition as people begin to view Mexican food as having more than just meat, cheese and hard taco shells.
White Tea is high in antioxidants and has piggybacked into a larger recognition on the tailcoat of its well-known relative, green tea. Lacking the slightly grassy flavor of green tea, which skyrocketed into national sight after being widely publicized by Starbucks this year, white teas are being offered in increasing numbers by purveyors of tea.
Dulce de Leche is a creamy, caramel-like sauce made of sugar and condensed milk. Its rich taste and familiar appearance have led to a growing fondness for the treat, which has already appeared in many high end, but widely available ice creams.