photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the barbecue sauce:
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup molasses
⅔ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the brine:
3 cups cold water
3 cups buttermilk
¼ cup salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
Combine all barbecue sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
In a large bowl, combine all brine ingredients. Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat grill on high for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine.
Scrape grill grates and prepare with cooking spray.
Place chicken on the hottest part of the grill and cook for 2 to 2½ minutes.
Turn chicken over and brush with sauce. Cook until browned on the second side, about 2 to 2½ minutes.
Turn chicken over and move to cooler part of grill. Brush with sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
Repeat the turning and brushing 2 more times, cooking for 2 minutes on each side.
Flip chicken one final time and brush with sauce. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
Move chicken to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
6 pounds bone-in chicken wings, flats and drumettes
3 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce:
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
¼-½ cup hot pepper sauce, depending on preference
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Juice of one lemon
To prepare the wings: Arrange chicken wings on a baking sheet and pat all sides dry with a paper towel. Add dry ingredients to a large, resealable plastic bag, and shake to combine.
Add wings to bag and massage to ensure all wings are evenly seasoned. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Place chicken in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate using paper towels.
For the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in hot pepper sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove chicken wings from bag, shaking off excess seasoning. Place chicken on a clean baking sheet. Cook on the preheated grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is golden brown and internal temperature has reached 165°, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Place grilled wings in a large bowl. Pour prepared sauce over wings; toss until well-coated. Serve hot.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 sandwiches.
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 (2-pound) London broil or flank steak
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
6 Italian sandwich rolls
12 slices provolone cheese
In a large resealable bag, combine vegetable oil, hot sauce, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Squeeze juice from both lemon halves into bag. Add the squeezed lemons, too. Place steak into bag and securely seal, squeezing out as much air as possible. Place bag in a baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
Remove marinated steak from refrigerator. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 450°). Remove steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels.
Place steak on grill and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches your desired doneness. A meat thermometer should read 135° for medium-rare.
Remove steak from grill and let rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board, covered loosely with foil.
While the steak rests, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat.
Once rested, thinly slice steak against the grain.
Slice rolls horizontally and lightly toast them on grill if desired. Spread any preferred sauce or condiment in rolls.
Layer steak slices, onions, and peppers on the bottom half of each roll. Top with 2 slices of cheese and top half of roll.
Place sandwiches back onto grill over low heat, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted.
Slice sandwiches in half, wrap each half in foil or butcher’s paper, and serve on platter or tray.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
Pork:
1 pound pork tenderloin
½ cup honey mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
Slaw:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice from 2 limes
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1 sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thin
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups of sweet frozen corn, thawed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Cilantro (for garnish)
Texas Pete or other hot sauce
Pork rinds, crushed (optional)
For the pork: In a small bowl, mix together honey mustard, cumin, and chili powder. Rub mixture evenly over tenderloin. Place tenderloin in a Ziploc bag and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat grill to medium to medium-high heat, 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure grill grate is cleaned and oiled. Remove tenderloin from bag and place on a baking sheet to rest at room temperature while grill is heating.
Place tenderloin on grill and close the lid. Grill for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, open the grill, flip tenderloin over and continue cooking for an additional 7 minutes with grill lid closed. With the lid closed, turn off heat and allow pork to cook with residual heat for an additional 5 minutes. Check temperature at the thickest part of the pork, which should read 145°.
Remove pork from grill and place on a clean baking sheet. Cover with foil. Allow pork to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing.
For the slaw: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded cabbage, red pepper, onion, cilantro, corn, and jalapeño. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss until all ingredients are coated with dressing. Taste and adjust salt.
To assemble: Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. Slice pork and place a few strips in the center of each tortilla. Top with slaw. Add cilantro, Texas Pete, and pork rinds. Fold in the ends and roll. Use parchment paper to wrap sandwiches if serving a crowd or traveling.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
1 rack baby back pork ribs
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
Preheat oven to 250°. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper.
Place ribs on aluminum foil, meat side down. Prick back of rib rack several times with a knife. Generously apply dry rub to all sides of rib rack.
With meat side down, fold foil around rib rack to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan. Bake until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat grill to medium or about 350°. Open foil and discard juices and fat.
Place ribs, meat side up, on grill for 10 minutes, and brush a layer of barbecue sauce on meat side only. Repeat grilling and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes.
Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbecue sauce.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 4 servings.
1 pound new potatoes, washed
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (4-ounce) beef filets, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 lemons, halved or quartered (for garnish)
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain well. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Set aside.
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a few minutes. Season steak cubes on all sides with salt and pepper. Thread potatoes, steak, onion, and bell peppers onto skewers and brush with marinade.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place kebabs onto grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the steak is cooked through to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium rare, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium. Garnish with lemons. Serve immediately.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
1½ pounds ground beef
½ cup onion, finely diced
2 slices bacon, finely diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1¼ cups fresh, soft bread crumbs
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 slices cheese (optional)
Hamburger buns
Toppings and condiments
Combine ground beef, onion, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix with hands until blended. Shape ground beef mixture into 6 patties.
Oil grill grate and heat half of it to high or about 400° to 450°. The other half of the grill should be low heat.
Place burgers on the high-heat side and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Move them to the low-heat area and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until each burger has reached an internal temperature of 160°. Top with cheese, if desired, and let sit for 1 minute. Serve on buns and add your favorite toppings.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ tablespoon dry white wine
2 pounds amberjack fillets, or 3 medium to large whole cleaned fish
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons lemon pepper
Ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, sliced (for garnish)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together orange, lime, and lemon juices; olive oil; and white wine. Place the fish into a large glass baking dish and season with salt and lemon pepper on both sides. Pour juice mixture over fish and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat grill to high. When the grill is hot, scrape the grate clean and oil the grate.
Place fish on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and add salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with lime slices.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
For the salsa:
1 cup peeled English cucumber, diced
1 cup cantaloupe, diced
1 cup honeydew, diced
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the fish:
Vegetable oil
6 (4- to 6-ounce) snapper fillets (about 2 pounds)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa: Combine all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the fish: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high (about 375° to 425°) or a grill pan over medium-high heat and rub the grill or grill pan with a towel dipped in vegetable oil. Coat both sides of the fish with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the fish on the grill and cook until dark grill marks form, about 3 minutes. Turn fish with sturdy metal spatula and grill until the fillets are just cooked through and opaque, about 3 minutes more.
Transfer the fish to individual plates, top each fillet with salsa, and serve.
Note: Snapper, grouper, and yellowfin tuna may be found in season during August.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
2 pounds assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved or cut into 2-inch pieces (we recommend carrots, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and red or sweet onions)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
Lemon wedges (optional)
Place the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add vegetables to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high or about 400°. Add denser vegetables like carrots to grill first. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables.
Cook vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until browned and tender. Place vegetables on a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
For the pineapple:
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut in 1-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut in ½-inch-thick slices
Olive oil
Vinaigrette:
1 bunch (approximately 1 cup) fresh basil, sliced
½ cup orange juice
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat grill to medium or about 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Set aside.
Brush pineapple and onion slices with olive oil, place on the grill, and brush again with oil. Grill for 2 minutes on each side.
Arrange pineapple and onion slices on a serving platter. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 4 servings.
4 large, ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces plain goat cheese, crumbled
4 teaspoons honey
Juice from 1 lemon
½ cup chopped pecans Rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
Prepare grill for medium-high heat with no flame. Scrape grate clean.
Brush inside of peach halves with melted butter and place facedown on grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks are visible. Remove from grill.
To serve, place 2 halves on each salad plate, top with crumbled goat cheese, and drizzle with honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle pecans over cheese and garnish with rosemary sprig.
Note: If not using a grill, place buttered peach halves in a hot cast-iron skillet on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcrowd pan.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 4 servings.
For the chicken:
2 tablespoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
4 chicken quarters
2 lemons, halved (for garnish)
Fred’s Barbecue Sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons honey
½ cup ketchup
½ cup water
1 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
For the sauce: Place all ingredients in a saucepot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the chicken: Mix together seasoning salt, paprika, and lemon pepper. Rub seasoning mixture under and on top of chicken skin on both sides. Place chicken on a baking sheet and let sit for 15 minutes.
Heat a gas grill to 400°. Treat grill grates with a paper towel moistened with canola oil.
Place chicken on grill and reduce heat to 350°. Close grill lid. After 10 to 15 minutes, baste chicken with barbecue sauce. Turn chicken over; repeat this step every 10 to 15 minutes. Cook for about 50 minutes total or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°.
Baste both sides of chicken with barbecue sauce and cook for about 5 more minutes or until skin is a bit crispy.
Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. While grill is still hot, place lemon halves face down on the grates. With lid open, grill lemons for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from grill and serve with chicken.
Split-rail fences don’t shout “keep out.” They lean, they shift, they invite. And in western North Carolina, they remind us that some lines are meant to hold, not harden.
Each May, spring climbs nearly 3,000 feet to the seat of Alleghany County. Here, as the rhododendrons blush, a beloved mountain town welcomes visitors with its food, art, and flourish of color and creativity.
Brief but delicious, soft-shell crab season is cherished by diners as well as the folks who work around the clock to put these native pinchers on our plates.
When it comes to poultry, the best is raised close to home.
