Quick, tasty rub will flavour your pork

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This article was published 23/12/2022 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Question — I would like to prepare my own rub for meat. Can you give me an easy recipe that I can use on pork? — Blaine

Answer: Here is an easy recipe which is perfect for about six pounds of meat. Into a bowl combine one quarter cup sugar, 4 tbsp. black pepper, one tbsp. salt, one quarter cup paprika, 2 tsp. dry mustard and 2 tsp. cayenne pepper. Rub half of the mixture onto meat 12 hours prior to cooking. Rub on the other half right before cooking.

Question — Why do people deep fry turkeys instead of baking them. I was given a deep fryer specifically for this purpose, but I haven’t used it. Is it worth the effort? —Davey

Answer: I have a friend that heads down to the U.S. every November for American Thanksgiving just because her dad deep fries the turkey. She says it is the best way to prepare turkey and nothing beats the flavour.

Deep frying turkey is a Cajun tradition that produces juicy meat and crispy skin; many people agree it is out of this world. Dry the outside of your turkey as best as you can and be very careful lowering it into the hot oil.

Question — I have leftover turkey and I don’t want to waste it. Please tell me how to make homemade turkey stock like my grandma used to make. Thanks. — Salome

Answer: Great question! There are hundreds of variations for making homemade stock. Here is one recipe that will yield about two quarts of stock. Into a large stock pot drop two onions, two celery sticks and two carrots, all of which have been cut in half. Add one tsp. of each seasoning such as pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and 1 bay leaf.

Remove as much fat as possible from bones and place turkey carcass into pot (a little meat on the bones will add to the flavour). Add enough water to cover bones. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for one to two hours. Strain contents through a fine colander into a proper container and leave to cool slightly. Refrigerate. Use a large spoon to skim fat off the surface.

At this point you can either make soup with the broth or freeze the broth. You can freeze the broth in ice-cube trays and add to soup as needed. Note: Taste the broth and add seasonings to your liking. Some people like more flavourings and salt than others.

Question — I had company and decided to barbecue chicken breast. It was horrible. Tasteless and dry are the best words to describe that embarrassing disaster. I barbecued the meat for only seven minutes on each side. Where did I go wrong? — Steve

Answer: Here’s my favourite method for barbecued chicken. Begin by marinating the chicken breast for at least a few hours in Italian salad dressing with salt and pepper. While still in marinade, bake chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Next, barbecue the chicken on medium heat for about four minutes per side. Cut through the thickest part of the meat to ensure no pink remains.

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