Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon is partnering with the award-winning author of the Barbecue Bible cookbooks and TV host, Steven Raichlen, who is credited with re-inventing the BBQ, for brand new recipes utilizing the best bourbon for summer BBQs.
We all know grilling is huge again this year, and we have something for everyone including a grilled peach appetizer, steak, beef skewers, porkchops, chicken, salmon and tofu. Incorporating both classic BBQ and trending elements, these new recipes include seasonal fruit, fresh herbs, global BBQ fusion and marinades, glazes and brines with bourbons Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old and Bib & Tucker Double Char, inspired by the turn of the century, when food was cooked on the open flame.
NEW STEVEN RAICHLEN x BIB & TUCKER BOURBON RECIPES:
Bacon-Grilled Peaches with Double Char Glaze (Serves 4 – makes 16 pieces)
- Ingredients:
- 4 ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
- 8 strips of bacon, cut in half the long way
- 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
- Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
- Toothpicks
- For the glaze:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon
- Instructions:
- Wrap each peach quarter with bacon and secure with toothpick.
- Make the glaze: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and Double Char. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking well, and then boil until syrupy for about 2 minutes.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well. Arrange the bacon-wrapped peaches on the grate and grill until the bacon is sizzling and browned on all sides – 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs. As the peaches grill, baste them with the Double Char glaze.
- Transfer the peaches to a platter, pour any remaining glaze over them and dust with the chopped toasted pecans.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Here’s an appetizer bursting with summer flavors: ripe peaches, smoky bacon and a sweet bourbon brown sugar glaze to bring them together. Ideally, you’ll start with freestone peaches—easier to quarter. Nothing says summer better than a juicy ripe peach. Look for fruit that’s slightly yielding when squeezed between your thumb and forefinger. If needed, let ripen in a paper bag at room temperature for a few days—the smell and feel will tell you when the peaches are ready.”
Double Char Steak (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 4 NY strip steaks or 4 sections of skirt steak (each 6 to 8 ounces)
- 2 tbsp minced chives or scallion greens
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the marinade:
- ½ cup Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for the grill grate
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of knife
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- Instructions:
- Arrange the steaks in a baking dish. Make the marinade: Combine the bourbon, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon zest and garlic in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Pour this mixture over the steaks, cover and marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning the meat a few times so it marinates evenly.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well.
- Drain the steaks, discarding the marinade. Arrange the steaks on the grill grate and cook to taste, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare strip steaks (a little longer for medium); 2 to 3 minutes per side for skirt steaks.
- Transfer the steaks to a platter and top with chives and plenty of black pepper.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Since the earliest days of our nation, beef and bourbon have been keeping one another fine company. There’s something about the sweetness of sipping whiskey that enhances the rich, meaty flavor of beef. For an uptown version of this dish, use New York strip steaks or a beef tomahawk. For a more affordable version, use skirt steak. Either way, the bourbon soy marinade takes the beef to a whole new level.”
Kentucky-Thai Beef Satay with Bourbon Sriracha Marinade (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lb New York strip or sirloin steak (3/4 in thick)
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 1 cucumber, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice in a bowl to the side
- 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice in a bowl to the side
- 8-inch bamboo skewers
- For the marinade:
- ¼ cup Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon
- ¼ cup Sriracha
- ¼ cup Asian fish sauce or soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, plus oil for the grill grate
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- Instructions:
- Cut the steak across the grain into thin strips, each 4 inches long, ¾ inch wide and 1/8 inch thick. Thread the beef strips onto the skewers, leaving a ¼-inch point at the end. Arrange the satays in a baking dish.
- Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and whisk to mix. Pour the marinade over the meat and marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning the satays a couple times so they marinate evenly. Drain and discard the marinade. Just before grilling, season the satays with salt and pepper.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well. Arrange the satays on the grill. You can add a folded sheet of aluminum foil under the exposed part of the skewers to keep them from burning. Grill until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium.
- Arrange the satays on a platter and sprinkle with peanuts. To eat, skewer some cucumber and onions, then dig in.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Satay is the Southeast Asian answer to shish kebab—small skewers of intensely flavorful grilled meat served by street vendors, restaurants and everywhere in between. These owe their soulful flavor to Asian fish sauce and Bib & Tucker Double Char, with Sriracha to kick up the heat. In Singapore, satay is traditionally eaten with diced onion and cucumber. To honor that, you can leave the last ¼ in of the skewer open and use it to pick up onion and cucumber.”
Bourbon Pineapple Pork Chops (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 4 pork rib chops (each 8 to 10 ounces)
- 4 fresh pineapple slices (each ½ inch thick)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp of your favorite barbecue rub (plus 1 tsp for the glaze) or salt and pepper
- For the glaze:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus 3 tablespoons for serving
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Instructions:
- Arrange the pork chops and pineapple slices on a sheet pan. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season with your favorite barbecue rub or salt and pepper.
- Make the glaze: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and ¼ cup cilantro until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple juice, Bib & Tucker Double Char, brown sugar and 1 tsp barbecue rub. Increase the heat to high and boil the mixture until thick, syrupy and well reduced. Add salt and pepper – the glaze should be highly seasoned.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush the grate clean and oil it well. Arrange the pork chops and pineapple slices on the grate and grill until sizzling and browned and the pork is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Start brushing the pork and pineapple with glaze after 2 minutes and brush several times on both sides.
- Transfer the pork to a platter and top each chop with grilled pineapple. Spoon any remaining glaze on top and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Pork has a natural affinity for fruit—especially the brassy, sweet-sour tang of pineapple. Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon adds an interesting earthy flavor, while the grilled pineapple plays on pork’s innate sweetness. “
Smoke-Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Glaze (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp of your favorite barbecue rub or salt and pepper
- For the glaze:
- ¼ cup peach preserves
- ¼ cup Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon
- ¼ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- You’ll also need: 2 chunks of hickory or other hardwood or 1 ½ cups of wood chips (if using the latter, soak in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drain), or pellets if using a pellet grill.
- Instructions:
- Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high (400 degrees). Just before cooking, add the wood chunks or chips, following your grill manufacturer’s instructions.
- Season the chicken thighs on all sides with barbecue rub or salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill grate, skin side up, away from the heat. Indirect grill the chicken until sizzling, browned and cooked through (the internal temperature will be 165 degrees), 30 to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the peach preserves, Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon, barbecue sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice in a saucepan and whisk to mix. Bring to a boil, whisking steadily, and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter.
- Start basting the chicken with the glaze after 20 minutes and baste two more times as the chicken cooks. Transfer the chicken to a platter or plates and spoon any remaining glaze on top.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Everyone loves barbecued chicken. The dish contrasts crisp-skinned, smoky chicken thighs with a sweet boozy bourbon peach glaze. To keep simple, just season the bird with your favorite barbecue rub (or salt and pepper) and use your favorite barbecue sauce as part of the bourbon peach glaze.”
Bourbon Teriyaki Salmon (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 2 lb salmon steaks or fillets (if using the latter, cut into 4 portions)
- For the teriyaki marinade:
- 1/3 cup Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup Asian sesame oil, plus oil for the grill grate
- 1 clove garlic, flattened with the side of a knife, then peeled
- 2 1/4-inch-thick slices of fresh ginger
- 1 scallion, white part trimmed and flattened, green part thinly sliced
- Instructions:
- Arrange the salmon in a baking dish. Combine the bourbon, soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame oil in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Stir in the garlic, ginger and scallion white. Pour this mixture over the salmon, turning the fish a few times and covering. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Drain the marinade off the salmon through a strainer into a saucepan. Boil the mixture until thick and syrupy, whisking well, 2 to 3 minutes. Set the glaze aside.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well. Arrange the fish on the grate and grill until sizzling and browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Use a thin-bladed spatula to turn the fish. Start brushing the fish with the boiled marinade after 1 minute and glaze 2 or 3 more times.
- Transfer the salmon to a platter and pour any remaining glaze over it. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Teriyaki is one of the glories of Japanese grilling—seafood or meat glazed to a lacquered sheen and seared over a hot fire. (Indeed, teri means “luster” or “shine” and yaki means “grilled.”) The sweet salty glaze positively triumphs on salmon, and Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon adds a barrel-aged sophistication.”
Bourbon Brined Tofu on Brioche (Serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 2 lb extra firm tofu, drained
- For the brine:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup tamari or soy sauce
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce (regular or vegan)
- ¼ cup Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon
- 1 tbsp Montreal steak seasoning or your favorite barbecue rub
- 2 cloves garlic, flattened with the side of a cleaver and peeled
- Extra virgin olive oil for brushing and the grill grate
- For serving:
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 4 tomato slices
- 8 pickle slices
- Your favorite condiments: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, etc.
- Instructions:
- Cut each block of tofu through the side to obtain two flat slabs. Cut each slab widthwise in half. Press the tofu on a cutting board with a smaller cutting board on top of it to press out the excess liquid. Let stand for 15 minutes to drain. Place the tofu in a baking dish.
- Meanwhile, make the brine: Place the water, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon, Montreal steak seasoning and garlic in a large bowl and whisk to mix. Pour this mixture over the tofu, turning the pieces, then cover. Brine the tofu in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning the pieces a couple times. Drain the tofu well and pat the pieces dry with paper towels.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well. Brush the tofu pieces on both sides with olive oil and arrange on the grill grate and grill until sizzling and browned on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully invert the tofu and cook the other side the same way. You can also cook the tofu on a stand-up griddle. Meanwhile, open the buns and toast the cut sides on the grill, 15 seconds.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom bun with your favorite condiments. Top with lettuce, then the tofu, tomato and pickles. Dig in!
- Steven Raichlen quote: “Here’s a vegetarian dish with all the spice and smoke flavors of traditional barbecue. The secret? Marinate the tofu in a brine made with tamari (aged soy sauce), Worcestershire sauce and Bib & Tucker 6-Year-Old Bourbon. For extra flavor, add hardwood chips or chunks to the fire to generate smoke.”
