13. Low-fat barbecuing

[I love barbecue, but my doctor has placed me on a low-fat diet. Any ideas on how to reduce the fat content of barbecue for people like me?]

Editor--

Sure. What you want to do is to stay away from is the traditional Texas barbecued brisket and NC-type pork shoulder cuts, and spare ribs which are loaded with fat--inside and out (that's why they taste so good!). There are many cuts of beef and pork, and of course chicken, turkey and fish, that are much lower in saturated fats. These meats can be smoked or grilled to produce some great-tasting barbecue. Check out the smoked Pork Loin post in Section 10.1.4, the chicken recipes in Section 10.3 and the smoked fish recipes in Section 10.10.

Bill Wight--

Smoked London Broil

The beef cut marketed as London Broil in southern California is a trimmed top sirloin cut into a large steak about 1 1/4 " thick. The original London Broil cut was flank steak. Both cuts are fairly tender pieces of meat and can be smoked with great success and they have very little fat. Most cuts are 2-3 pounds. Remove any exterior fat present and rub the meat with your favorite dry rub for beef. Let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, prepare the smoker and use a strong flavor wood, like hickory, pecan or grapevines as the cooking time will be short.

Put the meat on the grill when the temperature in the smoker stabilizes at 240-250F as measured at the meat rack. It is critical that you have an accurate meat thermometer, as this piece of meat is easily over-cooked and will be dried out if you do that. Every 30 minutes, mop and turn the meat. It will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook. When the internal temperature hits 145-150F, remove the meat from the smoker, slice and serve immediately as it will continue to cook if left unsliced.

Try this mop on the London broil.

Add ingredients to small saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat and keep the mop warm on/in your smoker as you use it. Stir or shake well just before you mop to mix it up.

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Editor--

Be sure and check out Mardi Wetmore's Web. Click here to go to Mardi's site

Go to the Barbecue/Grill section. She has many great recipes for low-fat smoking and grilling.

Here are a few of Mardi's recipes for lower fat barbecuing and grilling.

Grilled Pork Loin with Grilled Onions

Combine chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and garlic in small mixing bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over meat, pressing into surface. Arrange coals for indirect cooking. Place meat on grill, cover and grill for 30 to 45 minutes until thermometer registers 160F. Spray onion slices with olive oil cooking spray and place on the grill rack over coals last 10 to 15 minutes of grilling time. Slice pork and serve pork and grilled onions with corn and black bean salsa. Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 152 - Calories from Fat 39 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 26%, Protein 65%, Carbohydrate 10%

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Bourbon Grilled Chicken

Mix all ingredients other than chicken well. Marinate chicken 4 hours in refrigerator. Remove from marinade and grill over medium hot coals, basting with marinade frequently. Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 292 - Calories from Fat 80 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 28%, Protein 39%, Carbohydrate 25%

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Chili Grilled Beef

Marinade: Combine cumin, chili powder and cinnamon in small saucepan. Cook over high heat until fragrant, 40 seconds. Whisk in oil, lime juice, vinegar, molasses, oregano and garlic. Pour marinade over meat in shallow dish, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove meat from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare grill. Remove meat from marinade. Grill beef over medium coals, basting occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare, until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part reaches 160F. Let stand 5 minutes. Slice thin across the grain. Serve with a black bean salsa. Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 249 - Calories from Fat 127 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 51%, Protein 38%, Carbohydrate 11%

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Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Season with salt. Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate or can for longer storage.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 80 - Calories from Fat 16 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 20%, Protein 5%, Carbohydrate 74%

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Grilled Flank Steak With Lime-Chipotle Sauce

Mix honey with chilies, mustard, lime juice, garlic, cumin, allspice, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate steak at least 1 hour. Drain off marinade into small saucepan and simmer. Grill or barbecue steak, basting with marinade. Slice steak against the grain and pour remaining marinade over meat. 2 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 515 - Calories from Fat 94 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 18%, Protein 20%, Carbohydrate 62%

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Grilled PorkSkewers with Ginger

Mix all marinade ingredients well. Cut the pork butt into 1 inch cubes and marinate, covered in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade. Thread the pork, red pepper and onion on skewers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat 5 minutes on each side. 8 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 215 - Calories from Fat 79 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 37%, Protein 48%, Carbohydrate 15%

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Jerk Pork with Papaya

Prepare Jerk Seasoning Paste by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor until a smooth paste. Rub pork with jerk paste and place in a Ziploc baggie and refrigerate 20 minutes or up to 1 day. In a bowl combine banana, chutney, 1 tablespoon lime juice and coconut. Set aside. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking. Place drip pan between coals. Place pork in center of grill above drip pan. Cover grill, open vents and cook until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 155F (about 20 minutes for tenderloins). Transfer to platter and keep warm. Cook pasta until just done. Drain well and return to pan. Add broth and stir over medium heat until pasta has absorbed most of broth. Mix in vinegar, minced cilantro, remaining 3 tablespoon lime juice mixed with sugar. Cut pork across grain into 1/2" thick slices. Serve over pasta and garnish with papaya and cilantro sprigs. Offer banana-chutney relish to add to taste.

Note: If using the habenero pepper, do not use your bare hands to mince or apply paste to pork. Use gloves. 6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 529 - Calories from Fat 69 Percent Total Calories From: Fat 13%, Protein 24%, Carbohydrate 63%

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Carey Starzinger--

Javanese Pork Sate

Cut pork into 1/2" cubes. Blend remaining ingredients together in a blender.

Marinate pork in this mixture for several hours to overnight. Thread pork on skewers and grill over hot coals for eight to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until done.

Note: If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in water for one hour or longer to prevent burning.

Source: "Best Barbeque Recipes" by Mildred Fischer

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Carey Starzinger--

Santa Fe Beef Kabobs

Prepare a hot charcoal fire. In a large bowl, combine beef cubes with remaining ingredients, tossing to coat evenly. Thread meat on skewers and grill, turning several times, four to six inches above ashed coals until meat is browned outside and tender, pink and juicy inside, about 10 minutes.

Note: If you are using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for one hour or longer to prevent burning.

Source: "Best Barbeque Recipes" by Mildred Fischer

You can download all the recipes in this FAQ Click here