What are your favorite recipes on the free side?

[Andrrr]

For as much as I enjoy cooking and trying different cuisines, I do an absolutely abysmal job of seeking out new things to cook. I'd bet that 99% of my new things to try come from this forum, mostly from the SUWYC thread, where I'm more humbled every day on what you all pull off.
What's worse is there's an entire free side with loads of recipes that I barely look through, even though I know there are some gems in there that I've tried because, well, SUWYC.
So, if you'd be so kind, what are your go-to favorite recipes from the free side? Sauces, rubs, techniques, cuisines, appetizers.... whatever. Please point me in the right direction and thanks in advance!

[jtw]

The bacon recipe is a standard, and Meathead's Memphis Dust is excellent. I adjust the sugar down in both recipes because I find that Meathead's taste is a little sweeter than I prefer.
The Simon and Garfunkel rub is also very good - I almost always have some on hand (along with MMD).
I have also had great success with other cured recipes (using the curing calculator) such as the homemade corned beef, and the Close to Katz's pastrami rub is great.

[Andrrr]

+1 on the bacon recipe. I actually have a 3lb slab curing right now.
I haven't made MMD in years so I should try it again,
And the pastrami! How could I forget. I love it, everyone raves about it, and I've never made that one. No one in my family eats it so I'll have to be ready to eat it for consecutive nights.
Thanks for the ideas!

[cruiseplanner1]

Agree on the Memphis Dust. That is the only rub I have been making and using for probably five years or so now. And on the beef the Big Bad Beef Rub. I purchase nothing else.

[barelfly]

Here are a few I’ve enjoyed -

the pork belly bahn mi - SheilaAnn posted on this the other day as well and probably one of my favorites.

A number of the BBQ sauces.

Pastrami and Corned Beef recipes

Alabama White Sauce chicken

Jerked Chicken

That’s about what stands out to me when I go back and look at the recipes. Like you, I should venture over there more often to get a few recipes here and there.

[Andrrr]

I saw that bahn mi she posted.... I don't even know how to pronounce that but it looked AMAZING😂

I've tried Alabama white sauce and I just don't think it's my thing. Too much vinegar maybe? I don't know. I want to like it but the few I've tried I just can't get in to, which makes me wonder if I'm doing it wrong.

Jerk chicken... I like!

[barelfly]

Andrrr - the five spice rub used for the pork belly, you could probably use that on chicken to, so that you are able use the rub more often

but to help on the pronunciation - bon me - if that helps. And, if you can find a Vietnamese restaurant, go try a bahn mi…they are amazing! And get some pho as well!!!

And the white sauce, I like vinegar sauces so I guess that’s one reason I do like that recipe! I don’t really think there’s a wrong/right way?

[Andrrr]

Oh man, I need to get some Pho now! So good. There just isn't a good vietnamese place around here.

[58limited]

Bacon

Alabama White Sauce

Baltimore Style Pit Beef

Sheep Dip

[Andrrr]

I've tried all of these except the sheep dip, I'll have to check that one out. That Baltimore pit beef is a good one that I forgot about. Thanks for the reminder.

[SheilaAnn]

Oh boy!

Pork Belly Banh Mi
Corned Beef-Pastrami
Fried Chicken on the Grill
KC Style BBQ Sauce is so solid!!!

and I am remiss in not trying more! But I use the books more often.

[Andrrr]

Ok, the Bahn Mi is on the list of stuff to try. Your post the other day looked amazing.

[SheilaAnn]

Andrrr I picked up the pork belly at wild fork. Perfect thickness and it made two sandwiches like I posted and then a small bowl of leftovers that i snacked on the next day.

[cruiseplanner1]

I need to look at that KC BBQ sauce recipe

[Skip]

MMD aka Meathead's Memphis Dust

BBBR aka Big Bad Beef Rub

After trying so many commercial rubs...I often come back to these and salt separately

[Huskee]

BBBR is a fave of mine as well, it's a hit on so many things and a great backbone for other expansion rubs.

[Andrrr]

I just made some BBBR for a smoked chuck the other day. I have gravitated towards commercial rubs for ribs but I should try MMD again.

[Huskee]

Meathead's Pastrami recipe, and my Key Lime Pie Martini! 🍸



Honorable mention to Meathead's Texas Brisket recipe, it helped me through my very nervous first time ever prepping and smoking a brisket in approx 2008, and it turned out great. And what's a good brisket w/o the simple yet powerfully tasty Big Bad Beef Rub?

[Andrrr]

Agreed. The walkthroughs for all that stuff are so helpful when you're trying something new or just starting out.

[barelfly]

Your KLPM is something I have to make!

[STEbbq]

Pastrami by far. Rubs frequently too.

[Andrrr]

I haven't made the pastrami in awhile. I think I'm due.

[Davek8282]

Every rub I have tried, MMD, BBBR, Mrs O'Learys and Dollys lamb rub has been excellent. Suprisingly some of my favourite recipes from the free side are for sides. Honey butter roasted cabbage, Texas butter beans are but two. For protein I have tried lots of recipes but I am more into the techniques, think spatchcocked chicken, afterburner steaks.

[Huskee]

Spatchcocked chicken/turkey were big game changers for me too.

[Andrrr]

Thanks for the sides ideas. I don't always put enough effort or thought into the sides, so they end up boring.

[dpearce]

Andrrr I have the same problem. I find a recipe I like and tend to cook the crap out of it, over and over. Like others mentioned, I tend to focus on cooking techniques, different setups, etc... so I always try to use the same recipes to compare cooks.

It wasn't until earlier this year I finally got a food vacuum saver system and a dedicated chest freezer, so that changed the way bought food. Now I'm able to buy larger quantities, store for future cooks, and utilize leftovers better.

What makes it difficult is, my wife and kids are picky eaters. Bone-in chicken, most cuts of pork (besides ribs), certain cuts of beef, they won't eat or may only take a taste. So I tend to try and smoke things they like, along with things I like. So smoked mac & cheese tends to get made more often than not, and even that my wife usually cooks it indoors. They're picky on vegetables as well. I like to cook asparagus and brussel sprouts on the smoker, but they're not big fans of either. Often times, it's pasta salad for the win.

I use a number of readily available commercial seasonings, usually when I run low on ingredients for the custom rubs/flavorings. There's so many out there, it's crazy. I'm not even sure what try out honestly. Just keeping track of what I've already used on whichever meat is a challenge.

Recipes I've tried and use all the time:

MMD (obviously)
Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White Sauce (three times now, every time it gets better)
Simon and Garfunkel rub (several times for Thanksgiving turkey)
Chris Lilly's double smoked ham (this made the store bought ham sooo much better!)

Recipes I want to try out:

Looking for an excuse to try the Classic Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce.
Big Bad Beef Dry Rub Recipe (waiting on delivery of my grass fed 1/3 whole cow. Beef in the stores near me is very expensive)
Jerk style ribs, Asian style ribs (lots of the eastern food recipes, honestly)
Lots of the chicken recipes (chicken is usually on sale around here, making it budget friendly)
Way more of the side dishes (I'd like to introduce more variety, and hopefully get the kids eating more fresh cooked food)

Now that I have the rotisserie, I have more cooking options. I'm getting better at trying different chicken recipes, so that's at least a plus.

[dpearce]

Andrrr I have yet to join a team cook, just because my weekend times are unknowns almost every week. I'll have to look at the schedule and try to figure out if I can join up! Thank you for the reminder!

[Andrrr]

You can cook them whenever, you just don't share the results until a given day. I cooked mine earlier this week.

[SheilaAnn]

dpearce if you want to use this recipe for the tzatziki, go for it. Oh, and you will love love love the rotisserie! I am doing my first boneless leg of lamb on Saturday.

[shify]

I'm also not great in following full recipes. Outside of the rubs and sauces, I'm not sure I've ever actually made a full on recipe from this site. I usually start with the recipe or the cooking approach and adjust/tweak. Maybe the pastrami recipe is the closest I've come to following a recipe from start to finish. And the Cowboy candy!

That being said, all the rubs I've made have been excellent, especially the MMD, Big Bad Beef Rub and the Pastrami rub

[Mosca]

Straight up, the ribs.

Second, the pastrami, but I haven’t made it in years.

[bbqLuv]

So far, all the recopies great. But the information is even better.
Adding the "Why" to the "How To"

[Draznnl]

Wow, you mean there are recipes over there other than pastrami? Who knew? How come I have never noticed any of them before? Are you just pulling my leg? Is this some communal send Draznnl off to the free side looking for stuff gag?

[Andrrr]

Ha! If you go, let me know what you find!

[klflowers]

Pastrami and Texas BBQ Juice. And MMD. The BBQ juice is pretty awesome.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/barbecue-sauce-recipes/texas-barbecue-juice/

[Andrrr]

What do you typically put this on?

[klflowers]

Andrrr any beef except steaks - but I might try it on steaks now that i think about it. Chuckies, beef ribs, tri tip. I haven't tried it on pork yet but I plan to. I have used it on nachos that I made with chopped chuckies. I just really like the stuff.