Indoor Football? Indoor BBQ!

About author / Lauren Braun Costello

The competent cook; food stylist; cooking instructor; graduate French Culinary Institute. To die for dish? Maple glazed bacon wrapped roast turkey. Yep, bacon wrapped.

There are so many things in life that beg to be done outside: bicycling, sun tanning, running, field sports and the art of barbecue. But these days, all that can be done indoors. I would never encourage anyone to take to a tanning bed, but I urge everyone to keep barbecue alive in the kitchen during these cold winter months, and especially this Sunday as Pittsburgh and Seattle battle it out on Ford Field (indoors!)

Making barbecue indoors is not a matter of choice for me. I live in the city with no outdoor space. So, if I want to enjoy some homemade baby back ribs, I have to do it in the oven. This method works so well for me that I am fairly certain I will not change a thing even when I do have a backyard one day. But many people think of barbecue as one of summer's guilty pleasures, to be prepared and enjoyed outdoors over an open wood fire, on the grill or in the smoker. With game day less than a week away, I entreat you to reconsider.

Liquid Smoke: Imposter or Genuine Article?
There must be millions of you out there who regard this very question as barbecue blasphemy. Anything short of smoking meat with wood chips, you might say, ain't the real deal. Well, even I would concede that might be true. But that doesn't mean it's not good. Barbecue prepared with liquid smoke may pull the wool over your eyes, but your belly will enjoy the show.

Liquid smoke is a water-based flavoring that imparts a smokey flavor similar to what ideally would be achieved when cooking over an open wood fire. According to Wikipedia, "the product is produced by burning hardwood chips (notably hickory) and condensing the smoke into a liquid form. The liquid is then scrubbed and filtered to remove all impurities." A few splashes of this wonder product and you can bring the outdoors inside in just seconds.

There are other clever products available that help bring barbecue indoors. Crock pots are ideal for making homemade pulled pork, especially when you add a little liquid hickory. Stovetop smokers allow you to place wood chips of your choice in a small tray and add rich flavor to any foodstuff any time of year, should you want to punt the liquid smoke.

Rub You the Right Way
The real key to good indoor barbecue is the starting point: a flavorful spice rub. Our country boasts notable regional differences when it comes to barbecue. In Texas they like it sweet, while in the Carolinas they like it to have a touch of tang. Both styles are considered wet, in that sauces are applied (whether tomato or vinegar based) during the cooking process. In Memphis the rub is the essence of the dish--the meat is smoked dry and the sauce makes an appearance on the side as a condiment only.

I like to use a rounded combination of any of the following: paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger, chili powder, and oregano. It just depends on what else I serve with the barbecue dish. The sugar, salt and pepper are a must no matter the preparation. I like my pulled pork Carolina style with a mustard-vinegar sauce, but I like my ribs sweet and saucy with a tomato-based sauce. Either way, I find that the sugar, salt and pepper heighten the other herbal or spice flavors of any rub.

Game Day Plan
Go long on flavor and short on stress. The beauty of indoor barbecue is that it is the quintessential "slow and low" food--cooked for a long time with a low heat. So as long as you call your play, nothing could be easier on game day. Whether you are making pulled pork in the crock pot, or baby back ribs in the oven, you can kick off in the morning and have your guests spiking by game time, all the while leaving the meat to cook without much fuss on your part.

The following recipe, The Best Baby Back Ribs . . . Ever!, is something I adapted from Paula Deen's Competition BBQ Ribs. Sweet and spicy, meaty and lean, this is my draft pick for 2006. They are truly the best baby back ribs . . . ever!

Serves/Makes: 4

• 2 slabs baby back ribs

***First Stage Dry Rub***

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin

***Second Stage***

• 1 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup liquid smoke

***Third Stage***

• 1/2 cup First Stage rub

***Finishing Glaze***

• 1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce