North Carolina Style Tempeh Barbecue Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE VINEGAR BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the bacon, beef stock, cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, red pepper flakes, chile powder and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the bacon renders its fat, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside to let the flavors develop, 20 minutes. Remove the bacon. Reheat the sauce before serving.

NORTH CAROLINA STYLE TEMPEH BARBECUE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, place a steamer rack.
• Place water in skillet, not touching the steamer rack.
• Place tempeh slices on rack and steam 15-20 minutes.
• Place on paper towels, remove rack and wipe out the skillet.
• Place oil in skillet and over medium heat, fry the tempeh on each side until golden brown.
• Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
• Add onion to skillet and saute over medium heat until onion is lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
• Add whole chipotle chile and cook 2 minutes more, until onion is browned.
• Add vinegar to release brown bits from bottom of the pan.
• Stirring in each ingredient gradually, add tomato paste, barley malt, mustard, vegetable stock, and coffee.
• Simmer until mixture is almost reduced by half.
• Remove chipotle, slice in half and remove seeds, mince and return to sauce.
• Add browned tempeh and simmer about 10 more minutes.
• Divide tempeh and sauce evenly among buns and serve with coleslaw, either on the sandwich or on the side.
• I actually serve this on tortilla wrappers with rice and it is great like that!

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED-PORK BARBECUE

Steps:

• Bring vinegar to a boil with sugar, red-pepper flakes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp pepper in a small nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then cool. Set aside 2 cups vinegar sauce to serve with sandwiches.
• While sauce cools, score pork skin in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife (forming 1-inch diamonds), cutting through skin and fat but not into meat. Pat meat dry and rub all over with 1 Tbsp each of salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
• Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over low heat, leaving space in middle for disposable roasting pan.
• When coals have cooled to about 300°F (45 minutes to 1 hour; when most coals will have burned out), put disposable roasting pan on bottom rack of grill between the 2 remaining mounds of coals, then fill pan halfway with water. Add a couple of handfuls of unlit charcoal to each charcoal mound, then put grill rack on so hinges are over coals.
• Oil grill rack, then put pork, skin side up, on rack above roasting pan. Grill pork, with lid ajar (for air, so coals remain lit), basting meat with sauce and turning over every 30 minutes (to maintain a temperature of 250 to 275°F, add a couple of handfuls of coals to each side about every 30 minutes), until fork-tender (a meat fork should insert easily) and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat (avoid bone) registers 190°F, 7 to 8 hours total.
• Transfer pork to a cutting board. If skin is not crisp, cut it off with at least 1/4 inch fat attached (cut any large pieces into bite-size ones) and roast, fat side down, in a 4-sided sheet pan in a 350°F oven until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
• When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using 2 forks. Transfer to a bowl.
• Serve pork, cracklings, and coleslaw together on buns. Serve reserved vinegar sauce on the side.

BARBECUED TEMPEH

Steps:

• Place the tempeh in a medium-sized saucepan with water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the tempeh and pat dry. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook, turning, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the skillet, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, molasses, mustard, tamari, vinegar and cayenne and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to thicken the sauce slightly and develop the flavors, about 15 minutes.
• Return the tempeh to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes longer, then serve.