Neelys' BBQ Spaghetti And Bloody Mary!
Pat and Gina Neely have made their Neely's Bar-B-Que family eateries in Memphis and Nashville some of the most successful barbecue restaurants in the South.
The husband and wife are the king and queen of down home cooking, and they share their passion for food, family, and fun, along with delicious recipes, on the Food Network's hit show,"Down Home With the Neelys."
Now, they have another show on that network, debuting Tuesday night, "Road Tasted with the Neelys," which takes them to the open road to find family-run food joints and unique edibles. They visit almost every state of the union and try almost anything, from donning bee suits to harvest honey to making sweet potato pound cake with natural sweeteners. They check out and taste the definition of unusual!
Pat and Gina spoke about their shows, and served up recipes for some unique dishes, alright, on The Early Show Tuesday.
RECIPES
BBQ Spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion
1 tablespoon garlic salt
3 1/2 cups Neelys BBQ sauce, recipe follows
1 pound pork, beef, or chicken, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 pound spaghetti
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the pepper and onion, until softened for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt. Add the premade BBQ sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the chopped meat.
Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Season liberally with salt and add spaghetti. Cook for 7 minutes, until al dente (firm but not hard) and drain. Toss spaghetti with sauce.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Neelys BBQ Sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cooked uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups
FOR MORE RECIPES FROM PAT AND GINA, GO TO PAGE 2.
BBQ Pulled Pork Bruschetta
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds onion, sliced
1 loaf French bread, sliced on into 1/2-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound pulled pork
Barbecue sauce
Chives, sliced for garnish
Preheat the grill to high.
For Onions:
In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter to melt. Add the onions and saute, stirring constantly, until the onions are deep brown in color, about 20 minutes.
For Bruschetta:
Brush the bread slices with olive oil. Rub the garlic clove on the bread and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp then repeat on the other side. Remove from grill and let cool slightly.
To Serve:
Top each piece of toast with a heaping spoonful of pork. Top with a spoonful of onions. Place a dollop of barbecue sauce on top of the bruschetta and garnish with chives.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Barbecue Bloody Mary
6 ounces vodka
12 ounces vegetable or tomato juice (recommended: V8)
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Neelys Dry Rub, for garnish, recipe follows
Jalapeno, for garnish
Mix all the ingredients except for the lemon and garnishes into a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine well.
Rim the edge of the glasses with a lemon. Dip into dry rub. Pour the Bloody Mary into the glasses filled with ice. Garnish each with a jalapeno.
Yield: 3 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.