In the world of barbecue, champion pitmaster Mike Mills is affectionately known as "The Legend." That title surely qualifies him to share a special series of yummy BBQ recipes in honor of the Big Apple BBQ event this weekend, featuring pitmasters from around the country.

Here, Mike Mills shares his recipe for Apple City Barbecue Sauce:

• Combine the ketchup, rice vinegar, apple juice or cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne, and bacon bits in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Stir it often.
• Allow to cool, then pour into sterilized glass bottles. Glass jar that used to contain mayonnaise or juice works real well. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• Variation: To make this sauce a little hotter, add more cayenne pepper to taste, approximately another ¼ to ¼ teaspoon. Be careful; a little cayenne goes a long way.

Makes 3 cups.

---

About the Chef:

Pitmaster, Mike Mills presides over the pits at his six nationally acclaimed 17th Street Bar & Grill restaurants in Southern Illinois and four Memphis Championship Barbecue restaurants in Las Vegas.

In the early 1990s, he was co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team, one of the most celebrated teams on the circuit. He has the distinction of being the only three-time Grand World Champion at Memphis in May, otherwise known as the “Super Bowl of Swine.”

He is also the barbecue guru and a partner at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York City.

Visit Mike Mills on the web @ memphis-bbq.com.

June 5, 2007

Ian Chalermkittichai, Executive Chef of authentic modern Thai restaurant, Kittichai at 60 Thompson Hotel in Soho, shares his favorite recipe - Spicy Thai Beef Salad with Long Beans:

Cooking Instructions

Marinade

• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the beef, and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Steak

• Light or preheat the grill to high, and grill the beef directly over the coals until medium-rare. (3 to 4 minutes per side.)
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Salad

• Add the palm sugar and tamarind to a small bowl and heat in a saucepan half-filled with water until warm and combined.
• Add the remaining salad ingredients to a medium bowl and stir in the tamarind mixture.

• Toss the sliced beef with the salad ingredients and check the seasoning. The flavor should be salty, sour, and spicy.
• Serve the salad with a wedge of raw white cabbage.

---

About the Chef:

As the former Chef of the Four Seasons/Regent Hotel in Bangkok, Chef Ian Chalermkittichai developed a national reputation for combining Thai ingredients with international flavors and techniques.

An expert in several cuisines, he spearheaded all of the hotel's five restaurants, including the legendary Spice Market.

Visit Chef Ian Chalermkittichai on the web @ kittichairestaurant.com.