Some Assembly Required

We needed a grill for our octopus. (That sounds really funny – but check out the blog from July 27th.) So we went to the local hardware store in Rock Hall, Maryland. No Home Depot, Lowe’s or even an Ace in this little town. But the great news is the store had a Smoky Joe! Most closely resembling a flying saucer, this is a Cadillac of tiny grills, with enough room for the charcoal to get the firepower we needed. We hefted the box into the car and headed home. About half way there, my sister said: Oh Boy, there are some really scary words on the side of the box, it says: Some Assembly Required.” Now for those of you who are skilled in putting together bicycles and wagons at the drop of a hat, you may think I am silly. But, I live with a husband who is a civil engineer by education, and a construction guru by vocation, and let me tell you that I am honest when I say that I have not put together ANYTHING in 16 years. As for my sister – lets not go there☺ Anyway, we got it home and I spread out the instructions on the table and carefully laid all of it’s hundreds of parts next to the instructions. (Okay, I am exaggerating – but not by much.) After screwing it together incorrectly the first time, wrong the second, and terribly wrong the third time, I finally got it together. And it had wing nuts! Woo Hoo! I had to take a picture and show you.
All kidding aside, when you go to look for a small grill, the best shape is round and deep. This gives you enough room for an adequate amount of charcoal. If you get a flatter bottomed grill, you may not be able to fit in enough charcoal to get your fire going to really sear your food. The Weber Smoky Joe was about $35 and anyone can assemble it!
In the spirit of grilling and giving - here is my recipe for Peach BBQ Sauce. It's wonderful on chicken and pork. Remember to baste your grilled meat only during the 10 minutes of cooking. (Otherwise the sugar in the BBQ sauce may burn). Just brush the chicken or pork with a little olive oil it, salt and pepper and put on the grill until you are ready for basting.
Easy Peach BBQ Sauce
1 TB Olive Oil

1 ½ Cups Minced Red Onion

2 TB Grated Ginger

1 Tsp Grated Garlic
1 ½ Cups Ketchup

½ Cup Peach Jam

1 Tsp Ground Allspice
2 Ripe Peaches, Peeled and Cut into ½” Pieces

2 TB Balsamic Vinegar

Kosher or Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Step One
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until light gold brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
Step Two
Stir in the ketchup, jam, allspice and peaches and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.