Barbecue Honey

In Kansas city you’ll find chef’s who like to baste their slow smoked pork and beef with honey, beginning a couple of hours before the end of its cooking time. Yes, it tastes a little sweet, they’ll tell you. And, yes, it tends to burn a little , but who doesn’t like slightly burnt barbecue? Indeed, “burnt ends”, little snippets of beef from the end of the brisket are a Kansas City staple.Just as with olive oil, however, it’s possible to take a jar of honey into the lab and come out with something frightening; barbecue honey. Add pinches of cayenne pepper or hot Hungarian paprika, even prepared horseradish. The combination of hot, sweet, and burnt is intriguing and unusual, the sort of thing that set your barbecue apart from the pack. Be adventurous and try some interesting additions to the basic honey base.