BBQ Carrots
I don’t think there’s ever been a dish at The Publican that people have freaked out about so much. Even chefs. We did a charity event last year and served these, and there was a table of twenty-five big-name chefs just losing their minds over them. We use a barbecue rub that I “borrowed” from Chris Lilly, the owner of Big Bob Gibson’s in Georgia and a world champion of barbecued pork shoulder. He came in to eat once, and we got embarrassed about ripping him off. We quickly changed the name of these to Chris Lilly Carrots.
We like to serve them with pecan that we get from Blain Farms in California, which are creamier than any other pecan, and then we top it off with an herbed dressing. - Paul Kahan
Give these amazing carrots a try with the Publican blend we created with Paul Kahan for a delicious version of this addictive dish!
Category
Side Dish
Servings/Yield
4
Author
Paul Kahan, adapted from Cheers to the Publican
Give the amazing BBQ Carrots a try with the Publican Blend we created with Paul Kahan for a delicious version this addictive dish.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp BBQ Rub (recipe follows)
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 pound carrots, cleaned and halved
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
1 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 sprigs dill, torn
- 1 batch Ranchovy Herb Dressing (recipe follows)
- -
- This is just as good on carrots as it is on meat.
- Combine the ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
-
¼ cup Pimentón de la Vera (hot smoked Spanish paprika)
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1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
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1 Tbsp granulated garlic
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1 Tbsp granulated onion
- 1 ½ tsp celery salt
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1 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper
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1 Tbsp ground cumin
- -
- Never use store-bought dressing again.
Whisk all ingredient in a bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper. Transfer the dressing to a glass container with a lid and refrigerate. The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give the jar a good shake before using
- 2 cups mayonnaise (we like Hellman’s/Best Foods)
- 1 cup buttermilk
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1 Tbsp garlic powder
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1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
1 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp chopped chives
- 1 ½ tsp chopped tarragon
- 1 ½ tsp chopped oregano
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Sea salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
BBQ Rub – makes 1 ½ cups (or try the Publican blend)
Ranchovy Herb Dressing – 1 quart
Directions
In a large pot, combine the water with 1 cup of the BBQ Rub and the kosher salt.
- Bring to a boil, add the carrots, and cook until they’re just about fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the carrots and set aside.
Build a fire on one side of a charcoal grill and let it burn down to embers.
Toss the blanched carrots with the remaining 1 Tbsp of BBQ Rub and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Arrange the carrots on the grill over direct heat and cook, moving them around a bit, until they have some char marks and are finished, about 5 minutes.
Pile the carrots on a serving plate, season with the salt, drizzle with the lemon juice, and garnish with the pecans and dill. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Dress the carrots with the Ranchovy Herb Dressing and serve.
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Paul Kahan’s book Cheers to the Publican
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com