Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ, Birmingham, Alabama

We were once again in Birmingham for a joyous occasion--a wedding of the daughter of some of our oldest friends, people we have celebrated many a joyous occasion with over the years. The groom's dinner was hosted at this restaurant, which was a block from the hotel where most of the out of town guests were staying, so the location was spectacular.

My spouse was so excited to try this and so disappointed by the food. We have Rodney Scott's BBQ cookbook, and I really love the potato salad recipe in it. I have been making potato salad for almost 50 years, so have had a series of different recipes over that time, but this one is my current favorite. Here is what the problem was--the meat just didn't have much smoke in the flavor. There is always an issue with a buffet in a place where the food is not necessarily prepared for that delivery--but BBQ meat can be served at any temperature, and it should be great. This was not. The fries were amazing and so was the cole slaw (I like that recipe in his book as well)--but the cornbread was dry, the salad had a number of issues, and overall, we would not go back.

Rodney Scott's Potato Salad

If you are doing a BBQ to celebrate Mother's Day this would be a good old fachioned and yet delicious accompaniment. This is also a really good reminder that while I can wing it and make really good potato salad, there can be value added in using an actual recipe. I used about 1/2 the amount of dressing for the potatoes, subbed honey for the sugar because that is the way I like it, and otherwise followed this pretty much as written. It is a good BBQ meal side, with a nice balance of sweet and salty and creamy. I plan to serve this at an oputdoor party in July, provided there are no pandemic surprises between now ans then. Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3 ½ lb red-skinned potatoes, skin on, washed and quartered For the Dressing: 2 c Duke’s mayonnaise ¼ c yellow mustard (French’s or whatever you prefer) ½ c distilled white vinegar ¼ c fresh lemon juice ½ c sweet pickle relish 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp red pepper flakes ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ½ c finely diced celery (1 to 2 stalks) ½ c finely diced red onion (about 1 medium onion) For the salad: 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 1 ½ tbsp Rib Rub ¼ c thinly sliced scallions (optional) Cook the potatoes: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the salt and quartered potatoes. Reduce the heat and gently boil the potatoes until they yield easily when a knife is inserted through their centers, 15 to 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing: In a large bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, relish, salt, sugar, black pepper, pepper flakes, and cayenne and mix until incorporated. Whisk in the celery and red onion. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Make the salad: Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and add them (while hot) to the bowl with the dressing. Use a large spoon to break up the potatoes to really get the dressing into everything while the potatoes are hot. Chop the eggs to your liking or press them through a sieve to break them up into fine bits. Fold the eggs into the salad. Finish the salad with a sprinkle of rib rub and the sliced scallions (if using).

Rodney Scott's Rib Rub

Rodney Scott's cookbook is a straight ahead BBQ book, with a lot of description of philosophy and technique, including the ideal BBQ pit and some instructions to go along if you wanted to contruct something. The back yards of those who do this must be a site to see. For me, a non-smoker of meat, the rub is where it is at. This mix has a very good balance of sweet and heat, not to salty but very flavorful. Do not skip the MSG. ½ c Diamond Crystal kosher salt ¼ c MSG ¼ c freshly ground black pepper ¼ c paprika ¼ c chili powder ¼ c packed light brown sugar 2 tbsp garlic powder 2 tbsp onion powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper Mix thoroughly and store in a dry sealed container.