HICKORY-QUICK BBQ BASTE-MARINADE

When you don't have a lot of leisure time but have a craving, try the following barbeque baste recipe for pit-baste smoking. It gives a hickory-smoke flavor to almost any meat or poultry entree you desire.

1 cup cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, seeded (use rinds cut up in pot)
3/4 to 1 cup (6 to 8 ounces) pure hickory liquid smoke
1 cup red cooking wine (optional)
1 tablespoon each liquid garlic and liquid onion (or chop
2 onions)
1 cup Worcestershire sauce or 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce
1 cup apple juice or cranberry juice
1 quart of water

Combine all ingredients with water in a 4 quart pot on medium-high heat. Stir and bring to a boil, cover and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain off lemon rinds or any cooked onions. Refrigerate if not ready to use immediately as hot marinade.
Strain and use in spray bottle for basting pit-smoked meats, especially pit grilled pork ribs, beef ribs, pork chops, pork and beef steaks, lamb chops, poultry, grilled burgers, and pork and beef roasts. The spray-basting also helps control flames in the pit-fire when not overused. For a real hickory-smoke flavor, pre-soak any amount of hickory wood chips in a cup or so of this basic marinade.

Yields 11/2 quarts

NOTE: Marinate meat in 200-degree hot marinade for 20 minutes for super-quick and tasty results.