Barbecue Sauce

When D.J. Lawton was a kid he regularly devoured roast beef sandwiches from Mur-Mac's in Stoughton. The restaurant closed, but the succulent beef on a buttered toasted bun is seared in his memory. Lawton, now 25, graduated from Boston University a few years ago and wanted to run his own business. Last year he opened Roast Beast, a tiny spot in the basement of an Allston apartment building, where a sign with an adorable cow greets you, and sandwiches are fashioned after those from his once-favorite eatery.

Serves 10 This pork freezes well, and you can use it for loads of dishes. Stir it into a finished pot of greens or beans, add it to omelets, load it onto baked potatoes, and make pulled pork nachos or enchiladas. You might want to freeze it in a few smallish portions, so you can pull it out and defrost just the amount you will need for whatever you are making. 1 bone-in pork butt (8 pounds) 1 cup IQUE dry rub (see Page 20) ⅓ cup white grape juice 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons light brown...

Like scoring a hotel room with a view or getting through airport security, finding delicious meals on vacation should be easier than it is. It can be, if you are willing to shell out a fortune to taste wines in Napa or sample crème brûlée in Paris. Food-focused vacations often miss out on the dishes locals eat. Chicago is a well-regarded dining town, with such higher-end chef-driven restaurants as Grant Achatz's Alinea and Next and Top Chef-winner Stephanie Izard's Girl and the Goat receiving tons of media attention.

When D.J. Lawton was a kid he regularly devoured roast beef sandwiches from Mur-Mac's in Stoughton. The restaurant closed, but the succulent beef on a buttered toasted bun is seared in his memory. Lawton, now 25, graduated from Boston University a few years ago and wanted to run his own business. Last year he opened Roast Beast, a tiny spot in the basement of an Allston apartment building, where a sign with an adorable cow greets you, and sandwiches are fashioned after those from his once-favorite eatery.

Serves 10 This pork freezes well, and you can use it for loads of dishes. Stir it into a finished pot of greens or beans, add it to omelets, load it onto baked potatoes, and make pulled pork nachos or enchiladas. You might want to freeze it in a few smallish portions, so you can pull it out and defrost just the amount you will need for whatever you are making. 1 bone-in pork butt (8 pounds) 1 cup IQUE dry rub (see Page 20) ⅓ cup white grape juice 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons light brown...

From the first bite, my wife, JingJing, pronounces her comforting bowl of noodles hen didao authentic. "You don't often see this in restaurants because it's so simple and homey. If I was sick and staying home, this is what my mom would make," she says. I've eaten her mother's delicious cooking in China's Hebei province, and this dish indeed has the fengwei, local flavor, going for it. That compliment brings a proud smile to Fu Wen Cai, the chef at the awkwardly named One of the Kind, the newest entry in the Asian food court at the Hong Kong Supermarket in Allston.

Serves 4 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder ...

Regulars at Jimbo's Roast Beef Seafood & Pizza debate the merits of horseradish sauce vs. barbecue sauce on the roast beef sandwich ($4.50 for a junior, $5.50 for large, and $6.50 for super). We liked it with both. Purists wonder whether lettuce and cheese have a place on the sandwich, but this, of course, comes down to personal preference. Everyone comes here for the pink, meltingly tender meat, piled high on a squishy bun, however they garnish it. Jimbo's Roast Beef Seafood & Pizza, 40 Bow St., Somerville, 617-623-9068, www.jimbosroastbeefsomerville.com.

Spontaneous barbecue parties flare up all the time in the summer. Friends drop by, neighbors wander over, and you light the grill before you can even say hello. That often means making barbecue sauce on the spot. The BBQ mixing jar from Catamount Glass ($5.95) has four sauce recipes right on the jar: Texas, Vermont maple, ginger, and sweet and sour. Pour each ingredient into the bottle up to the line indicated, close the top, and shake. No other measuring necessary. You no longer need to search for a recipe; these ingredients are probably already in your pantry.

Serves 4 4 large soft rolls or burger buns 1 cup leftover sauce from braised pork (without fruit), fat removed 1 cup barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or more to taste 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar Salt, to taste 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Like scoring a hotel room with a view or getting through airport security, finding delicious meals on vacation should be easier than it is. It can be, if you are willing to shell out a fortune to taste wines in Napa or sample crème brûlée in Paris. Food-focused vacations often miss out on the dishes locals eat. Chicago is a well-regarded dining town, with such higher-end chef-driven restaurants as Grant Achatz's Alinea and Next and Top Chef-winner Stephanie Izard's Girl and the Goat receiving tons of media attention.

From the first bite, my wife, JingJing, pronounces her comforting bowl of noodles hen didao authentic. "You don't often see this in restaurants because it's so simple and homey. If I was sick and staying home, this is what my mom would make," she says. I've eaten her mother's delicious cooking in China's Hebei province, and this dish indeed has the fengwei, local flavor, going for it. That compliment brings a proud smile to Fu Wen Cai, the chef at the awkwardly named One of the Kind, the newest entry in the Asian food court at the Hong Kong Supermarket in Allston.

Regulars at Jimbo's Roast Beef Seafood & Pizza debate the merits of horseradish sauce vs. barbecue sauce on the roast beef sandwich ($4.50 for a junior, $5.50 for large, and $6.50 for super). We liked it with both. Purists wonder whether lettuce and cheese have a place on the sandwich, but this, of course, comes down to personal preference. Everyone comes here for the pink, meltingly tender meat, piled high on a squishy bun, however they garnish it. Jimbo's Roast Beef Seafood & Pizza, 40 Bow St., Somerville, 617-623-9068, www.jimbosroastbeefsomerville.com.

NEW YORK - The McRib, the elusive sandwich that has inspired a cult-like following, is back. McDonald's Corp. said yesterday that the boneless barbecue pork sandwich, usually available in only a few stores at a time, will be sold at all US locations through Nov. 14. Most of the time, it's up to local franchises to determine when and if they want to sell the McRib - except in Germany, the only place where it's available perennially. But McDonald's said the response was so great last November when it made the McRib available nationally for about three weeks that it decided to...

The NewBridge Café 650 Washington St., Chelsea 617-884-0134 www.newbridgecafe.com Hours: Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Bar open to 1 a.m. daily. No credit cards accepted; cash only Accessible to the handicapped Sitting down at a table in the neighborhood-style atmosphere of the NewBridge Café in Chelsea, we immediately asked our waitress about the inconsistency on the cover of the menu.

Cobblestones 91 Dutton St., Lowell 978-970-2282 www.cobblestonesoflowell.com Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Major credit cards accepted Not accessible to the handicapped Cobblestones is something of a twofer: Depending on your mood (and the hour), you can opt for a pub experience or a dining room worthy of a special occasion. Either way, there’s much to like in the menu’s variety. And given its downtown Lowell location, off-street parking is a big plus.

In "The Healthy Kitchen," Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley offer these burgers, made from ground turkey mixed with chopped mushrooms. They cook them on a grill or in a skillet sprayed with vegetable cooking oil and serve them in whole wheat buns with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Serves 4. 1 pound ground turkey 4 ounces button mushrooms, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 teaspoon prepared barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (see note)

Serves 4 An expert on French West Indian cooking, Francis Delage of La Route des Boucaniers in St. Barts, marinates his ribs for 24 hours, grills them over allspice wood, using the indirect method, and quickly sizzles them with a barbecue sauce directly over the fire. Soak 1 1/2 cups wood chips in water for 1 hour before grilling. 1 navel orange 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 scallions, both white and green parts, chopped ...

NEW YORK — McDonald’s Corp. says a key sales figure rose 4.8 percent in November, helped in the United States by the popularity of the limited-time McRib sandwich. The world’s largest burger chain also said yesterday weaker foreign currencies will hurt its fourth-quarter earnings by a penny to 2 cents per share. Sales in restaurants open at least 13 months rose 4.9 percent in the United States and Europe and 2.4 percent elsewhere. The figure is a key measure of a restaurant chain’s health because it excludes stores that open and close during the period.

Just in time for cookout season, Organicville Foods has launched a line of organic mustards in classic yellow, stone-ground, and Dijon versions. They look and taste pretty much like conventional mustards, but these mellow yellows, made with gluten-free vinegar and no added sweeteners, are considerably more virtuous. Organicville founder Rachel Kruse, a vegetarian, is committed to creating the “healthiest, cleanest, most delicious’’ condiments around (the company also makes organic salad dressings, barbecue sauce, and ketchup)