BBQ Country

This is the kind of place that sells great B-B-Q sauce.



We were planning a trip to San Francisco for Sube's wedding last summer. We knew we wanted to spend a day in wine country while we were there so I started investigating places to eat, taste wine and sight-see in Sonoma weeks before the trip. If you know me, you know I like to come up with very specific itineraries for trips...even trips I am not going on. I love to suggest restaurants and places to stay with the authority of a travel agent.

Angelo's Wine Country Deli hit up my radar pretty quickly when I visited my trusty travel companion website, Yelp.com. My mouth started watering just reading the reviews posted about "all the beef jerky tasting you could ever want." They had several varieties, and you could taste them all for free...as much as you want: Teriyaki, Pepper, Hot Pepper, BBQ, Cajon, Garlic, Plain and "VIP." You could also order nice thick deli sandwiches which is something I am always in the mood to eat.



I really recommend this place if you are cruising through the area. It will fill you up so that you can feel, well...safe...tasting all the lovely wine when you make your way through the wineries.



We came away with two bags of beef jerky, two sandwiches and a bottle of Angelo's Famous Italian BBQ sauce. It turns out Sonoma was just as much BBQ Country as it is Wine Country. This little stop prepared us for the wonderful afternoon of wine, champagne, olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting throughout the countryside. And then it was back over the bridge (of course we sang the Full House theme song the whole way over).



The wedding was perfect. It is one of the most satisfying things to go to a wedding for two people who so obviously belong together. That might explain why this next recipe works so well.

BBQ sauce and meat.

Never did two things go so well together, especially when it is Angelo's famous Italian BBQ sauce. This particular recipe combines another great American love with the already happy couple, Coke.

BBQ sauce, meat and Coke. I can see you just nodding your head in complete agreement.

I have been making this recipe for about a year now (ever since Zach's mom gave me a stack of Pillsbury Magazine recipe books during the Holidays last year), but it became especially delicious when I started using this particular barbecue sauce. I think you have to find one that works for you. I am a sweet-sauce person through and through, but I imagine you could use a traditional tangy or even spicy Barbecue sauce for this recipe if that is what you prefer.

And since you know how much I love combined words:

BarbeCoke Chicken:

(a Pillsbury recipe - makes 12 servings)



1 1/2 C barbecue sauce
2 tbsp dried minced onion
12 oz (1 can) Coke (or Pepsi)
12 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Pour barbecue sauce, coke and dried minced onion in a large plastic ziploc bag (I only used one small one because I cut the recipe down for 2 instead of 12, but you should use as many bags as your need depending on how many servings you make). Shake the ingredients in the bag until combined thoroughly. Add thawed out chicken breasts to the bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (mine were in there for 24 hours). Turn the bag ever once in a while so that all sides are marinated evenly.
Heat up a gas (or charcoal grill). Remove chicken from marinating bags, and pour the leftover sauce from the bag into a sauce pan. Grill the chicken breasts over medium heat until cooked all the way through (about 12 minutes).
While the meat is cooking, bring the sauce in the pan to a boil and then continue to simmer (stirring occasionally).
When chicken is cooked all the way through (no longer any pink inside of the thickest part), plate them and pour the sauce right over the top to coat.



*I cut this recipe wayyyyyy down for 2 people.