Whatever the weather will allow

Rain or shine, which and when, are always the question for we who are lucky enough to live around here. After all, we don’t have endless summer months of blistering heat (it just seems like it some years), nor do we have to wade through never-ending weeks of cold, damp, sometimes downright sopping w

et weather (not usually).

At the same time, the which and when can present a real monkeywrench in the machinery when trying to figure out a perfect weather-wise menu.

Naturally, with the which or when always at the back of my mind, a new email from the folks at kraftrecipes.com reached right out and grabbed me.

Right there before my very eyes were a pair of recipes, one that’s perfectly suited to a rainy-day crockpot fixit. The recipe doesn’t say so, but before adding the sauce to the crockpot, taste it — if it seems a teensy bit on the flat side, you could always add a dash of liquid smoke — if it’s a little too sweet for your taste, you can cut it with a small dose of cider vinegar.

Then, for what it’s worth, which may be practically nothing, when my husband and I were in the Carolinas a few years ago, we ordered this almost every time we had a chance at it.

There, you usually have a choice of sliced, chopped or pulled pork, most often with the sauce or choice of sauces on the side, and more often than not accompanied by a mound of coleslaw and hot, to-die-for hush puppies.

Now for today’s other how-to, which makes what sounds like a super-seasoned, over-the-barbecue tandoori-style chicken.

Since it calls for chicken legs, not breasts, it can even be considered a budget-friendly entree, and all you have to do is mix up a hefty handful of seasonings, marinate it for a couple of hours, and ponk it on the barbecue.

Let’s see if one or the other, or, hopefully both, make the weather work in our favor, instead of pitching a fight against us…

Bulls-Eye Carolina-style wildfire pork

1 boneless pork shoulder, about 3 pounds

1 bottle (17.5 ounces) Carolina-style barbecue sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons liquid hot-pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Buns or rolls for serving

Sit the pork shoulder in a crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, pepper sauce and paprika, mixing thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Pour mixture over meat, cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 hours.

To serve, shred meat, mix well with sauce and serve in buns or rolls. Makes 12 servings.

Note: If desired, meat and sauce can be prepared ahead of time, cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop just before serving.

Indian tandoori barbecued chicken

1/4 cup barbecue sauce, preferably Bulls-Eye original

1/4 cup Greek strained nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin removed

In a mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, fenugreek leaves, garam masala, ginger and chili powder, mixing well. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the chicken in a shallow dish; turn to coat both sides of each drumstick. Refrigerate 2 hours to marinate.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade. Arrange chicken on the grill and grill for about 24 minutes, or until done, turning and brushing occasionally with the reserved sauce. Makes 4 servings.

The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Good Life section.