Welcome to the first edition of the Barbecue Secrets podcast, a show celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking. In this edition:

The time for a barbecue podcast is NOW: The Barbecue Secrets manifesto.
Nanook of the pork: the joys of winter grilling
Our first listener question: to close the grill, or not?
Barbecue Secret of the week: turn it down!
And a great winter grilling recipe: Pork and Apple Kebabs

Show notes:

Guest interview: Ross Mikkelsen, owner of Barbecues Galore in Canada. For information about products and locations visit www.barbecuesgalore.ca.
Listener question:

Shel Holtz, co-host of For Immediate Release, a twice-weekly podcast about communication and technology - www.forimmediaterelease.biz.
This week's recipe:

Pork and Apple Kebabs (from Barbecue Secrets, Whitecap Books)
Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 to 6 as a main course. This is a great winter grilling dish. Use the tangiest, firmest apples you can find. (I like Granny Smiths.) Serve as an appetizer, or with grill-roasted winter vegetables and mashed potatoes as a main course.

To marinate the pork:

2 lb. (1 kg) boneless pork loin, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp. granulated onion (or onion powder)
1 clove garlic, forced through a garlic press
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
pinch cayenne
pinch clove
1/4 cup cider vinegar


For the kebabs:

6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized chunks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil



Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and add pork, mixing thoroughly. Marinate for about an hour at room temperature or two or three hours in the fridge. Prepare grill for medium direct heat. Thread pork on skewers, alternating with chunks of apple. (Use eight long metal skewers or 12 pre-soaked bamboo skewers.) Oil cooking grate and grill kebabs for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until pork is just done. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little oil.
Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips & Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap Books. Find him, and more recipes, at www.ronshewchuk.com.