Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles

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Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles are spicy, crunchy homemade pickles. The recipe comes from the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse Cookbook. These pickles require no canning, you can store them in the fridge for up to a couple of months.

Guys, I have actually used my Ball Freshtec Multicooker canner twice already this year! I bought my electric canner about 2 years ago and have used it all of about 4 times, until this year. Usually, it is just hard for me to find the time for canning in the summer, but this year I have been more focused on trying to find time to freeze and can food for winter.

Pickles are always a hit at my house and this easy pickle recipe caught my eye.  If you are a fan of strongly flavored pickles, you will love this recipe, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles are no wallflower. Fresh cucumbers are packed in a strong vinegar brine, loaded with pickling spices, garlic, and jalapeno peppers.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

 

Not from Upstate New York and wondering about the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que?

This local restaurant serves up  Southern-style meats & draft brews in a biker roadhouse vibe atmosphere. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is an Upstate icon with humble beginnings. Founder John Stage and a small group of others started The Dinosaur (as it is known locally) in 1983 in Syracuse. The idea to start a food business was born at a large motorcycle gathering near Albany, the founders felt that while they are on the road, bikers deserve a good plate of food, and they could offer it. So the founders of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que took to the road, and operated as a mobile concession stand, selling barbecue that was cooked in a 55-gallon drum that had been cut in half and served as a grill.

As the popularity of the southern style barbecue plates grew so did the business, The Dinosaur, eventually settled into a permanent location in 1988 in downtown Syracuse, N.Y In 1998, they opened the Rochester store; in 2004, they opened the Dinosaur in Harlem. Now with 9 locations across upstate New York, the Dinosaur is now the destination for slow-smoked meats, homemade sides, live music, and, local and seasonal beer. If you are ever visiting our neck of the woods a stop in to The Dinosaur to grab a bite to eat is a must!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse

This recipe for  Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles comes from the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse Cookbook by John Stage. Very few of the recipes in this cookbook are actually served in the restaurants, but they are still really good and loaded with flavor, this is definitely a great cookbook to add to your local cookbook collection.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles

Jalapeno peppers are known as being very inconsistent in heat, 2 peppers from the same plant may vary drastically spiciness, one may be mild, and the other downright fiery. The only way know what you are actually working with is to taste each one, by cutting off a tiny piece and trying it, and adjusting the recipe based on your own preferences and the heat of your jalapenos.  Or – if you are making these for people who love spicy food, just shove the jalapeno slices, seeds and all in the jars. Remember to wear  FDA approved food handling gloves when handling hot peppers to avoid contacting and spreading the oils of the pepper that can irritate your skin

I used fresh Ajo Rojo Garlic, which is a hotter Creole garlic variety, which added another layer of heat to these dill pickles. When cooked or baked this garlic has a distinct “true” garlic flavor, but when used raw it has quite a bite and is firey hot. I think next time I make these pickles I will stick with the German Variety, which has a strong raw flavor, but is not too hot.

I went ahead and processed my pickles in a hot water bath canner, this isn’t necessary if you are storing your pickles in the fridge, but I wanted to be able to store mine in my pantry.  If you want to process yours also I recommend following the National Center for Home Food Preservations recommendations and process pints for 10 minutes and quarts for 15 minutes

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles

Adapted from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse, by John Stage, Nancy Radke.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pickling cucumbers
  • 1/4 cup chopped garlic
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

BRINE

  • 4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons pickling spice
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Instructions

  1. Combine the vinegar, water, kosher salt, sugar, pickling spice, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just slightly warmer than room temperature.
  2. Slice the cucumbers into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Divide them evenly between the jars. Add the garlic, jalapeños, and dill, dividing evenly between the jars.
  3. Pour the brine into the jars making sure to cover the ingredients. Cool to room temperature and cover with lids.
  4. Store in the refrigerator, allowing the pickles to marinate for a week, then serve.

Notes

Additional Required Equipment:


  • 4 (1-quart) jars with lids, cleaned well in hot water
  • 3-quart saucepan
  • wide mouth funnel

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Garlic Dill Pickles are a great pickle to add to your pickle pantry.  The pickles are unique and flavorful, perfect for any relish tray.  These pickles would also make a great homemade gift, if you are looking to share a little bit of your garden bounty.


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2 Comments

  1. I’m a huge fan of local recipes and have a huge binder of them from restaruants all over the syracuse area. I think I gave you a recipe for the Michigan Sauce once, that you were looking for several years ago.
    In case if you are interested, All Syracuse based:

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wicked-chicken-riggies-recipe-2126537

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/reuben-fritters-recipe-2126412

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/irish-meatloaf-with-cabbage-cream-sauce-recipe-2109661

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/hungarian-placki-potato-pancakes-with-spicy-tomato-beef-sauce-recipe-1976064

    Donna

  2. I grew up in Rochester! I live in Columbus now, but lived in Memphis for several years before and obviously have a lot of favorite BBQ joints there, but I do still miss dinosaur BBQ sometimes!