carolina-style bbq and grilled romaine with blue cheese-bacon vinaigrette

 
I love BBQ sauce. Like for real love. But I like the mustardy, vinegar sauces. A little bit spicy, with the bold taste of the yellow mustard, the sharp tang of vinegar, and only a touch of sweetness. Finger-licking perfection. For this dinner, I needed to use up some Romaine from my organic produce box and found a Guy Fieri recipe that grilled it and topped it with a little bacon, red onion, and bleu cheese. Yes, please. So, that's what we had. Here's how you can make it, too.

Carolina-style BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 c yellow mustard
• 1/4 c apple-cider vinegar
• 1/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. mustard powder (I skipped this because it's a little like horseradish, which I don't care for)
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Whisk above ingredients together. Season chicken (~8 chicken thighs or legs is a good number for this amount of sauce) with salt and pepper before slathering with sauce and cooking. Make sure to wrap the meat in foil for five to ten minutes before eating.

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-bacon Vinaigrette (courtesy Guy Fieri, serves 6)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 heads romaine lettuce, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy. To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Brush the romaine lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, place on the grill cut side down, and quickly sear.
4. Serve the lettuce, cut side up, and drizzle the balsamic dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and garnish with cracked black pepper.