Host the Perfect Backyard Barbecue with Rodney Scott

Just like Le Creuset inspires joy in the kitchen, Rodney Scott likes sharing love and great times with his barbecue. We partnered with the award-winning legendary pitmaster to offer his signature line of rubs, sauces and his first-ever cookbook Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ online and in our stores.

With summer just around the corner, we invited Rodney over to the Le Creuset backyard to talk all things barbecue. He brought along plenty of his world-famous pit-cooked pork, ribs and chicken to share with our team. But he also showed us how to make several side dish recipes that he serves at his restaurant and are also in his cookbook. While many think of side dishes as an afterthought, Rodney feels that the sides should be just as tasty as the barbecue itself in order to create a memorable spread. Here are his expert tips for how to host the perfect backyard barbecue for your friends and family this summer.

Q&A with Pitmaster Rodney Scott

Q: A great pitmaster can create amazing things with just meat and smoke, and barbecue is always the star of the table. But what is the role of the side dishes when you put out a barbecue spread?

A: "You want your side dishes to complement your barbecue and you want everything to kind of work together so you can deliver an unforgettable backyard experience. Some flavors that pair well with barbecue are potato salad with the mustard, mayonnaise and little bit of spices. Coleslaw, so that you can get a little bit of a crisp cool bite, and something that’s light and bright and finished with a little cayenne for a little tanginess and heat."

Q: Of all the outdoor events you have cooked for or served at home, what is your number one tip for setting up an outdoor spread?

A: "Making sure that you have enough space to have your grill setup and enough seating for your guests so that they can all sit outside. You also want to make sure that you have some beautifully covered dishes, so that when you’re outside in the summer the elements and the insects won’t interfere with your meal."

Q: Barbecue is almost always served family style and made to share, why is that?

A: "It’s very important that you serve barbecue family style. Because to me barbecue is all about spreading the love, sharing the experience, and giving your neighbors and your family this one moment that they can never forget. And not only that, but presenting it on dishes that will make them go back whispering about you saying ‘wow, that was a pretty spread'!"

Q: We talk about inspiring joy in the kitchen through our products. What do you hope to accomplish with your barbecue?

A: "Le Creuset speaks about sharing great times in the kitchen. I also agree with them on sharing great times in the backyard as well. And one of those ways to combine both of those is to take the Le Creuset products, and use them for your backyard barbecue. For example, your coleslaw will stay nice, cool and crisp. Your mac and cheese will stay nice, warm and bubbly. Your potato salad will still be appealing to that critical visitor who thinks it’s not that good! Your chicken, your ribs, all of these things will be complemented by the Le Creuset products."

Q: We know you love music, what’s on your playlist when you put out a barbecue spread?

A: "The kind of music that’s on my playlist is old school hip hop, old school R&B. For example, you might hear some LL Cool J, you might hear some Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, some Anthony Hamilton. You might hear some Kim if I’m in a loving mood. You know, I listen to it all! Maybe even Darius Rucker if the time is right."

Q: We noticed that your Marinated Tomato Salad recipe uses both your sauce and rub recipe in the ingredients. What do they add to the dish?

A: "The Rodney's Sauce recipe is so important because it’s one of the first sauces that I ever learned to make. We not only use it while we’re cooking, but you can use it as a marinade if you’re doing beef, and you also can use it as a finishing sauce like in the tomato vinaigrette.

The Rodney’s Rib Rub is a great thing for cooks to have in their kitchen, even if you’re not a regular cook. Even if you’re cooking some other dish and you feel like you don’t have enough flavor, you can take a little Rodney’s Rib Rub and finish it off. Not only will it look great, it will also taste great too."

Q: Your recipe for Hushpuppies is a great appetizer to add to a backyard barbecue. How do you fry them at home?

A: "When I'm frying at home, my favorite vessel to fry in is the Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It’s sturdy, it’s strong, it heats up the oil fast. I mean let’s face it, I live in South Carolina and there’s no backyard party unless you have a Hushpuppy involved."