Sweet 'n Spicy Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Gather 'round on your deck and turn on your grill. Grab a few rib racks, sugar and spices, cut up a pineapple and don't forget your favorite barbecue sauce for this one-of-a-kind flavor combo. This baby back ribs recipe offers the perfect blend of sweet and salty with a kick!

Thinking about the perfect sides? Try steamed vegetables, sweet corn on the cob, mac and cheese, fresh coleslaw or baked beans.

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What You'll Need

• 4 racks baby back ribs


• 1 pineapple slice


• Your favorite barbecue sauce


• 2 tablespoons smoky paprika


• 2 tablespoons kosher salt


• 3 tablespoons sugar


• 2 tablespoons brown sugar


• 1 tablespoon ground cumin


• 2 tablespoons chili powder


• 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper


• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 1 tablespoon onion powder


• 1 tablespoon garlic powder


• 1 tablespoon celery salt


• 1 teaspoon oregano, crushed


• 1 slice fresh pineapple

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl, except your barbecue sauce and fresh pineapple slice.


2. Rub the front and back of ribs with a fresh slice of pineapple to invite a sweet taste to your tender ribs.


3. Cut ribs into halves.


4. Lather your ribs with the seasoning mixture, from front to back.


5. Place ribs on the rib rack.


6. Cook until temperature reaches 200° F to make the ribs as tender as possible.


7. When done, remove the ribs from grill and place in the oven for 45 minutes to warm and cook through.


8. Serve and enjoy!

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For more unforgettable recipes and grilling tips, check out our Grills & Outdoor Cooking board on Pinterest. Shop our Grill Accessories Department for everything from grill covers to vegetable trays.

The post Sweet 'n Spicy Baby Back Ribs Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Smoked Pulled Pork Roast Recipe

Meat smoking isn't necessarily the hardest thing in the world to do, but it's definitely more involved than making hot dogs or grilled cheese sandwiches. For a well-smoked pulled pork roast, you have to get the temperature and the timing right, use the proper fuel and keep the heat steady for a few hours.

We recommend using a Kamodo-style grill and wood of your choice to smoke your pork roast. Remember to soak wood in a bowl of water for at least an hour before adding it to the flames. Dry wood will burn away pretty quickly, but soaked wood smolders for hours.

Here's a great smoked pulled pork roast recipe that'll have your mouth watering. It may take a little time and patience, but preparing a tender, juicy smoked pulled pork roast will be worth the wait!

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What You'll Need

• Pork Roast – approximately 8 pounds


• Your choice of BBQ Rubs

Preparation

1. Rub the roast down with your favorite BBQ rub. Use a basting brush to sauce your roast.


2. Leave the roast at room temperature while you get the grill up to temperature.


3. Put enough hard lump charcoal in the grill to reach a couple inches above the air vents in the ceramic bowl.


4. Put the lava stone on the lava stone rack and then add the grill grates. Plug in the electric starter and let it go until you see the charcoal begin to burn.


5. Remove the electric starter and let your grill come to 225° – 250° (recommended, but the temperature and cooking time are up to you).


6. Follow the instructions for your particular model to get the grill to the correct temperature. Remember, it is much easier to raise the temperature than it is to reduce it, so take it slow and easy. When the grill's temperature has stabilized at 225° – 250°.


7. Put the roast on the top rack and shut the lid. That's it! The length of time and temperature cooking us up to you!

Check your grill  to make sure the temperature remains constant.  Follow your grill instructions if you need to add more charcoal. Adjust the cooking temperature and time according to your preferences. For example, if you're in a rush, use a higher temperature and cook for less time. We do suggest that you adopt the “slow and steady” method for best results!

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Check out our Grills & Outdoor Cooking board on Pinterest for more inspiration and grilling recipes. Shop our Grill Accessories Department for everything from charcoal to thermometers and more.

The post Smoked Pulled Pork Roast Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Asparagus and Potatoes Recipe

What better to accompany your steak and chicken than a savory serving of asparagus and potatoes? This asparagus and potatoes recipe brings together a classic combination that's full of flavor, easy to prepare, and it'll make all your guests happy!

This recipe is hearty, satisfying and full of flavor, perfect for any cookout. Pair your asparagus and potatoes with tender, juicy sirloin steak or grilled lemon chicken. We'll be using a 2-burner gas grill from STOK with a grilling basket insert that's made just for this kind of recipe.

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What You'll Need

• 2 pounds asparagus


• 1½ pounds red potatoes


• 6 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 tablespoons sea salt


• 2 tablespoons pepper


• 2 tablespoons rosemary

Preparation

1. Gather the ingredients and set grill to high heat.


2. Coat the asparagus with 3 tablespoons olive oil.


3. In separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Sprinkle half the mixture on the asparagus.


4. Coat the potatoes with what's left of the olive oil.


5. Sprinkle what is left of the rosemary mixture on the potatoes and mix until well-coated.


6. Place the potatoes in the grilling basket insert and cook for twenty minutes.


7. Remove the potatoes and place the asparagus in the grilling basket insert. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.


8. Remove the asparagus from grill, serve and enjoy!

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Are you inspired? Check out our Grills & Outdoor Cooking Pinterest board for more tips and recipes. Shop our Grill Accessories Department for everything from grill inserts to charcoal, and get your meals done right!

The post Asparagus and Potatoes Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Transform a Cabinet with Velvety Smooth Chalked Paint

In this project, we gave a chateau cabinet a completely new look with Chalked Ultra Matte Paint. This paint's velvety-smooth finish is unlike any other, making it easy to transform this cabinet into a stunning focal point in your home.

Materials

• Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint – Aged Gray or Chalked Ultra Matte Spray Paint – Aged Gray


• Rust-Oleum Chalked Protective Topcoat


• Chateau Cabinet


• Paint Brush


• Screwdriver


• Drop Cloth


• Latex Gloves


• Respirator Mask (if spray painting)


• Tack Cloth


• Medium Grit Sandpaper (optional)


• Stir Stick

Before You Start

Always work in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves while painting. If you're using Chalked Ultra Matte Spray Paint, we also recommend wearing a respirator mask–especially when spraying in a confined space, like your garage. Make sure your cabinet is completely free of any dirt or dust before you begin painting.

Step 1: Use a Drop Cloth

To get started, spread out a drop cloth to protect your workspace from paint.

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Step 2: Remove Doors, Drawers, and Hardware

Use a screwdriver to remove all hardware and doors from the cabinet. This will make it easier to paint.

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Step 3: Stir the Chalked Paint

Use a stir stick to thoroughly stir your chalked paint. If you're using Chalked Ultra Matte Spray Paint, shake the can for one minute after the mixing ball starts to rattle.

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Step 4: Apply the Paint

Apply up to three even coats of paint to the cabinet, allowing 30 minutes in between each coat. Always brush in the direction of the wood grain.

Once you're finished with your last coat, let the paint dry for four hours before moving on to the next step.

If you're using Chalked Ultra Matte Spray Paint, hold the can 10-12 in. away from the cabinet, and spray two or more light coats in a sweeping motion. Allow a few minutes in between each coat. Let the paint dry for four hours.

TIP: Want to give your cabinet a shabby chic look? You can easily distress chalked paint with medium grit sandpaper for a gorgeously aged finish. Just wait for your paint to dry for at least four hours, then follow the directions on the label to distress.

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Step 5: Stir Chalked Protective Topcoat

Now that the paint is dry, open your Chalked Protective Topcoat and use a clean stir stick to stir it thoroughly.

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Step 6: Apply Chalked Protective Topcoat

Next, apply up to two even coats of Chalked Protective Topcoat to the cabinet. Brush the topcoat on with light, even strokes, and be careful not to over brush it.

Allow 30 minutes between coats.

TIP: If you prefer spray paint, this chalked paint also comes in a Protective Topcoat Spray that you can apply in the same way as Chalked Ultra Matte Spray Paint in Step 4.

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Step 7: Let the Topcoat Dry

The Protective Topcoat will dry clear in about four hours.

Once your cabinet is completely dry, replace the doors and hardware.

Now that your beautiful new matte finish cabinet is complete, it's time to accessorize! You can get our look by adding a glass vase painted with Mirror Finish, Chalked picture frames in Charcoal, and a decorative bowl spray painted with Universal Metallic in Aged Copper.

Browse Rust-Oleum products at The Home Depot in our Paint Department. Follow our All About Paint board on Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration for paint projects.

The post Transform a Cabinet with Velvety Smooth Chalked Paint appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Using Granite Grip to Renew Your Concrete Patio

If your patio is looking like it's seen better days you are in luck. Behr's new concrete coating, Granite Grip will refresh and renew the look of your worn concrete.

This tutorial shows you all the steps involved in renewing your worn concrete, so when you're ready to tackle the project you'll know exactly what to do.

Cleaning and Etching Your Concrete

The first step in achieving this look is to properly prep your concrete surface by cleaning and etching.

Materials

• Watering can


• Gloves


• Bristle brush


• Extension pole


• High pressure hose nozzle


• Muriatic acid


• Safety glasses


• Liquid soap


• Pretaped drop cloth


• Broom

Step 1: Sweep the Concrete Pad

Sweep any large debris off of concrete surface with a broom.

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Step 2: Cover your Grass

Cover your grass and any non concrete surfaces with plastic sheeting and tape.

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Step 3: Wet the Concrete

Wet the concrete surface, washing away any standing dirt.

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Step 4: Add Liquid Soap

Add a couple drops of liquid soap to your watering can and fill with water. Apply the soapy solution over concrete.

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Step 5: Scrub Concrete

Scrub the concrete with your bristle brush to remove dirt and oil.

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Step 6: Rinse Tiles

Rinse concrete tiles clean of soap, dirt and oils.

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Step 7: Put on Protective Gear

Put on protective gloves and eye wear. Fill the watering can half full with water.

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Step 8: Add Muriatic Acid

Pour muriatic acid into watering can, creating a 50/50 water-to-acid solution.

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Step 9: Pour Acid Solution on Concrete

Pour the acid solution on concrete and scrub the surface with your bristle brush. The fizzing you will see is a normal reaction of the acid on the concrete.

Repeat Steps 6-8 as needed for size of project.

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Step 10: Rinse and Scrub

Rinse and scrub the concrete clean of the acid solution with water.

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Step 11: Allow Surface to Dry

When the concrete is dry, run your hand across the surface of the concrete. If your hand comes up clean, you are ready to apply Granite Grip product. If your hand shows residue, repeat step 10 until surface is clean.

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Applying Granite Grip

You are now ready to apply Granite Grip to your surface.

Materials

• Granite Grip product- we used the tan base No.655


• Paint tray


• Paint tray liner


• Roller frame


• Adhesive roller


• Extension pole


• Polyester paint brush

Before You Start

Before you start applying Granite Grip, check the weather. It's important to note that it is not recommended to apply this product in direct sunlight and recommended surface and air temperatures should be between 50-90° F. Applying this product when surface and air temperatures are above 90° F could result in bubbling and should be avoided.

Tip: For large projects, consider using a texture sprayer with a 4mm tip. Spray in 4 ft. x 4 ft. sections and back roll with an adhesive roller cover. You can rent a texture sprayer at The Home Depot.

Step 1: Open and Stir

Open your Granite Grip can, and give it a good stir.

Pour the product into your paint tray. It will be very thick.

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Step 2: Fill Any Cracks

With your paint brush, fill any holes or cracks on the concrete surface. Brush it out so it lies smoothly over the surface.

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Step 3: Cut In

Cut in around area boarders with brush.

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Step 4: Apply First Coat

With an adhesive roller cover apply first coat of the Granite Grip to surface. Roller the product into the center of the application area.

Move the roller in various directions, covering the surface with a base coat of product.

Allow the first coat to dry for four hours.

The first product coat acts as a sealer coat. The particulate will not, and should not be uniform for this coat. When the first coat is dry it will look uneven and blotchy.

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Step 5: Apply Second Coat

Apply your second coat. You do not need to cut in on your second coat. Simply apply the product in the same method used with the first coat. Smooth out any drops, pools or drips in cracks with your brush.

The uniformity of the product will become apparent with the application of the second coat. In this image you can see the difference in appearance- the second coat on the left and the first coat on the right.

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Step 6: Allow to Dry

Allow product to dry four hours. While two coats are necessary, additional coats may help hide previous surface imperfections or cover over dark colors. If this is the case, repeat Step 5.

Find Granite Grip in our Concrete, Basement and Garage Floor Paint section.

The post Using Granite Grip to Renew Your Concrete Patio appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

How to Build a Paver Patio with a Built-In Fire pit

This paver patio took some work to build, but it turned out great. The built-in fire pit really makes this patio special.

Sandra Downie of The Rustic Life built this paver patio to complement her gorgeous rustic-style deck, part of our Patio Style Challenge series here on The Home Depot Blog.

Follow along as Sandra uses paving stones to create her new patio and fire pit.

How to Build a Paver Patio

Picking out the pavers I would say was the hardest part of this project. There were so many beautiful options at The Home Depot, from single pavers to block pavers. I decided to go with the Rockford Cotswold Mist Patio Stone pavers. These paving stones give me the look of several smaller bricks, but with the convenience of having to lay fewer pavers.

The paver patio and fire pit turned out beautifully. I've already enjoyed a night of fun, dinner and s'mores on the new patio, so there are no regrets in taking on this DIY project.

Materials

For the Paver Patio

• Pavers


• Paver Joint Sand


• All-Purpose Sand


• Paver Base


• Rubber Mallet


• Tamper

For the Fire Pit

• Paving Stones


• Concrete Trowel


• Rapid Set mortar mix


• Furnace Stove Cement

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Step 1: Level the area for your paver patio

First, after measuring and laying out the 13 x 14 area, the area was dug out with a Bob Cat, also called a skid steer. Doing this by hand would have taken a lot longer; the area was dug down 8 to 9 ft. deep. You can rent a skid steer at The Home Depot, as well as other leveling equipment.

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Step 2: Fill the area

Next you want to fill the area, only 6 in. deep with paver base or process (process is a type of rock mixture).

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Step 3: Fill area with sand

After the stones have been tamped, you want to fill the area 1 in. deep with all-purpose sand. An associate at the Home Depot will be happy to point out the correct sand to use. The sand is made exactly for laying down patio pavers. Rake the sand to even it out as you go along. Tamp down the sand once it has all been raked out evenly. Again, tamping creates a level base.

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Step 4: Lay the pavers

Now you want to start laying down your pavers.

Level the sand underneath as you go along. (We used a piece of wood to rake across the top of the sand). Lay the paving stones down in an even line, ensuring that you level along the way using a level.

Be sure to leave a quarter inch space between the pavers as you lay them down. You can use a rubber mallet to drive the pavers down into the sand so that they become more embedded. Next you want to tamp the rocks down to compress it. (A tamper can be rented at The Home Depot) This is necessary so that there is a level and flat support base for your pavers to rest.

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Step 5: Pour polymeric sand

Once all the pavers have been laid down, you want to pour polymeric sand into the joints. This is like grouting a tile wall in your kitchen or bath.

There are various colors and types out there. Because we used gray stones, our polymeric sand was also gray. The lovely folks at The Home Depot can help you find the best one for your project.

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Step 6: Brush off and hose

After all the excess polymeric sand has been brushed off, use a hose to lightly spray the entire patio.

Getting the polymeric sand in the cracks wet will allow it to expand and become a solid product vs. a sandy texture. DO NOT over water. You don't want puddling of the water to happen as this will put too much water in the creases and the polymeric sand will not harden.

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Step 7: Let it dry

The paver patio was nearly finished. We just had to let everything dry overnight before moving on to the building the fire pit.

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Building the Fire Pit

Step 8

To build the fire pit we picked out coordinating pavers that went well with the colors of the patio pavers. We used Rapid Set mortar mix to apply between each paver.

We started by applying a layer of mortar on the bottom of the first layer of pavers so they stuck to the patio. We did this all the way around. (Yes, that is a spatula in my hand LOL. We wanted to get the job started, so for 10 minutes we used two spatulas and then ran up the street to grab proper concrete trowels.)

Repeat the layering of mortar and brick until all the the pavers have been laid out.

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Step 9: Line the inside of the fire pit

The last step was to use high-heat furnace cement to line the inside of the fire pit.

Don't worry about the product being gooey or it looking not so perfect once it is applied. It will harden a bit and then become even harder once you light a fire in it for the first time.

We let this dry 48 hours before using it for the first time.

Before we got the first fire started, we put some of the broken pavers we had leftover (because pavers can crack as you are working on your project) at the bottom of the fire pit. We thought it would be a good barrier between the fire itself and the patio pavers.

Overall this paver patio and fire pit could easily be a two-weekend job, and we found it to be easy and fun to do.

Looking forward to many nights of hot dog roasting and s'mores making.

Sandra Downie shares her life and love of the rustic chic lifestyle on her blog The Rustic Life. It's her creative outlet where she spends time sharing all the beautiful things that she loves and that inspire her…home decorating and design, entertaining ideas, recipes, style, beauty tips and much more.

Be sure to see how to built a paver patio with gravel here on The Home Depot Blog.

See more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Backyard Ideas board on Pinterest.

The post How to Build a Paver Patio with a Built-In Fire pit appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.