# 4th of July and the barbie
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 18, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961 "2011-06-18T19:31:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/1 "2011-06-18T19:31:37Z")
The Fourth of July is coming up, and that means Grilling Day. (Not to mention explosions from just before Canada Day until after the 4th.) What’s cookin’?
I suggested one of the following to the roomie: Country pork ribs, burgers, or steakage. She said it’s been a while since she’s had char-grilled burgers, so that might be what we’re having. I haven’t decided if I’ll ‘doctor’ the beef. Generally I think a burger should be seasoned with salt or garlic salt and pepper, and that’s it. Others have different ideas; e.g., mix in some Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Worcestershire, teriyaki sauce, ground pork, or any other thing or combination of things. Me, I just like to taste the meat. Buns can be toasted on the grill, and there will be lettuce and tomato and American cheese. (Shut up! American cheese is the best cheese for burgers!)
Maybe I’ll try to make potato salad. I’ve never made it, and I’d have to see if I can find a recipe that looks like mom’s. I’m pretty sure she used russet potatoes, chopped onions, and Miracle Whip. I know she used mustard seeds soaked in vinegar. I know there was mustard, but I don’t know if it was French’s Yellow Mustard or if she used powdered mustard. (I have a tin of Coleman’s.) I think she might have used minced celery. Or we could just get some potato salad from the store. One of Safeway’s store brands is almost close.
There will be beer.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/2 "2011-06-18T19:57:58Z")
A few days ago we bought steaks at Target. $5 each and they were so incredibly tender and tasty after I grilled 'em. We marinated them first, that prolly helped, but damn, you cant get steaks as good as we had at Outback or Longhorn, and DEFINITELY not for $5. So … check out Target if you wanna grill, topnotch steaks for burger doodle prices!
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/3 "2011-06-18T21:52:26Z")
You’re celebrating Fourth of July, and you consider July an appropriate time for grilling, so you’re clearly American, but this is the first I’ve ever heard a non-Australian use the word “barbie” for that appliance.
And American isn’t bad for burgers, but cheddar is better. American’s main virtue is that it’s very versatile, as cheeses go (though it is the best thing to put on a cheesesteak).
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### Author:  [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/4 "2011-06-18T22:14:38Z")
We’re going to take a stab at making [Jucy Lucys](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_Lucy). And I personally don’t much care for cheddar on a burger, and prefer a saltier, less oily cheese.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/5 "2011-06-18T22:43:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> You’re celebrating Fourth of July, and you consider July an appropriate time for grilling, so you’re clearly American, but this is the first I’ve ever heard a non-Australian use the word “barbie” for that appliance.
Might be a SoCal thing.
In any case, ‘barbecue’ is something that is not ‘grilling’. When I say ‘barbecue’, I mean something entirely different.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/6 "2011-06-18T22:45:29Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#):
>
> A few days ago we bought steaks at Target. $5 each and they were so incredibly tender and tasty after I grilled 'em. We marinated them first, that prolly helped, but damn, you cant get steaks as good as we had at Outback or Longhorn, and DEFINITELY not for $5. So … check out Target if you wanna grill, topnotch steaks for burger doodle prices!
What cut of steak were they?
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> And American isn’t bad for burgers, but cheddar is better. American’s main virtue is that it’s very versatile, as cheeses go (though it is the best thing to put on a cheesesteak).
My favorite for burgers is bleu cheese.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/7 "2011-06-18T22:46:24Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#):
>
> We’re going to take a stab at making [Jucy Lucys](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_Lucy).
My boss had one of those yesterday.
The name always reminds me of a hamburger stand in Culver City, that was at the gore point of Washington Blvd. and Washington Place. It was called Gooey Louie’s.
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### Author:  [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/8 "2011-06-18T23:05:32Z")
Appetizers: Cut Jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove seeds/pith, fill with a bit of cream cheese, wrap with a half slice of bacon and secure with toothpick. Cook on foil in a covered grill over indirect heat.
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### Author:  [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/9 "2011-06-18T23:33:26Z")
In addition to steaks, we like “unshucked” corn. It cooks great on a grill. Just leave them on 'till the green silky doodads on the pointy end are burned off.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/10 "2011-06-18T23:46:16Z")
Quoth **needscoffee** :
> [@](#):
>
> My favorite for burgers is bleu cheese.
That’s good, too, but a blue cheese burger is really a completely different dish than a cheddar or American cheese burger. It’s hard to compare them directly.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/11 "2011-06-19T01:42:47Z")
> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> What cut of steak were they?
They were two small sirloins, 6-8 ounces each. My wife says they cut the price by three bucks a pound on weekend mornings, maybe weekday mornings too, but we generally don’t get there on weekday mornings for work-related reasons.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/12 "2011-06-19T01:43:46Z")
Target sells meat?
Who knew?
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/13 "2011-06-19T01:47:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> Target sells meat?
>
> Who knew?
Some Targets, called “SuperTargets” have grocery stores built in, just like some WalMarts. It’s part of big box retailers going after every last consumer dollar they can get. Only SuperTargets sell meat. This particular SuperTarget also has an Einstein’s Bagels onsite.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-and-the-barbie/585961/14 "2011-06-19T01:50:42Z")
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a SuperTarget. I can’t quite recall the last time I went to Target. They have maybe half a dozen aisles of snacks and packaged food, and a few cold cabinets for frozen meals, ice cream, and dairy. But nothing like an actual grocery store.