What are YOU making for the Fourth of July holiday weekend?
I’m supposed to eat with my New Guy’s family on Sunday and, long story short, I have found myself in possession of three racks of pork ribs, and he’s working tonight & tomorrow, so it looks like yours truly will be in charge of most of the prep and cooking. Poked around and dug up my tried-and-true recipe (Barbequed Ribs Recipe) plus another one that is new to me but looks interesting (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-and-bbq-sauce-baby-back-ribs/detail.aspx) and now I’m thinking I might go all-out and do a different recipe on each rack. (Having a rather small oven and grill might kinda sorta feed into that conclusion.) I might just let New Guy handle the third rack (“hey, dude, it’s YOUR family”) but either way, his mom is making beans and potato salad and who knows what all else and it’s gonna be goooooooood eating.
And at SOME point over the weekend, I’ll have grilled hot dogs, because I’m pretty sure it’s a law or something, or at the very least, God will smite you and strike you down and leave you wailing and gnashing your teeth if you don’t eat a grilled hot dog on the 4th, especially when it works out to a 3-day weekend.
What about you?
(I suppose non-U.S. dopers can tell us what they’re doing in the kitchen on their borning, normal, non-holiday weekend. )
We had grilled chicken with Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce and corn on the cob (and a grilled veggie burger for my wife). While grilling I refreshed myself with Flying Dog Easy IPA.
We had grilled pork ribs (reheated, actually, but they were cooked on a grill the first time they were made, whenever that was). With baked potato and broccoli salad. and Ice Cream.
It met my criteria for “good July 4th” foods. (Especially since I work all three days of this three day weekend. Retail sucks).
Much better than the Seafood I heard advertised . . .
We had grilled chili dogs, potato salad and ice cream. Didn’t want to let all those perfectly good coals go to waste, so I also grilled chicken thighs at the same time so that we could have them cold for dinner.
We won’t have our feast until Sunday, but this year I decided to try something exotic.
We’ll be having blackened alligator steaks, ostrich stuffed peppers, two different camel dishes, and two different kangaroo dishes. I have absolutely no idea how it will all turn out, but it should be fun. My youngest nephew keeps asking me when he gets to eat a kangaroo.
I made a vat of lentil salad with red onions, Dijon balsamic vinaigrette, and dill and a batch of blondies with dried sour cherries, toasted walnuts, chocolate chips, and bourbon for a potluck picnic of mostly vegetarians. My friend and/or I have hosted this picnic just about every year since high school and I was right that most of the other people would bring snacky things that didn’t require any prep. The blondies are gone now, and the lentil salad just has a couple of tablespoons left (other than the bit we saved at home - it was a double batch of lentil salad).
Over the weekend, there will be a batch of turkey chili made in the Crock-Pot, and probably some pizza made with spicy Romanian garlic chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and I haven’t decided what else. And I still have some leftover mole sauce that I need to figure out what to do with. Maybe make burgers with some of the turkey and drizzle them with mole? Turkey meatballs in mole sauce? Something else? I dunno.
Well then this fits well… you will have to share it with him.
As for me... Fire roasted corn on the cob, Pulled Port Sandwich, Asian pork kebab, Locally brewed beer, Local wine, Potato Pancakes, Kettle Corn, and an Elephant ear. Ok, we have a great 4th fest so we went there and ate our hearts out and enjoyed the four stages with various bands.
I spent my whole day working at the grocery store selling other people their holiday food essentials, so I missed out on parties and barbeques and explodey things and what not.
So when I finally got home, I made myself a little late-night barbeque for one. A sirloin burger with Famous Dave’s “Devil Spit” barbeque sauce, mustard, tomato, pickle, and a whole ring of grilled onion, along with some baked beans, some potato salad, and some chips.
I worked late, got home at midnight, had some strawberry, vanilla and blueberry yoghurt. Slept most of the day, then had some more strawberry yoghurt with cereal, and strawberry gelato.
Wow. Impressive! Let us know how it all turns out, okay? By “ostrich stuffed peppers” I assume you mean using ground meat? If so, I’m curious how much of a difference from regular ground beef you’re able to taste. I’m sure a simple filet side by side would be distinct, but I wonder if all the other flavors in a stuffed pepper dish would mask the difference between ostrich and beef.
Thank you for helping the rest of us get everyone fed.
I take it you don’t like fruit much?
stands with hand over heart and a tear in one eye *
The local grocery meat counter had some SERIOUS meat sales, so last night was a special treat: lamb chops. In the indecisive spirit of my OP, I seasoned them four different ways:
Curry
Spice rub meant for pork ribs from recipe #1 above, since there was extra and I got curious how it would work
Rosemary and thyme (briefly debated, but skipped, sage, and I have no parsley ATM )
Just salt - I wanted a few to be simple, and just taste of the main ingredient itself
Made a mint/cilantro/garlic yogurt sauce to go with them, and made WAY too much so now I have to figure out how to use it up. It might work as a sandwich spread in place of mayo, I guess. Anyone have any other ideas?
Tonight shall be a roasted chicken.
So since two nights ago it was steaks (also on a serious sale), that means my dinners for the last several days: cow, lamb, chicken, pig. I have tilapia and tuna in the freezer, so I think I’ll just eat my way through the animal kingdom. FTW!
Will have to have a few vegetarian nights soon to make up for all that carnivorous yumminess.
Grilled everything - steaks, potato salad, corn, all on the grill and delicious! The wife made a steak sauce that is now going in the “make this every week” folder, and many G&Ts were consumed.
The recipe called for a sweet onion, I would use a regular yellow onion next time I think.
Peel the onion and slice into thick slices.
Separate the slices into rings.
Take one or two rings and wrap in bacon. Secure the bacon with tooth picks.
Pull on the grill and cook till the bacon is done.
Enjoy.
Last night we had really excellent rib-eye steaks from the corner market. I’ve mentioned before how much we like their steaks, and these were the best ever. I fired up the Weber grill and gave them a nice sear, and they were nice and pink in the middle. Tonka the Cat got some of the fat. We just had corn and baked beans on the side. Zabaglione gelato – my first attempt at making ice cream – for dessert.
I worked all day yesterday and no inclination to go out in the explodey night. I stayed home and had curried beans and greens. And British chocolate digestive for afters. Not very “patriotic” food.
Tomorrow, though, having a fish fry with a bunch of friends, one of whom went up north and caught several coolers full of walleye, perch and crappie. We’re both grilling and pan-frying. It’s also a fifth wedding anniversary for two of said friends, which apparently means a gift of either wood or silverware.
)
