In keeping with recent themes...nonetheless a July 4th favorite!
Posted on 06/17/2011 7:58:56 PM PDT by Bean Counter
As hard to believe as it is, the 4th of July is nearly upon us, and it is not too early to start making plans for grilling and outdoor entertaining before the fireworks on the 4th.
So what have you got planned for the grill this year??
Beef? Bird?? Hawg??? Burgers???? Brats????? All of the above??????
Let's talk about some early preps and plans for some good eatin' on the 4th. What I'm lookin' for is recipes for rubs, marinades, favorite smokes, and grilling/smoking techniques and tricks...
Right now boneless BBs are going for $1.48/lb, 2 to a pack with an average weight per piece of 8-9 pounds. Three packs, six butts, will set me back just under $80, and that's not bad to feed 100 people. (there will be other food as well...) The place I get my meat is selling wholesale, and I expect a big "Hot Sheet" sale for the 4th, and the hawg I want could be going for $1.29 or so...
I'm still working on what rub I want to use, and I will come up with something from my spice pantry...a nice Southwest flair, with Ancho chili, some nice spicy burn, and maybe some toasted coriander, cumin, and smoked Spanish paprika.....
I have prepared my Hawg Mop sauce as follows:
6 dried Ancho Chilies, de-seeded and broken into pieces
1 Tablespoon good quality Habenero hot sauce
Apple Cider Vinegar
Don't cheap out on the vinegar. Get a gallon of Four Monks brand (or the equivalent) and make sure it is real Apple Cider vinegar, as opposed to merely being "flavored"...
I combined everything in a 1/2 gallon glass jar, sealed it and am keeping it on the counter in the kitchen so I can swirl it once in a while. It's almost black right now, and has an incredible smokey Ancho aroma that should really help the pig...
I plan on smoke roasting all six butts at once, rotating them hourly, dousing them with Hawg Mop to keep them moist, until they are done with an internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat showing 150 degrees F.
I have three different Hawg finishing sauces, Honey-Dijon Mustard, Bourbon-Molasses Mustard, and my own version of Jack Daniels-Vidalia onion BBQ sauce. We plan on three large pans of Hawg, with three different sauces, and it should be quite a hit on the 4th.
I plan on doing the smoking on Sunday the 3rd, so we can head right up to the party on the 4th after re-heating the pans in the oven Monday AM.
We're serving the Hawg on large Sesame buns, with fresh cole-slaw on top of the pork...
...and a beer....
So what's gonna be on your grille??
Ribs, ribs and more ribs.
I don’t have time to grill. I’m busy setting up a fireworks show. Been doing it for 20 years for the town of Carnation in Washington. Yes, I am licensed.
Anybody in or near the town, come by and say “hi”.
Ribs early in the smoker, 2” porterhouse as the night falls.
Going to get some ground beef from the Scottish Highland steer farm up the road. I may inquire about a couple of rib eyes as well.
In keeping with recent themes...nonetheless a July 4th favorite!
Weiners, what else?
I might try grilling some potato salad this year.
Wings and sausages. Anything else we can add! Fireworks for us are directly across the street!
Why would anything be on my grill? I’ll be over at your place!
I forgot to mention that the same place I get my meat sells a 50 pound bag of hardwood mesquite charcoal for $11!!
Kingsford briquettes are selling for $18 for a 2-pack of 20 pound bags...only 40 pounds total. (Of course, Home Depot has a fire sale on charcoal right after the 4th, and sells those bags of Kingsford briquettes for anywhere from $6 - $9 per 2-Pack....watch for the sales.
And yes, I am a hardcore, hardwood charcoal guy; I do not use a gas grill, I cook on cast iron over hardwood charcoal...
And you steak folks should check out some “English Prime Rib Rub” from Penzey’s spices.....some Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and some of that rub is the only thing you’ll use again on your steaks...or any other cut of beef on the grill...
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysenglishprime.html
“...I’ll be cooking six boneless Boston Butts on the charcoal smoker...”
So what are the local people going to do about govrnment representatives if you do that? BBB
Grilling? a brisket, chicken, kielbasa, ribs, dogs.. the usual, with deviled eggs and beans as side dishes.
One thing I won’t have: a hamburger slathered with Ranch salad dressing on top (aka the Scott Van Pelt special—he mentioned it on ESPN Radio some two years ago and overwhelmingly the listeners hated it).
skirt steak and short ribs from Costco. Marinated in a citrus vinagrette. Potato salad and fresh corn on the cob. A little blueberry cobbler for dessert and lots of beer and wine.
http://www.Smokingmeatforums.com is my friend.
Sounds like you’re on target. Used to raise some hogs to eat, just cattle now. Haven’t butchered one for several years now- better to sell the beef and buy chicken and pork although fat hogs hit .90/lb recently.
What we do have is a bunch of deer meat and I plan to unload some backstraps from the freezer and grill some and smoke some.
Venison benefits from fruitwood as opposed to hickory, etc. I have been working on stealing a jerk sauce recipe from a Jamaican friend of mine for a while now. He has a BBQ business but gives me a hint once in a while.
Vinegar, ground habaneros, scotch bonnets, jalapenos, etc. with thyme, allspice,some brown sugar, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and my addition- ground coriander. Mop it on.
Not for the faint of heart but it is guaranteed to thin your blood...
Been a long time since I saw 4th of July in the USA, but my most memorable ones were on Pawley’s Island, SC, where we sometimes spent the 4th.
Here in the Philippines, hog killing is standard for all of the many celebrations, and fiestas. I just do not like all the squealing that echos through the town.
My most recent was the christening party for my new son, now 4 months old.
Sadly, there is no good beef here, and I really miss a good steak.
2 cups Sake wine
2 tbs sesame oil
3tbs mushroom soy sauce
3 tbs Thai green curry paste
Bake in a Webber grill until done 170 deg in middle (actually I don't measure but just throw "enough" of each ingredient in the pot - I don't drink the Sake - it's nasty but good for cooking)
Any liberal that crosses the road in front of me.
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