Win The 4th Of July With These BBQ Recipes

FOURTH OF JULY IS UPON US! Beer! Fireworks! Watermelon! Uncles and aunts dancing! Above all these things is the sacred act of barbecuing. We will not waste your time with waxing philosophic. No fancy metaphors will be employed. We will simply say what you already know to be true: it’s not the Fourth of July without meat (or…eggplant?) on the grill.

Here is a compendium of recipes to help you make the most of your holiday weekend!

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce from Glen Ellen Star (Glen Ellen, CA)

• 600 g Dijon mustard
• 300 g Padrón pepper vinegar
• 300 g cider vinegar
• 120 g Worcestershire
• 16 g salt
• 1 g cayenne
  Yield: 3 Cups

Padrón Pepper Vinegar: Two parts vinegar to one part ground Padrón peppers.

Peach Ketchup from Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check Kitchen + Bar (Los Angeles, CA)

• 5 Peaches
• 19 oz. Brown Sugar
• 2 cups Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of minced Ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground Allspice
• ½ teaspoon of grated Nutmeg
• 2 ½ teaspoons of miso
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Add all of the ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over med-high heat for 15 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add ingredients into a blender and puree to desired consistency. Taste mixture to adjust seasoning. Serve room temperature or chilled.

The Perfect Baby Back Ribs by Chef Michael Kornick of County Barbecue (Chicago, IL)

• 12 slabs fresh berkshire pork baby back ribs
• 1.5 qts. County house bbq sauce (available at County and Mariano’s city wide)
• 2 cups olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, no stems
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 1/8 cup cracked bblack peppercorns
• 2 Tbl chili flakes
• 2 Tbl smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup of salt (to be adjusted after the water is added)

Equipment:

• charcoal or gas grill
• large pot big enough to hold all of the ribs as full slabs or half slabs
• basting brush
• tongs

Method:

• Place the ribs, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns, chili flakes, paprika and salt in
  a large pot.
• Cover the ribs by 1 inch with room temperature water, mix well, taste the water and add a bit of salt if it tastes bland.
• Turn on high heat and quickly bring up to a boil, reduce quickly to a simmer.
• Simmer until the meat is just tender. Turn off heat and let cool in the broth.
• When cool enough to remove with your hands, carefully pull the meat out.
• Pat dry and baste on both sides lightly with sauce
• To finish, bring the ribs to room temperature and caramelize the ribs slowly (I like to let them sit over a gentle heat for about 30 minutes, basting lightly).

Serve with cole slaw and pickles, the acidic sweetness of these two sides are the perfect foil for the sweet tangy bbq sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce from Fogo de Chão (Locations Worldwide)

• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/8 finely chopped red bell pepper
• Dash oregano (to taste)
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ olive oil
• Salt (to taste)

Remove stems from parsley. Blend parsley and garlic cloves in food processor. Finely chop red bell peppers. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, adding salt to taste. Present in a serving bowl with spoon and enjoy on a variety of meats. Serves 10-20.

Brine, Rub, BBQ Sauce, and Chicken Roasting Technique from The Nickel (Denver, CO)

Chicken Brine:

• 2 Quarts Water
• 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 6 Sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 Whole Bay leaves
• 1/2 Tablespoon Toasted Black Peppercorns

Bring all ingredients to a simmer to infuse flavors. Chill until 40 degrees. Submerge chicken and soak 24 hours in refrigerator After 24 hours, rinse with fresh water, then air dry in refrigerator at least 3 hours.

Dry Rub:

• 2 oz Dark Chili Powder
• 2 oz Ground Cumin
• 2 oz Ground Coriander
• 2 oz Garlic Powder
• 2 oz Onion Powder
• 2 oz Brown Sugar
• 2 oz Kosher Salt
• 1 oz Ground Cayenne

Combine thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Apply liberally to outside and cavity of chicken.

BBQ Sauce:

• 1 onion, grilled then diced
• 5 smashed garlic cloves
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup dry rub

Sweat onion and garlic in a sauce pan until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Blend until incorporated and smooth in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

The Chicken:

Slow roast/smoke at 200 degrees until the thigh joint reads 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Baste heavily with sauce until a nice lacquered finish is achieved. Let the bird rest 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Rub from Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (Atlanta, GA)

• 1.5 cups paprika
• 1.25 cups kosher salt
• 3/4 cup chili powder
• 1/2 cup granulated onion powder
• 1/2 cup granulated garlic powder
• 1/2 cup black pepper

Mix well. To add spice, mix in two tablespoons of chipotle powder or one tablespoon of cayenne.

Rub, Brine, and BBQ Sauce from Chop Shop (Chicago, IL)

Brown Sugar Rub:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• Two tablespoon black pepper
• Two tablespoon salt
• Two tablespoon chili powder
• Two tablespoon garlic powder
• Two tablespoon onion powder
• Two teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix and rub into the meat.

Brine (best for pork shoulder):

• 1.5 quarts apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 quart white vinegar
• Two cups sugar
• Six quarts water
• Three cups salt
• 1/4 cup ground red pepper
• Three cups brown sugar or maple syrup
• Two ounces garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chili powder

Submerge shoulder into brine. Cover and refrigerate for 12+ hours. Take meat out of brine, wrap in plastic, return to refrigerator. Remove meat from fridge and allow to return to room temperature prior to smoking.

BBQ Sauce:

• One onion (your preference), chopped
• Seven cloves of garlic, minced
• Five cups ketchup
• Three pints seasonal fruit (blueberry or cherry in summer, apple in fall)
• Four ounces cider vinegar
• Six ounces Worcestershire
• Three ounces molasses

Chop and break down fruit in pan over medium heat. Combine all ingredients into stove pot over medium heat. Simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat as sauce thickens.

Sriracha BBQ Sauce from B&D Ice House (San Antonio, TX)

• Two yellow onions
• 10oz can tomato sauce
• 10oz can ketchup
• Three cups Dijon mustard
• One cup yellow mustard
• Two tablespoons ground cumin
• Two cups Worcestershire sauce
• One cup Sriracha
• Two cups apple cider vinegar
• Eight ounces kosher salt
• 16 ounces black pepper

Sweat onions at a high heat. Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Stir to keep the bottom of the pan from scorching. Remove from heat after 15 minutes.

Chicken Skewer Marinade from Chef Elana Horwich of Meal and a Spiel (Los Angeles, CA)

• 1/2 cup wheat-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup of honey (a little more if you like it sweet)
• ½ bottle of red wine, (about a couple cups)
• three medium garlic cloves
• ½ cup fresh rosemary leaves, taken from about 5-6 branches of rosemary
• 1 vine-ripened tomato
• ¾ cup shallot, coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup toasted sesame seeds + more for sprinkling
• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs- organic
• salt
• bamboo skewers
• Your favorite balsamic glaze

Make marinade by pureeing all ingredients, from the tamari to the sesame seeds, in your blender. Marinate chicken for about five hours in large covered container or in a ziplock bag. Bring to room temp for an hour before grilling. Marinade covers 30-40 skewers.

Three Recipes for Grilling Oysters by Chef Jerrery Boullt of SOCIAL (Costa Mesa, CA)

Charbroiled Oysters with Sweet Thai Chili and Lime Sauce

Grilling technique: 12ea Fanny Bay Oysters or other medium to large variety. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place your oyster in the center of a wash cloth with the tapered lip facing out. With an oyster knife gently place the blade end into the tapered lip and move back and forth with a twist motion prying the top and bottom shell apart. Be careful not to let the oyster juice in the bottom shell spill. Once the top shell is removed check for any shell particles that may have fallen into the bottom shell now where the oyster is sitting on. Once clear of all excess shells take your oyster knife and feel for the oyster being connected to the shell. Find the connected knob and separate it from the oyster. Now your oyster should be laying nice and neat in it’s own half shell and liquor. Stack all 12 shucked oysters onto a tray and move to the grill. Gently place oysters on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes. The cooking time will vary Depending the size of the oyster. So watch carefully. Once heated through, remove from heat. Place on serving platter. Spoon over 1/2 tablespoon of the Sweet & Spicy Thai Sauce over the oyster.

Sweet and Spicy Thai Sauce

• 3 Cloves Finely Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Finely Minced Ginger
• 1/2 Cup Fish Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Red or Green Thai Chilies
• 1/4 Cup Finely Minced Cilantro
• 1/4 Finely Sliced Scallions
• 1/4 Finely Diced Shallots

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cajun Remoulade

• 1/2 Cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
• 1/4 Cup Malt Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Shallots
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Green Onion (Green Part Only. No White.)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Celery
• 3 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
• 2 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Capers
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Prepared Horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Store overnight for best tasting results.

Charbroiled Oysters with Spicy Herbed Butter

• 1 pound Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Shallots
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Dry White Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Prepared Horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Unwrap butter and let come to room temperature or soft enough to mix. While butter is softening, place a sauté pan with the extra virgin olive oil over medium low heat and sweat the garlic and the shallots. Once translucent remove from pan and let cool at least to room temperature. Do not add to butter hot — you don’t want the butter to melt. Once butter is at a workable consistency add the garlic, shallots and the remaining ingredients and incorporate very well. Once all the ingredients are smooth and incorporated place 1 Tablespoon on top of each oyster. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until the butter is melted.

Piri-Piri Pomegranate Molasses BBQ Sauce from The Savory Spice Shop (Online)

• 4 tsp. Piri-Piri Style Spice
• 4 Tbsp. Honey Powder
• 8 Tbsp. Pomegranate Molasses
• 2 cups ketchup

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often. If you like it really spicy, add more Piri-Piri. Try on grilled chicken, eggplant, pork, portobello mushrooms or ribs. Yields two cups.