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4th of July Feast!
Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Prep Time 15 minutes
- Total Time 25 minutes
- Yield Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn
- Oil, for grates
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 4 pats
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- Chili powder or paprika
Directions
- Peel back husks, leaving them attached at the base of the ear. Remove and discard silk; pull husks back over corn. Place ears in a large bowl or pot; cover with cold water. Let soak 10 minutes.
- Preheat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Drain corn. Arrange ears on grill. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, using tongs, until husks are slightly charred and corn is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove ears from grill. Holding bottom of hot ears with a towel, peel back husks and, with a knife, coat kernels with butter. Season corn with salt, pepper, and chili powder or paprika. Serve.
Cabbage and Fennel Slaw
This simple slaw is great for picnics or backyard barbecues. Fennel updates the classic recipe by adding a sweet licorice flavor.
- Prep Time 15 minutes
- Total Time 45 minutes
- Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients
- 1/4 small head red cabbage (about 1 pound), shredded
- 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and sliced very thin
- 2 large carrots, shredded
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (from 2 scallions)
- 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
- In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, fennel, carrots, and scallion greens. In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, orange juice, oil, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat completely. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 1/2 hours). Toss slaw before serving.
Roasted Fingerling and Tomato Salad with Green Beans and Arugula
Roasted potatoes are perfectly suited to summer when tossed with peppery arugula to offset their richness. Served warm or at room temperature, this salad is a substantial side that can double as a light lunch.
- Yield Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
-
FOR THE SALAD
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds Russian banana fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 stems fresh thyme
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 ounces green beans
- 2 cups baby arugula
-
FOR THE DRESSING
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 shallot, minced
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Make the salad: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Puree garlic and oil in a blender until smooth. Toss with potatoes, tomatoes, and thyme on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until potatoes are golden and tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Prepare an ice-water bath. Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and just tender. Transfer to ice-water bath. When cool, drain beans in a colander.
- Make the dressing: Combine vinegar, mustard, thyme, and shallot in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
- Toss potato mixture, beans, and arugula with dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Cook’s Note
To ensure maximum flavor, toss potatoes with dressing while they’re still warm.
Barbeque Pork Ribs
These pork ribs are rubbed with a blend of earthy spices and brushed with a slowly simmered sauce that has a slight kick. They come off the grill tender yet pleasingly chewy, with just the right hit of smoky goodness.
- Yield Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
-
For the Ribs
- 2 racks (2 to 2 1/2 pounds each) Saint Louis-style pork ribs
- Vegetable oil, for grill rack
-
For the Rub
- 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons hot paprika
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
-
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1 cup strained tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Prepare the ribs: Place 1 rib rack, meat side down, on a work surface. With a knife, cut a small slit through the silvery membrane at 1 end of the rack. Using a paper towel, grip the cut portion of the membrane, gently peel it from the rack, and discard. Repeat with remaining rack.
- Make the rub: Combine sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard powder, and celery seed in a bowl. (If mixture is clumpy, pass through a medium sieve.) Rub mixture on both sides of each rack. Place ribs on a rimmed baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Make the sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in bourbon, scraping the pan. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, water, and sugar, and cook, continuing to stir, until sugar dissolves.
- Simmer the sauce: Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by 1/3, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Puree in a blender until smooth. (You should have about 2 cups.) Use immediately, or let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Set up the grill: Place a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan in the center of bottom grill rack. If using a charcoal grill, place a chimney starter on top grill rack, and fill with about 60 charcoal briquettes (about 4 pounds). Stuff newspaper under chimney, and ignite. Heat briquettes until just covered in ash. Wearing oven mitts, carefully lift chimney, remove top rack, and pour coals onto bottom rack along both sides of pan. Top coals with 1 to 2 chunks hardwood or 1 cup wood chips that have been soaked in water for 1 hour and drained. Fill pan halfway with hot water. Replace top rack. If using a gas grill, heat to medium-low.
- Grill the ribs: Let ribs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Fold a paper towel into a thick rectangle, and dip it in oil. Hold towel with tongs, and brush oil on top grill rack. Place both rib racks, bone side down, on top grill rack, directly over pan. Cover, keeping top grill vents halfway open and bottom vents completely open to maintain grill temperature of 275 degrees to 325 degrees. Cook ribs, without turning, until the meat is tender but not falling off bones, and has shrunk 1/2 inch from ends, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding 8 briquettes to each charcoal pile every hour.
- Baste the ribs: Transfer 1 cup sauce to a small serving bowl. Brush both sides of ribs with remaining 1 cup sauce. Cover, and grill until ribs are glistening and deep mahogany, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.
Cook’s Note
To achieve great ribs indoors, preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle position. Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Place ribs, bone side down, on rack. Roast, rotating halfway through, until meat is tender, but not falling off bones, and has shrunk 1/4 inch from ends, about 2 hours. Transfer 1 cup barbecue sauce to a bowl. Brush both sides of ribs with remaining 1 cup sauce. Return ribs to oven until glistening and deep mahogany, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.
