Just Cook It: Fourth of July
Tomorrow really needs no introduction. It was on tomorrow’s date in 1776 that the citizens of the United States declared their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Today, Independence Day is commonly celebrated with fireworks, parades, barbeques, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and many other types of fun events and activities. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States and therefore is heavily celebrated, as it should be.
While I personally enjoy all of the fun activities mentioned above, it doesn’t take a genius to guess my absolute favorite part of the July 4th festivities. If you’re thinking the food and drinks, then you are absolutely right.
I love celebrating in general, but a celebration that includes barbeque, beer, and baseball is generally what I perceive Heaven to be like. Add to that a nightcap of ice cream and fireworks and you’ve got yourself as close to a perfect day as you are going to get.
Since I can barely contain my excitement, I am going to spend the rest of this column discussing some of my favorite Fourth of July fare. Hopefully when you are finished reading your excitement level will be at least half of what mine is – which is still extremely excited.
Let me apologize in advance if the excitement you gain from reading this keeps you up most of the night. Trust me, it’s a normal reaction, so no need to worry.
Allow me to also preface by saying that the food and drink that I am mentioning are in no particular order. I may like some more than others, but I do love them all in their own special way.
The first food I’d like to mention is probably also the most obvious, the hot dog. I’ve seen the YouTube video of how they’re made and I still love hot dogs. Sometimes you just have to block some things out of your memory. Aside from apple pie, you’ll be hard pressed to find a food that’s more American loved.
When I buy hot dogs at the supermarket, I make sure that I buy uncured hotdogs. You can find them at most supermarkets if you know to look for them. Uncured hot dogs are nitrate and nitrite free plus they taste exactly the same as the common hot dogs we all know and love. The ones that I have found in the past are 100 percent beef, which is perfectly fine by me.
My hot dog tip is to butterfly your hot dogs by splitting each wiener lengthwise, but making sure to NOT cut all the way through. You can then open up the hot dog and lay it flat on the grill. This gives you more surface area, which equals more char and better flavor and also speeds up the cooking time.
Another perk of the butterflied hot dog is that you can place it on the bun cut side up and actually place the toppings in the center of the hot dog. This allows for more toppings that don’t roll off the dog when you try to eat it. That’s my personal favorite way to make and eat dogs.
The next item I am looking forward to enjoying is one that I’m not going to discuss in this column since I discussed it in detail (and even made a video about it which can be seen at HeraldStandard.com) two weeks ago. Of course I am talking about ribs.
It’s hard to celebrate July 4th without a slab or two of ribs smothered in great barbeque sauce. For my rib recipe, visit the 缅北禁地 online and check it out.
Next let’s talk briefly about hamburgers. You can’t have hot dogs without burgers just like you can’t have Bert without Ernie. When buying ground beef I prefer grass fed meat just because it is a healthier option that is just as delicious.
If that’s not an option for you, then for optimum burger flavor I like to use ground beef that is 70/30 – which means the meat is 70 percent lean and 30 percent fat.
I know that a lot of people are afraid of some extra fat and think they are being good if they go for the 80/20 or in extreme cases 90/10. The fact of the matter is that all you’re really getting with less fat is less flavor and a burger that will be on the dry side.
As long as you don’t eat burgers every day of your life, I wouldn’t worry about some extra fat in your Fourth of July burgers. I can justify it because it’s for a very good reason and once you experience first hand what I’m talking about when it comes to burgers you’ll understand completely.
Another great protein to make for the Fourth of July is flank steak. Flank steak is great because it is inexpensive and it also grills great. Just be sure to not overcook your flank steak or it will become very tough. Medium rare is the perfect flank steak temperature that will give you great flavor and still be nice and tender when sliced thin across the grain.
Another great protein for the grill is shrimp. I like to use raw shrimp that have been peeled, deveined, and have the tails removed and coat them with Cajun seasoning. I then skewer the seasoned shrimp on wooden skewers, drizzle them with olive oil or clarified butter, and grill them on each side until they start to curl up and their flesh turns pink. Finish them with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and they’re ready to be devoured.
I was going to mention potato salad here, but I am going to save that for later this month. One of my favorite recipes from my cookbook (The Good, The Bad, The Cookbook) is my Oven Roasted Summer Potato Salad.
Keep checking the Food Section of the 缅北禁地 this month for that recipe and more about potato salad. I tell you this because I want to make sure that you know that I didn’t forget about one of the most popular Fourth of July sides.
Before we wrap up I have to mention beer and dessert because you can’t have a real barbeque or Fourth of July celebration without them. Beer is a tough subject for me to talk about in detail in this column only because there are so many different factors that contribute to what type of beer is best at a given time.
My best advice to you is to stick with what you like, but at the same time don’t be afraid to take a chance and try something new. That new beer might just turn into your favorite beer.
As for me, I’ll probably enjoy a few Samuel Adams summer selections this Fourth. As I mentioned in my last “For Starters” column, I like Samuel Adams beers and I can sample some different varieties from their summer variety case.
For dessert, I plan on sticking with a childhood summertime favorite – Bomb Pops. Sorry if you were expecting something more exotic and high class but I love Bomb Pops and they just so happen to be red, white, and blue, so it’s kind of a no brainer.
Wherever you are and whatever you are eating this July 4th please be safe, have fun, and, celebrate with those you care about most. Have a great Independence Day and – Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a chef, entrepreneur, author, and the host of Just Cook It Radio on WMBS Radio 590 AM. He can be reached via his website at: www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca