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BBQ recipes are the most important thing a person could consider before the 4th of July celebration each year. Millions of Americans stand, beer in hand, around grills across the country on Independence Day. While the meat might not be red, white, and blue, the American flag is equally patriotic as BBQ.
“Barbeque” is a confusing word, as no one knows where it originated from. Times says that when the Spanish landed in the Caribbean, they used the word “barbacoa” to refer to the natives’ method of slow-cooking meat over a wooden platform. By the 1800s, the technique was well established in Southern American culture. Pigs were abundant in the area, so pork became the primary meat cooked at barbeques.
While pork used to be the primary meat, in 2017, according to WalletHub, Americans spent $804 million on beef, which far surpassed the $371 million spent on chicken and the $218 million spent on pork.
Overall, people reportedly spend approximately $6 billion on food for the 4th of July, as about 61% of Americans attend picnics on Independence Day. Be sure to make your’s memorable.
Here are some BBQ recipes you need to know:
1. The Great American Hamburger
According to the Barbecue Bible, a great hamburger starts with the choice of meat. Look for flavorful cuts, like sirloin, chuck, or round, which aren’t too lean, 15 to 20 percent fat is ideal. The Great American Hamburger is a classic. This recipe serves six.
What you will need:
2 1/4 pounds ground round, chuck, or sirloin
6 slices sweet onion (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 hamburger buns
How to prepare:
Divide the meat into six equal portions. Form each portion of meat into a round patty approximately 4 inches across and of an even thickness.
Set up the grill for direct cooking and preheat to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate.
If using onion slices, brush them on both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place the onion on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
Brush one side of the meat patties lightly with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the burgers, buttered side down, on the hot grate and grill until the bottoms are nicely browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops lightly with some of the melted butter and season them with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, turn the burgers and grill until they are browned and cooked to taste, 4 to 5 minutes longer for medium. Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the buns with the remaining melted butter and toast them, cut sides down, on the grill during the last 2 minutes the burgers cook.
Set out the toppings. Put the burgers and onion slices on buns. Serve and enjoy!
2. Chicken Lollipops
Self-proclaimed homestead foodie Joy Pitner says it’s all about feeding a crowd easily and enjoying the day. Pitner’s chicken lollipop recipe puts a fun twist on the classic barbeque. If you are without a grill this 4th of July, conveniently, this recipe can be followed the same way, just bake the chicken in an oven instead. This recipe makes 12 chicken lollipops.
What you will need:
12 Chicken Drums
BBQ Rub (Joy recommends Lane’s BBQ Sweet Heat Rub)
BBQ Sauce (Joy recommend Blues Hog Nation Original Sauce)
How to prepare:
Pre-heat the grill to 350 degrees, setting it up for indirect cooking (if you do not have a grill that can cook indirect, follow the same directions and bake in your oven at 350 degrees instead).
Grab a sharp knife and a pair of kitchen/poultry shears. To turn chicken legs into lollipops, start by making a cut all the way around the leg just below the knuckle, cutting through the skins and tendons. Push the meat down to the large end and pull/cut the remaining skin and cartilage off the knuckle. Season the chicken with your Favorite BBQ Rub.
Arrange the lollipops on the grates with the bones sticking up straight. Cook for about 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 165F on an instant-read thermometer. While the chicken is cooking, warm up the barbecue sauce in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.
Dip/brush the lollipops with barbecue sauce so that it is completely covered. Place the chicken back on the grill, directly on the grate and cook until the internal temperature registers 175F, or about 5-7 more minutes. Keep an eye on it to ensure the glaze doesn’t burn. Enjoy!
3. Vegetarian Burgers
11 Easy Vegan BBQ Recipes To Make On The Fourth Of July – Bustle t.co/mOwBMB1ny0
Maybe you have a vegetarian or vegan at your 4th of July celebration? Try this veggie burger recipe from Fo Reals Life. According to Morgan Eccleston, these burgers are so easy, cheap and tasty it will blow your mind.
What you will need:
1 1/2 cups cooked beans (pinto, red, black, white, etc)
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/4 medium sized onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
How to prepare:
Put your choice of beans into a bowl and mash using a fork. Work in everything else until the consistancy is moist but not totally sticky. Depending on the beans you use, you may have to add more bread crumbs.
Place a nonstick pan over medium high heat.
Shape into bun sized patties and cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until they are toasty brown. Flip over and toast the other side.
Let the burgers cool and firm up. You could even put them out on the grill for a bit of charred flavor. Place the patties on a bun with your chioce of condiments and enjoy!
4. BBQ Brisket
Tricia Buice, the foodie behind Saving Room For Dessert, promises that this BBQ brisket recipe is packed with as much flavor and smokey goodness in just a few hours as the kind that has been massaged with an amazing spice rub and slow-smoked all day. This recipe serves 10.
What you will need:
1 whole beef brisket, about 4 pounds
1 cup BBQ sauce
For the spice rub:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
How to prepare:
Start by preheating the oven to 325F. Mix together the brown sugar, chile powder, cumin, salt, garlic, pepper and cayenne.
If desired, trim the fat cap on the beef brisket to about 1/2-inch thick. Dry the brisket with paper towels then rub the spice mixture all over the beef, on both sides. Set aside while heating the grill.
Preheat gas grill on high for 10-minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Place the brisket on the grill and cook until it is charred and crusted, but not burnt. Turn and continue grilling on the other side until well marked. The fatty side of the brisket will cause flare-ups as the fat renders and drips. Watch the beef carefully so it does not burn.
Once browned on both sides, place the brisket, fat side up, in an oven-proof 13×9-inch baking pan. Pour 1-cup of BBQ sauce over the top and spread to cover. Seal the pan with two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake at 325F for 3 hours.
Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and place the brisket on a cutting board. Discard the juices or see notes below. Slice thin and serve with additional sauce if desired. Enjoy!
5. Bourbon BBQ Glazed Pork Chops
This Country Living Magazine article has great ideas for #fourthofjuly barbecue recipes! Be safe tomorrow! 🍔 t.co/CirbG2FYd3
According to Country Living, this recipe is going to liven up your classic pork chops with homemade barbecue sauce featuring a splash of whiskey. This recipe serves 8.
What you will need:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup bourbon (like Jack Daniel’s)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 3 pounds total)
How to prepare:
Start by heating oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic sizzles, or about 1 minute. Add chili powder and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
Add the ketchup, bourbon, molasses, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Let is simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, or 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat grill to medium-high. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part (avoiding the bone) registers 135°F, or 10 to 14 minutes, basting with glaze during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a platter and baste again. Serve with remaining glaze. Enjoy!