Your Fourth of July BBQ Cookbook

For days spent out in the sweltering sun by the pool and grill. For nights spent lounging at the beach or in your backyard, watching as the fireworks light up the night sky. Recipes for your Fourth of July.

~Cocktails~

[Raspberry-Lime Champagne Punch]

from purewow.com

 

*8 Servings

 

• Ingredients:

• • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup water

• • ¾ cup lime juice, preferably freshly squeezed
  • ½ cup vodka
  • 2 cups tonic water
  • 2 cups raspberries
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 1 bottle Champagne or sparkling white wine
• Directions:

• Bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat in a small pot. Stir to make sure the sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature.
• Stir the cooled simple syrup with the lime juice, vodka and tonic water in a large pitcher. Add in the raspberries and lime slices.
• Add Champagne just before serving. Best served chilled.

• Notes:

• • Perfect for those hot summer days when you want something refreshing but also sophisticated. Bonus, it only takes about 10 minutes to make.

 

~On The Grill~

 

“BarkMasters BBQ is a BBQ private chef service, husband-and-wife team, that merges American and Laotian cultures and cuisines. Rather than share some standard American BBQ recipes with you, let me share with you a recipe I reverse-engineered from my wife’s Laotian family that is always a hit at our backyard cookouts.  It’s a very simple marinade but packs a lot of flavor, and a little goes a long way.” – David Horton

 

[Laos (Asian) Grilled Chicken Wings]

 

Yields enough marinade for about 20 large uncut wings. (Remember: a little goes a long way.)

 

• Ingredients:

• • 2 tbsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. paprika 
  • ¼-½ cup oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp. seasoning soy
  • 2 tsp. Squid brand fish sauce

 

• Instructions:

• • Use full uncut 3-piece wings with drum, flat and tip if possible. Larger wings work best. Use Asian “seasoning soy” not Kikkoman sushi soy. If using sushi soy, reduce or dilute it as it is stronger.
  • Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Place wings in a separate medium-large/large mixing bowl and pour marinade over the wings.  Mix marinade to coat all the wings. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for about 1-2 hours before cooking. (Optional: use a gallon Ziploc bag for wings with marinade, remove all the air. I find it’s harder to get all the wings in bags, though, because they’re so big, so a larger bowl typically works best).
  • If possible, mix the wings and marinade about every 30 minutes to coat all the wings. DO NOT leave marinade on for much longer than 2 hours, NEVER leave overnight, as the marinade will overpower. (If using chicken drumsticks or thighs, reduce marinade time by 30 minutes, as those cuts absorb more than wings).
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill wings for about 15-20 minutes on each side or until internal temp is about 175 degree or grill a little longer to achieve an outer char.
  • If you would like some extra smoke flavor on the wings, you could smoke them on a lower setting (200 degrees) for about 30-60 minutes and then hit them with high grill heat for a shorter time each side to caramelize the sugars and give a char.

~Dessert~

[Firecracker Strawberries]

from delish.com

 

*Yields 10

 

• Ingredients:

• • • 3 cups strawberries
    • 4 cups vodka
    • 1½ cup marshmallow creme
    • 1 cup blue Pop Rocks

• Directions:

• • • Place strawberries in a large bowl and pour in vodka until the berries are fully submerged.
    • Place in the refrigerator and let soak for at least one hour. Drain strawberries, reserving vodka for future use.
    • Pat berries dry with a paper towel. Microwave marshmallow creme for 10 seconds. Dip berries first in marshmallow creme then Pop Rocks. 

• Notes:

• • Doubles as a dessert … one that will keep the party going. For quicker prep time, prep the strawberries the night before. Skip the vodka all together to keep the kids distracted.