No Hassle Fourth of July Menu

For those of you that want to have a bunch over for the Fourth of July, I would suggest you having Pulled-Pork Sandwiches, Bar-B-Q Beans, Potato Salad and Coleslaw.

Why this menu?

Because you can do it a day ahead of the party and be able to enjoy the party on party day. All you have to do is to ice your drinks, heat your beans and BBQ, and enjoy your party as much as your guests do.

If you have a smoker, use wood chips for about 3 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If your grill does not have a smoker, place a piece of metal over a burner and place wood chips on it. On my gas grill, I use the lid off a 5 gallon metal bucket. It will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes for each pound of raw meat. I would first trim off any loose meat, as it will burn easy. What I do is place them on a cookie cooling rack, fat side up, so I can move them around easily. I then leave them there for 3 hours. Next remove and wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and place them in your oven so you can regulate your temperature. Next, you want to check them with a meat thermometer. You want it up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the aluminum foil and place it back in your grill at about 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste with a basting sauce made from 1 part of your favorite BBQ sauce and 1 part apple cider vinegar to mop with. I would mop about every 15 minutes until they reach 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and let rest for at least one hour (make sure that your meat is 195 degrees). When it is cool enough, you need to pull it. That way you can get all the fat and gristle out. You can leave it stringy or chop it. Finally, roll it in some sauce very lightly. Don’t over sauce it. Let your guests add their own sauce. If you have trouble you can email me at foodsofthesouthland at comcast dot net

Have a safe and Happy FOURTH of JULY!!

DAVE