Nearing the 4th of July holiday weekend, folks new to using BBQ Grills and BBQ Smokers are hitting the stores by the dozens.  Their goal? To plan a great 4th of July BBQ Menu!

I talk often to folks new to BBQ grilling and smoking.  Often, they’ve just purchased a basic BBQ smoker or grill, but are a little unsure how to get the best results.

If you’re new to using a grill or BBQ smoker, here are some tips sure to make your 4th of July BBQ cookout a hit.

4th of July BBQ Menu Idea:

First Class Grilled Chicken and Ribs

This BBQ Chicken and Ribs combo is sure to be a hit.  Use this and you’re sure to cook up a hit!  And hey – the sauce is pretty darned good, too!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• One quarter (1/4) cup of olive oil
• 3 lbs. of chicken pieces, skin on (thighs, drumsticks, breasts)
• 3 lbs. of pork ribs (on the slab)
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• Salt and pepper as desired

Get your BBQ Grill nice and ready to receive the “chickeny – ribby bounty” by brushing the grates with canola oil and fire it up to about 350°F.  (Don’t worry, they make BBQ Grill Thermometers to help you with this!)

While the grill is getting hot, rinse off the chicken and ribs, pat them dry, and season them liberally with the pepper, salt, and garlic powder. I tend to go heavy on the seasoning – you may want to play it safe (boo!).

Arrange the chicken and ribs on the grill – making sure to give every piece some breathing room.  You’ll hear some hissing – this is a good thing!

VERY IMPORTANT! Hold off on your desire to turn the meat for at least 5 minutes.  Doing so will help the meat sear nicely. After 5 minutes, turn the meat over and let the other side sear for 5 more minutes. Turn again, and this time, brush the meat with the barbecue sauce. Waiting to brush with the BBQ sauce until after the meat has cooked some prevents the sugars in the sauce from burning before the meat is cooked.  The hot meat will also suck in more of the flavor of the liquid sauce  – boosting the overall flavor.

Keep turning the meat every 5 minutes, repeating the process of mopping the meat with sauce until the chicken and ribs are cooked through and the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize and build a crust on the meat (35 to 40 minutes).

Sweet and Twangy 4th of July BBQ Sauce

Here’s what you’ll need

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 8-ounce jar honey mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Meat Rules.  And it’s flavor should NEVER …. EVER… be hidden by a sauce.  This said, a good BBQ sauce can absolutely elevate BBQ smoked or grilled meats to new heights.  I think this “Sweet and Twangy” BBQ sauce does this very well.

To get this sauce rolling, first – heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion just until it turns a little clear and is tender when you poke it with a fork – this is called “sweating” the onion.

Once you have the onions “sweating,” dump in the remaining ingredients and simmer roughly 10 minutes.

Once it’s ready, you need to blend it all together.  I use a hand held mixer to keep things simple – but you can use an upright one if you want. Once it’s nice and blended to a smooth consistency, simmer the blended sauce on a low setting  for another 5 minutes.

If you split the sauce into a couple different containers, you can use one batch to sauce the meat during grilling, while keeping the other batch for use as a sauce at the table.

Have your own great 4th of July BBQ outing recipes?  Please share!

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