Labor Day, 2019 is on Monday, September 2. Celebrate with a fabulous BBQ feast that will make everyone want to come to your backyard. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, or spend countless hours cooking, in order to make this holiday weekend special. Just pick a few cuts of your favorite meats, visit your local farmers market for your favorite veggies, and spend quality time with friends and family!
1. Bratwurst Bar
Grill your favorite sausages, such as Bratwurst, franks, veggie sausages, and Italian sausages. Prepare a table with a variety of toppings such as mustard, Irish mustard, relish, chopped onions, pickles, piping hot chili, cheese sauce,salsa, sour cream, or jalapenos.
Give your guests a link and a bun, and let them have fun creating their own amazing concoctions.
2. Burger Bar
Same concept as with the Bratwurst bar, except now you will throw hamburgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burger patties on the grill. Set aside a table with some of the most outrageous toppings for burgers.These may include:
-HP or BBQ Sauce
-Mayo, ketchup and mustard
-Fried eggs (over medium are the best)
-Crispy onion rings
-lettuce, tomato,raw onions
-pickles
-an assortment of sliced cheeses
-choice of chips as a side dish
3.Kebabs Galore
What better way to serve a whole meal without the need of utensils or even plates! Get tri tip steaks, sirloins, even skirt steak and cut them up into cubes. Choose veggies such as zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cut them up the same size as the meat cubes.
Create a pattern of meat and veggies, and skewer them accordingly using bamboo kebab sticks. Baste the kebabs with BBQ sauce and olive oil and grill for about 20 minutes,or until the meat gets to the temperature that you want.
Remember the formula for steaks:
-Medium Rare- internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit
-Medium- 140 degrees Fahrenheit
-Medium-well- 150 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Multicultural Wings!
Whether you are a drumette or a flat kind of person, grilled bone-in wings are the best and fastest way to make a BBQ successful.
Prepare your wing portions by seasoning them with adobo and then basting them with olive oil. Truffle-laced olive oil is perfect, but any olive oil will do.
As you prepare the wings, choose at least 5 ways to season them in a way that different cuisines are represented.
Asian- Marinade the wings in teriyaki sauce, them baste them with hoisin, teriyaki, and soy sauces. Add a dash of brown sugar to your sauce combination and lather up the wings as they cook using a sauce “mop.”
Italian- Use Italian seasoning to cover the wings,and then spray butter on them to add a layer of parmesan cheese and oregano. Once the wings are fully covered, cook them thoroughly and, if you feel adventurous, have a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
Southwestern- Season the wings with chili powder, taco seasoning, and a dash of cinnamon. Cook the wings thoroughly and serve with chips and salsa.
5. Ribs
Of course, we couldn’t let a BBQ-worthy celebration go by without mentioning ribs. While USDA says that ribs are safe to eat after reaching and internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, it is advisable that you kick it up a notch and bring them all the way to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to fully enjoy the results of the complete cooking process.
Those facts out of the way, it is up to you how you enjoy your delicious, tender ribs. We advise that you season ribs with adobo and spray with olive oil prior to cooking. Some people prefer to marinate their ribs overnight prior to grilling, but you can always cook them “dry” add add the flavor afterwards.
Just like with chicken, the other white meat goes well with just about any sauce you can think of. Some of the most successful sauce pairings that go with ribs include:
-hoisin sauce
-peanut sauce
-hickory BBQ sauce
-honey BBQ sauce
– teriyaki sauce
– orange and pepper jelly
6. Grilled potato bar
-Get big Idaho potatoes and sweet potatoes.
-Scrub them clean and pat dry them.
-Spray the potatoes with spray butter or olive oil.
-Sprinkle the potatoes with Pink Himalayan salt.
-Wrap each potato in foil.
Set the potatoes in your refrigerator. Meanwhile, preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill the potatoes for no more than 30 minutes or until you pinch them with a fork and they feel tender.
Prepare your toppings bar using:
-crushed bacon bits
-shredded cheeses
-sour cream and butter
– sauteed mushrooms
-shallots or chives
-crumbled blue cheese
-peppercorns
-liquid butter
-liquid popcorn butter (tastes great on potatoes)
7. Elotes!
Have you ever tried Mexican corn on the cob? Elotes, the original name for grilled corn-on-the-cob, are traditional festival “snacks” that happen to also be good for you.
Here is a simple way of grilling elotes. Select white corn on the cob, preferably those cobs that come already “clean” and free from any shelling. Spray the corn with olive oil and wrap with foil. Cook in the grill for 7-10 minutes on medium – high heat. If you want to get the “charred” look, put the elotes right on the grill, with no foil. Turn the corn around as it cooks.
Stick a kebab rod through the corn. Lather each elote with a
sauce made out of:
-chili powder
-salt and pepper
-crumbled cotija cheese
-mayonnaise
-zest of lime
Mix the sauce well and be sure cover the elotes…from ear to ear!
Take out the grill and have fun under the sun with these amazing ideas for you and your family. There has never been an easier way to make the most out of your Labor Day weekend, without the need of breaking your back or your budget. Try one of these great ideas, and customize them to meet the needs and preferences of your friends and family.
