Set the Table for Summer Outdoor Entertaining
Text Beth Chapman Photography courtesy Viking Cooking School Recipes courtesy Viking Cooking School
Menu:
Frozen Watermelon Margaritas
Carolina Coleslaw
Luau Grill Beans
Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby-Back Ribs with Tangy Mop Sauce
Apple Brown Betty
You can hold your backyard barbecue on any patio large enough for an outdoor grill and seating for guests. Oversized, brightly colored dishware holds generous servings and emphasizes the sunny spirit of the season, like blossoms gathered from the garden. Consider using Mason jars filled with bunches of daisies or Black-eyed Susans. To add to the ambience, drop a few candles into similar jars if it is an evening event.
The menu is to be served buffet-style, so have dishes and platters on hand, with plates, napkins and cutlery stacked nearby. Set up food and drink stations in two distinct areas. That way, guests will move around more and not congregate next to one or the other. Use picnic baskets to carry all the serving pieces outside, and then leave them in view to underscore the ambience of an at-home picnic. Along with your signature drink, guests can help themselves to chilled white wine in wicker-insulated carafes or a selection of beers on ice in any lined container. Arrange good-sized glasses nearby, and don't forget the bottle opener.
Provide guests with seating at tables, on benches or, should they succumb to summer's allure, on blankets or cushions on the grassy lawn. So gas up the grill and enjoy the summer with good friends and even better food.
Recipes:
Frozen Watermelon Margaritas
Serves 6
1 lime wedge
Green sanding sugar
6 watermelon wedges
3 cups cubed watermelon, seeded, frozen
1 Tbsp. simple syrup*
1/2 cup limejuice, freshly squeezed
1 cup tequila
1/2 cup Triple Sec
3/4 cup ice
1. Chill margarita glasses in freezer for about 30 minutes.
2. Moisten rim of each chilled glass with wedge of lime; gently press rim of each glass into sanding sugar.
3. Affix watermelon wedge to rim of each glass.
4. Combine frozen watermelon cubes, simple syrup, lime juice, tequila, Triple Sec and ice in blender; process until smooth.
5. Taste and adjust flavor as needed with simple syrup.
6. Pour frozen liquid into prepared glasses; serve immediately.
* To Make Simple Syrup: Simmer equal amounts sugar and water in small heavy saucepan until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture has thickened; remove from heat and let cool.
Carolina Coleslaw
Serves 8
1 medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and julienne
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienne
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup canola oil
1. Combine cabbage, onion, pepper and sugar in large bowl; toss together.
2. Combine vinegar, salt, celery seed, mustard and oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Bring to boil and simmer for three minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. Pour over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat.
6. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
7. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt.
8. Use slotted spoon for serving.
Make it ahead: Prepare the coleslaw up to 24 hours in advance. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Luau Grill Beans
Serves 8
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
2 Tbsp. liquid smoke
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. coconut or spiced rum
1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 (15-oz.) cans beans, cooked “Ranch Style,” drained
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
1 1/4 cups yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp. canola oil
8 oz. ground chuck, broken into medium pieces
5 oz. applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1. In large mixing bowl, whisk together ketchup, barbecue glaze, mustard, liquid smoke, sugar, rum, cilantro, chile powder, garlic and cumin until sugar has dissolved and ingredients are well mixed.
2. Fold in beans, pineapple and onions. (Note: Do not break up or smash beans, as this will result in a mushy consistency.)
3. Heat medium sauté pan over medium-high heat; add oil and heat until oil is near smoking.
4. Add ground beef and bacon.
5. Cook, stirring constantly to break up beef and prevent sticking and burning.
6. Cook until bacon and beef are golden brown and fat has rendered.
7. Add browned beef and bacon, along with rendered fat, to barbecue bean mixture.
8. Stir gently, taking care not to break up beans.
9. Set up grill for indirect grilling.
10. Preheat grill to medium-high.
11. Spoon bean mixture into heatproof baking dish, and place on grill grate over an unlit burner (indirect grilling).
12. Close grill, and adjust temperature of the grill to 350F.
13. Cook until beans are hot and bubbly and slightly crusty on top (about 30 minutes).
14. Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature.
Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby-Back Ribs with Tangy Mop Sauce
Serves 4
Mop Sauce:
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup domestic lager beer
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. liquid smoke
1. Combine all of mop ingredients in medium mixing bowl; stir to thoroughly combine.
2. Pour mixture into clean spray bottle used exclusively for cooking. Set aside until needed.
Ribs:
2 slabs pork loin back ribs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup dry rub, your favorite
2 cups hickory smoking chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained
1 cup barbecue sauce, use your favorite
1. Place rib slabs on cutting board, meat-side down.
2. Pry up thick membrane from bone side of ribs. Grasping with paper towel, pull membrane off and discard. Do not remove thin membrane beneath thick membrane, as this is what holds ribs together while they are cooking.
3. Trim ends of ribs to maintain neat, even appearance.
4. Remove any large areas of fat, but leave some small bits of fat, which will render off during the cooking process, for added moisture and flavor.
5. Pat ribs dry with paper towels.
6. Coat both sides of each slab with canola oil. Evenly massage dry rub into ribs to coat completely.
7. Wrap each slab individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least one hour. (Note: For more intense flavor, apply rub up to 24 hours in advance.)
8. Set up grill for indirect grilling.
9. Preheat grill to medium-high.
10. Clean grates with stiff brush, then oil liberally to prevent sticking.
11. If your grill is equipped with smoker box, place soaked and drained wood chips in box, and turn on smoker burner. If your grill does not have a smoker box, make a smoking pouch*, and place it under grill grates directly over lit burner.
12. Place ribs, membrane-side down, over unlit portion of the grill. (Note: If using rib rack, cut each slab to fit rack, and place pieces in slots on rack. Place rack over unlit portion of grill.)
13. Close lid and adjust grill temperature to between 300°F and 325°F.
14. While cooking, spray ribs with mop sauce every 30 minutes. Cook until meat has shrunk back from ends of bones about 1/2 inch and you can easily tear the ribs apart with your fingers (approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours).
15. If ribs start to dry out near end of cooking time, wrap in aluminum foil and continue cooking until fully done.
16. For dry ribs, transfer ribs to clean cutting board to rest for 5 to 10 minutes; tent loosely with aluminum foil.
17. For wet ribs, thickly brush meaty side of ribs with barbecue sauce. Grill ribs meat-side down over lit portion of grill until crisp (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn them over and thickly brush with more sauce. Grill for additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer ribs to clean cutting board to rest for 5 to 10 minutes; tent loosely with aluminum foil.
18. Just before serving, use sharp knife to cut ribs apart.
19. Mound on serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
* To Make Smoking Pouch: Place soaked and drained wood chips in center of sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bring short sides of foil together over center chips, and fold over twice to make seal. Fold in sides of pouch to seal them also. Use skewer or tip of knife to poke several holes in top of pouch.
Apple Brown Betty
Serves 6
6 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
2 1/2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh
1 1/4 cups cake crumbs, stale
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Ground cloves
Salt
1/3 cup apple cider
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Using 1 Tbsp. of butter, liberally coat a 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, combine apples and lemon juice, tossing to combine.
4. In small bowl, combine cake crumbs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves and salt and toss to thoroughly combine.
5. Scatter 3 Tbsp. of crumb mixture onto bottom of baking dish and top with half of apples.
6. Drizzle apple cider over apples then top with about half of remaining crumb mixture.
7. Dot with half of remaining butter.
8. Repeat with remaining fruit, crumbs and butter.
9. Bake until apples are bubbly and tender and crumbs are nicely browned (45 to 50 minutes).
10. Cool briefly on wire cooling rack before serving warm, with scoops of ice cream on top.
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