FOOD!

WARNING! If you are on a diet or want to lose weight, do not read this blog. Skip merrily along to somewhere else. This blog will discuss food today in preparation for the Labor day cooking fest. (or Feast if you so want to call it so)



The paper this morning had an article to help people decide that Chicken wings are the food of labor Day. I completely disagree with that concept. Labor Day is two fisted food day and not finger food day. Here is my list of Labor day foods: Burgers, Brats, Ribs, Corn on the cob, Cole slaw (or a salad could be potato), Watermelon, garlic bread and appropriate beverages. My son, Dave would include an aluminum foil packet of veggies.



Lets discuss this rationally. First Burgers and Brats are one meal and Ribs are another. I might cook some of each but they would be "Planned Overs" for a meal later on. Not everyone in the family is as crazy over ribs as I am. Vote, probably Burgers and Brats.



If I were to do ribs, I would first rub them with all sorts of good things. Onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper, Chili powder, cumin and well, nothing else. Some people will oil the ribs to get the dry rub to stick. What ever works! I would cook them over indirect heat on a smoky grill for a couple of hours. To me, I love the Texas Road house taste but I want some bite left in my ribs. I want to work the meat off the bones not have it fall off. If the bones come out clean, what fun is that. I saw one of the BBQ cook off programs and they did not want the meat to fall off the bones and neither do I. If you want your ribs glazed, bring them back inside and cover them with KC Masterpiece and bake in the oven until the glaze gets more solid. 30 minutes at 350 is probably good enough. (Uncovered)



The Burgers would be almost a mini meatloaf when I got done with them. Grated onion, some zucchini, green peppers, some bread crumbs and an egg to hold it all together. Yes, I would always add some cumin and salt & pepper. I would start them over the flame to seal the outside and finish them with smoke and a hot indirect heat. I don't use BBQ sauce on them or cheese. I will have both on the condiment table if you choose. I don't.



I saw someone cook brats once and they were crispy critters on the outside and raw in the middle. Not for me. I like to boil brats in onions and water. (Beer if you choose but it is a waste of good beer in my opinion) then I grill them indirectly in a smoky Webber grill. If they don't have a nice pink smoke ring for about an 1/8th of an inch just inside the casing they aren't smoky enough.



My family doesn't particularly like Cole slaw and Dave doesn't like Potato salad. I am still looking for a good substitute. If I make a Cole Slaw, it will have carrots and cabbage. I don't like to use purple cabbage as it makes the dressing purple the second day and that just takes the edge off of left overs for me.



Boil the damn corn and put out a good butter. None of that wimpy whipped margarine. A shaker for salt is all that is needed. I have been known to add just a little sugar and salt to the cooking liquid.



Ideally I have been able to get the bread grilled to a "T" on the grill once or twice in my history. Take a good multi grain bread and slather it with butter and garlic granules. Wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in the oven while you are firming up the glaze on the ribs.



Lately my wife has started to cut the watermelon up into smaller pieces because I have filled the damned Fridge full of other planned overs. A whole watermelon just takes up too much space. Dang, I hate it when that happens. She has been known to make a fruit salad with grapes and cantaloupe but whatever she puts together it always is good. That reminds me, we have some Asian pears that are ready to pick.



The beverage of choice (mine of course) is iced tea without sugar. If you want sugar in yours, put some in and leave me the hell alone. I always sweetened mine as a kid but now it is to refresh my mouth not to rot my damned teeth. That reminds me I need to call the Dentist about this one tooth that is bothered by cold.



This is my version of a Labor Day cook out. You can do chicken, steaks or whatever but I like Burgers and Brats as my choice.



MUD