4th of July Grilling Essentials: Tips, Tricks, & Recipe Ideas
The fourth of July is all about the heat, baby! The blistering sun beating down on a midsummer’s day, fireworks bursting in fiery hues, and, of course, meat searing on a sizzling grill.
To that end, no Independence Day party is complete without three hot letters: BBQ. To get the party started, we’re sending you an invite to check out our 4th of July grilling guide.
If you want your soiree to be a smoking success, RSVP on these barbecuing techniques, grilling recipe ideas, and essential accessories. We’ve even snuck in a crisp cocktail to keep the cook cool as he or she serves his or her delicacies (and his or her country).
Grilling Your Way to Greatness
Your 4th of July party will only be as fun as your culinary offerings are delicious. If your guests are hungry or your food leaves a bad taste in their mouths, they won’t be able to enjoy the festive atmosphere you’ve so painstakingly created. Don’t let your great 4th of July pool party ideas go to waste by serving mediocre food.
Grilling is the name of the game on Independence Day, and delicious barbecue starts and ends with the fire. You have a few ways to set July Fourth ablaze:
- Charcoal – Nothing matches the unique flavor a charcoal grill imparts onto food. The unparalleled smokiness simply can’t be recreated with clean-burning gasses and is definitely worth the slightly cumbersome preparation.1
- Natural gas – Natural gas is extremely even burning and doesn’t require supermarket trips to refill tanks or purchase coals. The heat doesn’t get as searing hot as other sources, which can be a downside for some, but shouldn’t make a difference for the majority of barbecuers.2
- Propane – When you fire up your propane grill, you’ll be joining 47 million other American households in cooking with the country’s favorite fuel.3 Propane will give your guests the familiar taste they crave, and it’s more than likely what you already have in your yard. It’s a fantastic choice for grilling—just don’t forget the propane grill accessories.
Accessories (Propane and Otherwise)
No matter how you fire up your ‘cue this Fourth, you’re going to need instruments to poke, prod, and pierce your food with. To ensure you’ve assembled everything you need before the meat hits the grill, make sure to have:
- A spatula
- Tongs
- A meat thermometer
- Scissors
- A grill-cleaning brush and a basting brush (don’t confuse the two)
- A large knife
- Platters and plates
- A garbage can
- Paper towels (for wiping up spills)
- Aluminum foil (for more delicate items)
- A fire extinguisher (in case things get too hot)
A Revolutionary 4th of July Recipe to Astonish your Compatriots
There’s no point in getting the barbie going unless you have something to throw on it. While hot dogs are the holiday standard (and you should definitely have some on hand), we’re going to show you how to elevate not just wieners, but also grilled chicken, pork ribs, or your favorite burger into something extraordinary.
The Magic of Marinades
A marinade is, at its core, a (usually) liquid flavoring rub spread upon meats and other foods to enhance their taste.4 Everything from a can of beer to the secret recipes steakhouses use to season their haute cuisine count as marinades. Not all are created equal, however.
Traditionally, marinades have some combination of oil (canola or olive oil is commonly used), acids (like lime or lemon juice), spices, and other flavorings.5 We see the blueprint, but we’re turning the tradition on its head.
For this marinade, we’re going to celebrate the diversity that makes America such a unique and beautiful nation by using a Native American technique in conjunction with essentially American flavors. Gather:
- ½ pound of papaya
- 1 medium onion
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups of canola oil
- 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- Tex-Mex spice blend
- Salt and pepper
To bring this mighty marinade together, grab the carafe of a blender and:
- Add the papaya, onion, garlic, yogurt, and barbecue sauce and blend on medium-high until everything is cohesive.
- Pop the top, set the speed to low, and slowly drizzle in the oil until it’s all incorporated.
- Add spices to your liking. Tex-Mex is merely one suggestion and can be substituted for a cultural (or personal) blend of your preference. Like people, there are no flavors that don’t belong in America.
Papaya and yogurt have long been used to flavor and tenderize foods for traditional Native American grilling in tandoors. Not only does their acidic nature soften tense muscle fibers in tougher meats, but papaya contains papain, an enzyme that breaks down dense proteins even further.6
What can this tasty spread work its wonders on? The possibilities are nearly endless:
- Grilled chicken legs
- Pork belly
- Pork ribs
- Grilled salmon
- All sorts of beef cuts
- Vegetable skewers
- Grilled corn
- Grilled zucchini
- Even hot dogs (just poke holes in their casings first!)
- Much, much more
Whatever you decide to marinade, set it in the fridge soon after; any longer, and the papain might make matters mushy.
A Cool Cocktail for the Captain of the ‘Cue
If you’re outside grilling up a storm in the hot, hot heat, you’re going to need a refreshing beverage to keep things cool. We’re here to tell you that nothing hits quite as well as red, white, and blue drinks for the 4th of July. Clean the crud out of your carafe, because this frozen blend is the perfect way to chill out while you grill out.
The Grillmaster’s Muse
To make this instant classic, grab:
- 1 SLIQ Spirited Ice Frozen Rum Coconut & Lime Daiquiri Cocktail Pop
- 1 SLIQ Spirited Ice Frozen Rum Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail Pop
- 1 SLIQ Spirited Ice Frozen Vodka Blue Raspberry Cocktail Pop
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice (to celebrate the snappy citrus coming into season)7
- 2 cups of water
This slushy sensation thanks to the vodka and rum ice pops combines the mighty powers of red, white, and blue to deliver a powerfully cooling kick. When it comes to how to make a slushie with a blender, put everything in your blender and, well:
- Blend.
Grilling is complicated enough, so we’re keeping this cocktail simple. Once you reach your desired consistency, serve to yourself and your partygoers—it’s that easy!
Keep Cool on the Fiery Fourth with Cocktail Pops from SLIQ
Most grilling ideas for the 4th of July require lots of hard work. But if you want a dead-simple way to keep your guests smiling, make sure to keep a cooler cached with the crispest cocktail creations in the country
SLIQ’s line of frozen cocktail pops captures the country’s favorite flavors and freezes them for your enjoyment. From mouthwatering margaritas to delicious daiquiris, our cocktail pops embody the diversity of American beverages in a uniquely fun presentation.
With exploding fireworks, sizzling grills, and the hot summer air cooking up the action, seek chilling respite in SLIQ—your core temperature will thank you.
Sources:
- Institute for Advanced Studies. Propane or Charcoal. https://www.ias.edu/
- Masterclass. Natural Gas vs. Propane Grills: What Are the Differences?. https://www.masterclass.com/
- Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education. Facts About Propane. https://www3.uwsp.edu/
- The Culinary Institute of America. Culinary Terms. https://blog.ciachef.edu/
- Detroit Free Press. The perfect marinade for the last taste of summer grilling. https://www.freep.com/
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Papain: Extraction and its use as meat tenderizer. https://agris.fao.org/
- United States Department of Agriculture. Seasonal Produce Guide. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/