Recipes to keep July 4 low-stress
The right cut of meat for the grill and cold salads can feed a crowd — just don’t skip the deviled eggs
Independence Day, smack in the middle of summer, is usually a pretty laid-back holiday, at least in terms of food. It doesn’t involve a menu that’s agonized over for weeks — we leave that to Thanksgiving. ’Tis the season of lazy days, casual get-togethers and endless grilling, after all. What we’re looking for here is food that’s easy to prep but tastes great when savored by the pool or the lake.
For years when my kids were young, we’d celebrate the Fourth with a smalltown parade followed by an epic makeyour-own sandwich bar and deviled eggs. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a simple beauty to that brand of celebration. But in later years, we’ve kicked things up a notch by relying on a cut of meat that feeds a crowd (tri-tip steak, in this case) and cold salads that don’t heat up the house. The deviled eggs haven’t gotten the boot yet, though.
For the grill, tri-tip is a less-expected cut that’s easy to prep. This recipe, which doesn’t require advance marinating, was handed over by my friend Lou, whose Puerto Rican and Korean heritage makes him the arbiter of some darn good eats. You simply coat the meat in some garlic powder and lightly spread on black bean sauce and call it a day. Asian-style black bean sauce is made from fermented soy beans and packs a mean umami flavor bomb. It doesn’t smell all that great straight from the jar — I dare you to take a deep whiff — but once it hits red meat and a hot grill, magic happens. The result doesn’t have the same flavor profile as, say, tamari or soy; it’s mostly just savory, a little salty and delicious.
Paired with a bright-green spinach salad, you’re good to go. Pesto, pea and spinach salad is one of my go-to side dishes for any summer occasion. It pairs well with grilled fish, chicken or steak. You can use a good-quality store-bought
pesto if you’re short on time, but I promise it will make a world of difference if you make it yourself.
You’ll also probably need something sweet to balance the salty bite of the tri-tip. Orange blossom honey butter is a recipe I’ve had in heavy rotation for over a decade. Use good-quality butter — I recommend unsalted Kerrygold butter, which comes from grass-fed cows. The combination of orange and lemon zest, rich wildflower honey and creamy butter is impossible to turn down. And when spread over some warm crusty bread, cornbread or buttermilk biscuits, there’s no better way to celebrate our country’s independence.