The pursuit of grilling happiness — for many, that’s at the heart of July 4th celebrations. Eating delicious foods outdoors is part of the joyful tradition. The pace needs to feel relaxed. For the most part, the dishes need to be prepared in advance. And yes, during the gathering something needs to cook its way to irresistibility on the barbecue.
Tri-tip off the grill: One of my favorite July 4th grilling recipes shows off tri-tips that are marinated in a mixture of tequila, herbs and spices. The meat is juicy, with the scent of smoke melding with the floral-sweet notes of tequila and cilantro.
Serve the scrumptious meat cut into thin slices, then top it with a colorful relish made with fresh cherry tomatoes, canned mild green chiles and tasty vinaigrette. On the side, provide a platter of romaine lettuce topped with crumbled Cotija cheese or feta and generous slices of avocado sprinkled with seasoned salt. You can drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice if you like.
Festive appetizers: Serve one or two starters as a taste bud tease before the meal.
Throughout my childhood, clam dip was always part of our Fourth of July menu. Mom’s oh-so-creamy dip was famous with the neighbors and friends who gathered to celebrate Independence Day. It was so delicious, folks thought it was a complicated blend of ingredients.
It was a simple concoction made with only three ingredients: an 8-ounce brick of room temperature cream cheese, a 6.5-ounce can of chopped clams and garlic salt to taste. She mixed the concoction in an electric mixer, adding enough of the clam juice from the can to make it loose enough for dipping.
Mom made it the day before the party and stored it in the refrigerator. Chilling often made it too thick for dipping, so she’d thin it out with a little milk before spooning it into the center of a butter-yellow Lazy Susan and surrounding it with the biggest, sturdiest potato chips she could find.
Iron Chef Cat Cora’s delicious Watermelon Gazpacho would be a luscious addition; it’s a dish that balances watermelon’s sweetness with the gentle stab of heat from fresh chilies. Rather than a tomato base, this gazpacho uses pureed watermelon. The puree is augmented with more traditional gazpacho ingredients such as cucumber, bell pepper and celery.
This cold and colorful soup makes a great warm weather starter. It can be prepared four hours in advance and refrigerated. I like to serve it in shot glasses for easy passing. If you prefer, serve it in small bowls.
Tequila Tri-Tip with Tomato Relish
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup tequila
7 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated lime peel (zest)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-pound beef tri-tip, trimmed
Tomato Relish (recipe follows)
Directions
Prepare roast: Place lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, soy, tequila, garlic, lime zest, cumin, oregano and pepper in a large zipper-style bag. Add meat and seal. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.
Up to two hours before cooking meat, prepare tomato relish (recipe follows).
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove meat from marinade and discard marinade. Grill to desired degree of doneness, 10 to 15 minutes per side for medium rare, to internal temperature of 140 degrees. Transfer to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing diagonally across grain.
Arrange sliced meat on serving platter. Spoon tomato relish over meat and serve.
Tomato Relish
Makes 2½ cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4-ounce can diced mild green chiles
2 green onions, trimmed, sliced (include half of dark green stalks)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced cilantro or Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In medium bowl, whisk vinegar, chiles and green onions; whisk in oil in thin stream. Add cilantro or parsley, oregano, tomatoes, salt and pepper; toss. Refrigerate until serving time.
Watermelon and Cucumber Gazpacho
Serves 4 (or 8 as an appetizer)
Ingredients
5 cups seedless watermelon chunks, divided use
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely diced
1 small jalapeño, seeded, minced (use half for a less spicy version)
3 pale green inner celery stalks, finely diced
½ small red onion, finely diced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish: sour cream, fresh mint sprigs
Directions
Place 4 cups watermelon chunks in blender; process until smooth. Transfer to large glass or ceramic bowl. Finely dice remaining 1 cup watermelon and add to puree. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the garnish). Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Divide between 4 soup bowls for larger servings, or 8 small glasses for smaller servings. Garnish each with a dollop of sour cream and a small sprig of mint or a mint leaf.
