I wish each of you a very Happy Fourth of July.  Growing up, I always remember the traditional menu my Mother almost always made for the Fourth.   She would make homemade potato salad, baked beans and barbecued spare ribs with homemade ice cream and or watermelon for dessert.

When we were living on the farm in Northeastern Kansas--Fourth of July many years meant harvesting wheat if the weather was sunny or if it was rainy it was not good for wheat harvesting or fire works.

So the food was more the focus of the fun for the holiday.  As I have become older, I still like to prepare the menu she so tastefully made and I am sharing it with you.

Mother's hint for really flavorful poato salad was to infusr the butter in the potatoes befor making them into the salad.  To do this, Peel and quarter or if a large potatoe, cut into more pieces and place the raw potato chnks in boiling salted water.  When they are done, drain the water and add lumps of butter and stir lightly into the hot poatoes and cover.  After about 15 minutes, Vigorously stir the potatoes with the melted butter and add the final ingredients.

For the Baked Beans, she usually started with cooked navy or small white beans, and simmered them with catsup, brown sugar, bacon pieces and dry mustard--then bake them slowly for at least 30 minutes or more.  So yummy!

The hint for the ribs is to rub a rub mixture generously over both sides of the ribs, then sear each side and then slowly roast over the grill until fork tender.  Then spoon sauce over the first side, while placing the ribs on a baking  sheet--an aluminum foil disposable pan works fine and will have less cleanup.  Gordon's Rub is great for this.  My favorite sauce that is very similar to what she used is what I always make for the ribs.

Next Thursday, July 13 at 5 PM, we have our always popular Red Chile Fiesta and for the holiday this week, I am placing it on a special of $99.00, down from $115.  This special will last for the next 5 days.

Our July weekend class has been moved to August 18 - 20, 2023.

Here is the recipe for my favorite barbecue sauce and Mom's Potato Salad.

Jane’s Best Barbecue Sauce

Yield: approximately 1 ½ cups

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
12-ounce bottle ketchup
6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, packed
1 to 2 Tablespoons pure ground hot red chile, or to taste
1 to 2 Tablespoons pure ground mild red chile or to taste
¼ teaspoon pequin or cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 to 6 pounds baby back pork ribs, in uncut racks

To Prepare the Sauce

1. Melt the bacon drippings in a two quart saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is transparent.

2. Add the remaining ingredients through the liquid smoke, reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the sauce aside until you are ready to use it.

Reprinted with permission from the Finger Lickin Good BBQ Cookbook

Buttery Potato Salad

This recipe came to me by the way of my sister-in-law, Addie. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to your old recipe…’cause this one’s fantastic!

 Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 medium-sized baking potatoes (Idaho or Russet), peeled and quartered 

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons vinegar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely  chopped Spanish onion

1/3 cup finely  chopped sweet gherkins (pickles)

3Tablespoons juice from the sweet gherkins

½ cup mayonnaise

1 whole canned pimiento, sliced into 1/4 –inch strips

1 whole sweet gherkin

1. Bring about 2 inches of water with 1 teaspoon salt added  to a boil, using  medium heat .  Add potatoes and cover.  Cook until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the potatoes, and  cut in the butter cutting the potatoes into about 1/2 inch dice and replace the lid, allowing the potatoes to steam for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs with the vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in water to   cover, until just done, about 10 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Peel, slice and dice eggs.
3. Off the heat, add the diced eggs, onion, diced gherkins, gherkin juice, mayonnaise and all but 5 slices of the pimiento; chopping the pimiento you are adding to the salad into ¼ inch squares, mix thoroughly.

 Transfer the mixture to your favorite bowl, garnish with the whole pickle sliced halfway up into thin slices  and separated into a fan shape and place centered on top of the salad. Add the pimiento strips evenly spaced around the pickle, creating a sun ray effect.

Buttery Potato Salad

This recipe came to me by the way of my sister-in-law, Addie. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to your old recipe…’cause this one’s fantastic!

 Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 medium-sized baking potatoes (Idaho or Russet), peeled and quartered 

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons vinegar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely  chopped Spanish onion

1/3 cup finely  chopped sweet gherkins (pickles)

3Tablespoons juice from the sweet gherkins

½ cup mayonnaise

1 whole canned pimiento, sliced into 1/4 –inch strips

1 whole sweet gherkin

1. Bring about 2 inches of water with 1 teaspoon salt added  to a boil, using  medium heat .  Add potatoes and cover.  Cook until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the potatoes, and  cut in the butter cutting the potatoes into about 1/2 inch dice and replace the lid, allowing the potatoes to steam for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs with the vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in water to   cover, until just done, about 10 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Peel, slice and dice eggs.
3. Off the heat, add the diced eggs, onion, diced gherkins, gherkin juice, mayonnaise and all but 5 slices of the pimiento; chopping the pimiento you are adding to the salad into ¼ inch squares, mix thoroughly.

 Transfer the mixture to your favorite bowl, garnish with the whole pickle sliced halfway up into thin slices  and separated into a fan shape and place centered on top of the salad. Add the pimiento strips evenly spaced around the pickle, creating a sun ray effect.

Buttery Potato Salad

Once you try this potato salad , you’ll never go back to your old recipe…’cause this one’s fantastic!

 Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 medium-sized baking potatoes (Idaho or Russet), peeled and quartered 

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons vinegar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup finely  chopped Spanish onion

1/3 cup finely  chopped sweet gherkins (pickles)

3 Tablespoons juice from the sweet gherkins

½ cup mayonnaise

1 whole canned pimiento, sliced into 1/4 –inch strips

1 whole sweet gherkin

1. Bring about 2 inches of water with 1 teaspoon salt added  to a boil, using  medium heat .  Add potatoes and cover.  Cook until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the potatoes, and  cut in the butter cutting the potatoes into about 1/2 inch dice and replace the lid, allowing the potatoes to steam for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs with the vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in water to   cover, until just done, about 10 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to cool. Peel, slice and dice eggs.
3. Off the heat, add the diced eggs, onion, diced gherkins, gherkin juice, mayonnaise and all but 5 slices of the pimiento; chopping the pimiento you are adding to the salad into ¼ inch squares, mix thoroughly.

 Transfer the mixture to your favorite bowl, garnish with the whole pickle sliced halfway up into thin slices  and separated into a fan shape and place centered on top of the salad. Add the pimiento strips evenly spaced around the pickle, creating a sun ray effect.