The Heart of the Table | Seasons & Celebrations

A Socially Distanced BBQ

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With so many large-scale activities canceled for the 4th of July holiday, small gatherings with appropriate social distancing are the sign of the times. This year, my family barbecue is trimmed down to immediate family with only a few very close family friends joining the affair.

We are who we are, and we Americans will celebrate! Trying to plan for my slimmed-down annual party, I started by putting my caterer’s hat on.

Back in the day, when my pals and I were planning a Memorable Occasion’s (the name of my old catering company) party, we would lay out the menu and then come up with some clever way to serve it. We were always short of staff, so serve-yourself food was a hallmark of our events.

There are lots of ways to celebrate what is a most important American holiday, but there’s only one way to make it perfect. And that is by sharing it with your friends and family who you love and who love you back!

From the Archives: The Essentials

Serving Ribs & Salad

Potato salad is a picnic and cold supper staple. When spiced up with a little hot sauce, it becomes a devilish addition to most everyday meals. I always make this a day in advance to allow the spicy flavors to marry with the potatoes.

For the main event, I rely on a foolproof way to prepare moist, tender, and never over-cooked ribs. By steaming the ribs in a slow oven covered in beer, the meat cooks in advance of grilling; therefore, the time spent sweating over the hot grill is significantly reduced.

Invite guests to bring their plates to you and serve with a drizzle of extra Jack Daniels whiskey sauce on the side. Happy Fourth, everyone.

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