A frosty beverage in a salt-rimmed glass, garnished with a lime slice, sits on a glass-topped table.

Fine food for the 4th

By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

Can you believe how fast this year is going? Wow! 

And another holiday is upon us. When I think of the 4th of July, many things come to mind: food, friend and family, grilling outside, pool parties (I’ve got to get my two-piece swimsuit out of my hope chest), watermelon, hot weather, mosquitos and, of course, fireworks. I hope to get my sparkler lit. 

But on with the recipes that you might find handy for your holiday celebration. What would a 4th of July get-together be without a brisket? And who doesn’t love watermelon? Here are a couple recipes using one of my favorite summer fruits: watermelon. I leave no watermelon parts behind.

Have a safe holiday. And thank you for supporting our advertisers who help make this publication possible.

THREE-DAY BRISKET
4 to 7 pound brisket
2 or 3 medium onions, chopped
3 ounces liquid smoke
4 ounces Worcestershire sauce, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle (18 ounces) BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons flour

Day 1: Place brisket in large baking pan. Cover with onions, liquid smoke and two ounces of the Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Add remaining Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cover and bake five to six hours at 250 degrees. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 3: Remove brisket from pan, trim excess fat and slice. Discard hardened grease. Combine meat drippings with BBQ sauce and flour in saucepan, and heat ’til thickened. Return meat to baking pan, cover with sauce and heat at 350 degrees until hot.

WATERMELON PICKLES
1 5-pound watermelon4 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Brine:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick1
1-inch knob ginger, thinly sliced

Cut watermelon rind from flesh, leaving about 1/8″ flesh intact. Cut rind into 1/2″ x 3-1/2″ spears. Bring water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in large pot. Add spears and cook about 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. To prepare brine, boil 2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, cinnamon and ginger in a pot for about five minutes. Add spears, return to a boil, and then remove from heat. Weigh down spears with saucer or a smaller pan to keep submerged. Let pickles brine for about two hours. Transfer pickles and brine to a glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Will last for about two weeks in refrigerator or can be canned for long-term. Makes 30 to 35 spears.

FROZEN WATERMELON MARGARITAS
6 cups watermelon, cubed
Zest of 1 orange
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup white or silver tequila
2/3 cup lime juice
Pinch of salt
Lime, sliced
Fresh jalapenos, sliced
Watermelon pickles

Freeze watermelon until solid. Heat orange zest, jalapeno, water and sugar in small saucepan to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat. Simmer for five minutes until sugar dissolves into a simple syrup. Let syrup cool, straining to remove solids. Chill until ready to serve. Puree watermelon in blender. Add tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and pinch of salt, blending ‘til smooth. Garnish with watermelon pickles, lime, and/or jalapeno slices.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email [email protected].

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