For our Meaningful Meals in this issue of #Get a Grip newsletter, I want to share our July 4th menu, recipes, and a holiday conversation starter.

“If you were going to create a new holiday, what would it be and how would people celebrate it?”

1. Andrew’s Smoked Brisket

Ingredients:

• Whole brisket with fat cap still on, if you can find it
• 24 hr salt/sugar brine in the fridge
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/3 cup sugar per gallon of water
• Dry rub: ¼ part salt, 1/2 part pepper, ¼ combo of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin (small amt), and mild chile powder

Instructions:

• Rinse brisket before dry rub if the dry rub has salt.
• Spray on apple cider vinegar
• Smoke 12+ hours using hickory and oak at 225 degrees or smoke 6-8 hours at 250 degrees
• Check internal temp to get meat to at least 200 degrees
• Spray lightly w apple cider vinegar every couple hours

2. Ree Drummond Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/3 cup finely chopped chives 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 6 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Stir together the butter, olive oil, chives and some salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Place a potato between the handles of 2 wooden spoons or 2 chopsticks. Slice the potato into thin slices, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced; the spoon handles will prevent you from slicing the potato all the way through. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
• Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and brush on the butter mixture, making sure to get in between all the slices. Bake until tender and crisp, 55 to 60 minutes.

3. Barefoot Contessa Panzanella

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk together the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

4. Bon Appetit Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¾ teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ medium green cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• ½ medium red cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled; julienned or grated

Directions:

• Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to combine.
• Add green and red cabbage and carrots to dressing and toss to coat.
• Cover and chill until ready to serve.
• DO AHEAD: Coleslaw can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

5. My Quick Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cup chilled buttermilk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 475F.
• Whisk together flour and sugar in a medium bowl.
• Stir together buttermilk and 1/2 cup melted butter in a two-cup glass measuring cup.
• Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Drop dough by level scoops (3 tablespoon scoop aka #24 scoop) for 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Brush biscuits with 3 tablespoons melted butter using a pastry brush. Then serve.
• If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own with all-purpose flour. For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Optional: To make savory biscuits add chopped chives and shredded cheese on top or slice the biscuit in half and add those ingredients there.

6. Smitten Kitchen Mixed Berry Pavlova

Meringue Cake Ingredients:

• 4 large (120 grams) egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) or regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, potato starch or arrowroot powder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 250°F (130°C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper.
• Pour the vanilla and vinegar into a small cup. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.
• In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks/trails start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
• Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. A few minutes after these dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar (if you didn’t use cream of tartar.) Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)
• Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn the pan around. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)
• Note: You can make the meringue cake several days in advance. Just store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container. However, once the whipped cream and fruit are placed on the meringue, the dessert should be eaten immediately as the meringue will start to soften and break down from the moisture of the cream and fruit.

Top Meringue with My Whipped Cream and Mixed Berries of choice.

Click here if you would like to see my July Fourth Pinterest Board

Let me know in the comments or by email what you have planned for your menu! Happy Fourth of July!