We know you want to; it's part of American lore that you barbecue outside on the Fourth of July. Even expats around the world will be hauling out their hibachis in honor of Independence Day today.
But let's face facts. A soggy steak or a smoker that keeps going out because the rain is coming at you sideways does no one any good.
Here's two recipes that will bolster your survival skills. The first is from contributing writer Jeff Balke and concerns brisket.
Rubbed down and ready
Photo by Jeff Balke
What I am about to detail for you is not a brisket that is designed to satisfy the purist barbecue eater (seemingly an oxymoronic concept to begin with), but rather a damn fine alternative when you, like so many apartment dwellers, don't have access to a grill or a smoker but want some tasty barbecued meat.
This is just a good way to make brisket (and give yourself the meat sweats) when you don't have all the tools available to do it the traditional way. And, I can tell you from experience, people love it. Each time I've made this brisket, the entire baking dish was picked clean before anyone could say "leftovers."
One way to keep the sizzle going on the 4th.
Photo by Molly Dunn Hollomon
Entitled: How to: Cook Steak in a Cast-Iron Skillet, here's some of what she had to say:
Although it's summertime and the grill seems to be the logical choice when cooking steak, using a cast-iron skillet to cook a steak makes it much more savory and delicious.
As a cast-iron skillet ages, it offers up more seasoning and increases the flavor of everything you cook in it. I absolutely love cooking steak in a cast-iron skillet — to me, the steak is perfectly seasoned and is always juicier than if it were cooked on the grill.
All you need is a little oil, salt, pepper and butter and you can make one of the best steaks you have ever had; it's restaurant quality, for sure.
So happy fourth y'all!
