Fourth of July recipes are often handed down in the family – every year, my father uses the same dry rub pork rib recipes – but there’s no issue with finding fresh ideas to keep those Fourth of July barbecues exciting. To ensure your barbecue is the best on the block, we’ve done some research and creative thinking to give you five interesting Fourth of July barbecue ideas.

1)      Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Making your own barbecue sauce is essential. Even if you’ve never made barbecue sauce before, it’s almost sure to come out better than what you’d buy at the store and, being that you’re likely to already have many of the ingredients, will usually be cheaper. We found a great homemade barbecue sauce recipe that combines the flavors of smoky paprika, sweet molasses, and nutty brown ale to bring the perfect kick to any Fourth of July barbecue recipe. As a bonus, this recipe also contains instructions to make fantastic wet ribs and potato salad.

2)      Pulled Pork

Paired with that barbecue sauce, slow-cooked pulled pork is sure to be the staple of your barbecue. Pulled pork is a member of the Holy Trinity of barbecue, but it’s not as difficult to prepare in bulk as ribs, and satisfies the soul just a bit more than chicken. Slow cooking is crucial to pulled pork: this process allows the meat to soak up delicious fatty flavors and the depth of the spices you use. This pulled pork recipe is sure to be quite a crowd pleaser.

3)      Dry Rub Ribs

Ribs are barbecue’s crowning jewel, but I think dry ribs are tragically underrated. A great barbecue has wet and dry ribs; that way the comparison between the two creates a topic of conversation. Dry rubs let you really appreciate how spices can dance on top of the flavor of quality meat – but that means it all has to be fresh. An aspiring chef once told me: in cooking, giving that extra inch sets the final product forward by a mile…so we were sure to include this recipe, which walks you from making the rub to roasting the ribs.

4)      Barbecued Chicken

What would a barbecue be without the chicken? Chicken is lean meat, and its flavor allows you to showcase your unique preparation. Drumsticks and thighs are also some of the most affordable cuts of meat available from any supermarket or butcher. Chicken is also relatively easy to prepare; it’s a more forgiving meat than fish, which is important when working with a grill. Here’s an awesome barbecued chicken recipe sure to make your Fourth of July barbecue a delicious experience.

5)      Steak Salad

Fourth of July barbecues are little meat festivals, so it’s a good idea to have a healthier option in your repertoire. Fortunately, the flavors of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and steak work together like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington in the Revolution this holiday celebrates. Here’s an excellent recipe to provide a less conventional accent to your Fourth of July barbecue.

With all of these recipes to work with, your Fourth of July barbecue is sure to be a delicious one. However, if you’re concerned about getting the yard looking as nice as the meat on the grill, come to TalkLocal and we’ll connect you with a landscaper who will have that yard looking almost as lovely as the fireworks lighting up the night sky.