Memorial Day 2011

[kayb]

Memorial Day is always a big cooking weekend for me; we usually have friends over at several different times over the weekend, maybe a houseguest or two for the whole thing. And our little hillside-on-the-lake gets together and cooks.

I'm thinking Saturday I'm going to smoke duck breasts, which I must go home and brine tonight. I also have frozen lobster tails, and on a whim, I'm thinking those would go well with sliced duck breast, with a risotto featuring fresh spring peas. Am also making duck confit either Friday or Saturday, so it may be that I serve that with the lobster and delay the breasts until Sunday.

Sunday will be the big joint cookout. I'm planning a pork loin, some burgers and some brats. Sides will include potato skins, potato salad, roast corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, vinegar-based cole slaw flavored with dry mustard and turmeric (my go-to slaw, have it in the fridge at all times), and sliced tomatos. We'll probably slice up the duck breasts, very thinly, and serve with cheese and crackers as a pre-dinner munchie. For dessert, I'm thinking pound cake with strawberries Romanoff.

Monday, I have a nice tri-tip roast in the freezer I'd like to try on the grill. Never did a tri-tip on the grill before; any tips? Will grill some squash to go with that, and maybe some asparagus, and wild rice or a multi-grain salad.

What are y'all thinking about for the holiday weekend menu?

[BadRabbit]

Homemade Smoked Duck Ham on top of spinach salad with an Orange-Balsalmic vinaigrette

Pork Ribs with my Molasses BBQ glaze(smoked very low for 6-8 hours)

Beef Ribs with my Cinnamon\Clove BBQ sauce

Whiskey-Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs

German Potato Salad

Baked Beans

Raspberry Lemonade Icebox Pie

Edited May 26, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[Paul Bacino]

I have a couple Wagyu tri-tips, that I'm going to do Santa Maria style using: a recipe by Chef John Mitzewich who has over 20 years of successful experience in the American food industry. He has held just about every position possible, from dishwasher to chef. John comes to About.com after five years of teaching at the California Culinary Academy, San Francisco.

But I'm going to smoke mine using a bit of red oak ( first ).. then finish on a hot grill..

Probably going to make some RG yellow eye baked beans too!

Its making me hungry already!!

Edited May 26, 2011 by Paul Bacino (log)

[robirdstx]

Until seeing this topic I had not realized Memorial weekend was fast approaching and Memorial Day is actually on a Monday this year. I have some baby back ribs in the freezer that will get rubbed, baked, and smothered with sauce; will make baked beans with onion and ham; and will put together a huge salad using lettuce and arugula from my garden and lots of other veggies.

[BadRabbit]

Until seeing this topic I had not realized Memorial weekend was fast approaching and Memorial Day is actually on a Monday this year. I have some baby back ribs in the freezer that will get rubbed, baked, and smothered with sauce; will make baked beans with onion and ham; and will put together a huge salad using lettuce and arugula from my garden and lots of other veggies.

Memorial day is always on a Monday. It hasn't been on a specific date since 1968.

[robirdstx]

Memorial day is always on a Monday. It hasn't been on a specific date since 1968.

I know. I'm old. Memorial Day will always be the 30th for me.

[OliverB]

we'll have snacks, drinks, and a store bought (unless I feel inspired and get around to it) chocolate cake, as Monday is my girls 4th birthday and we're having a lot of kids over for fun and games :-)

(side note, memorial day is also when my wife and I got together, 20 years ago, and I ended up being a resident alien from Germany)