The Five Best Side Dishes to Serve With Barbecue or Grilled Food

I love barbecue. By barbecue I mean, smoked meats, like spare ribs, pork shoulder, brisket or chicken. I also love grilled food. By grilled food, I mean burgers, steaks, brats, chicken and those sort of things. To go along with these delicacies, and to make a complete meal are side-dishes. Here are five sides that I like to serve whenever I have a get together and I am serving either smoked or grilled foods. These are all also super easy. So what if you start with some canned ingredients, the important thing is the outcome. Nothing wrong with doctoring things up a bit!

Nacho Cheese Dip and Chips: This dip and chips have been made this way as long as I can remember in St. Louis, or at least forty years. A box of Velveeta Cheese, and a can of Rotel brand tomato with hot peppers. Melt the cheese and stir in the tomatoes in the microwave. Serve hot, with a good quality restaurant style corn chip or corn chip "scoops". People love, I mean love this, and it is so simple. I usually add an extra fresh jalapeno or a habanero if I have one.
Baked Beans: I use my Mom's recipe, and many people in the St. Louis area make baked beans the same way. I always thought my Moms were the best, until I started making them. Now, mine are the best. I start with a few cans of pork & beans, usually Campbell's, and doctor them up with ketchup, brown sugar, onions, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and bacon. My secret ingredient is a big pinch of cayenne pepper.
Potato Salad: potato salad with egg is what we like the best. Nice and tangy, with just a little bite.
Cole Slaw: Cole slaw with a vinegar dressing is the preferred choice. If using a mayonnaise based dressing, light on the mayo is best.
Home Made Ice Cream: Who doesn't love home-made ice cream. It is so easy to make, but gets the most compliments. People ask me before they come over if I'm making ice cream for dessert. I use on of the simple tub freezers that you can buy for about 45$. Braun, Cuisinart, even Black & Decker make them. I use real fresh heavy whipping cream and fresh milk. Do not go cheap on the vanilla. Spend the extra few bucks for the "real" vanilla not the artificial. You'll be glad you did, as there is a noticeable difference in taste.

If you serve these five side dishes at your next barbecue or cookout, your friends will be raving at how good a cook you are. No need to tell them how easy they were to prepare.

Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.11 of 12 - Glazed Pork with Fig Stuffing

Christmas recipe serves: 6

calories per serving: 480

preparationj time: 30 minutes

cooking time: 2 hours

not suitable for freezing

Christmas recipe ingredients:

loin of pork, boned with skin scored, 1.4 kg (3 lb)


salt and pepper


honey, clear 60 ml (4 tbsp)


mustard powder, 10 ml (2 tsp)


lemon, grated rind from 1


garnish, sprigs of rosemary and a few figs

stuffing:

shallots, 4


garlic clove, 1


figs, dried no-soak 225 g (8 oz)


apple, eating 1


rosemary, fresh sprigs 2


butter, 50 g (2 oz)


lemon, grated rind and juice from 1


dry sherry, 45 ml (3 tbsp)

Christmas recipe instructions:

Stuffing preparation: Chopped rosemary, peeled/cored/chopped apple, choppee figs, peeled and crushed garlic, peeled and chopped shallots.


Cook the garlic and shallots in butter until golden brown. Add the sherry, lemon rind and juice, rosemary, apple and figs. Stir until softened and most of the liquid reduced.


Place the cooled stuffing from step 2 along the middle of the salt and pepper seasoned pork loin (skin side down). Roll the piece up and tie up with string at several locations. Cook for 1 hour at gas mark 5 (190 degrees centigrade, 375 F).


Near the end of this time, heat together the lemon rind, mustard and honey. After the hour is up, brush this onto the pork and continue the cooking for another 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes.


Serve as carved slices (thick), garnished with rosemary sprigs and a few figs.


Heating and serving tips:

Don't keep food hot for longer than an hour before serving

Leave roast potatoes open to the atmosphere after cooking, to retain their crispness.

Remember that it is harder to keep certain foods warm. e.g. root vegetable keep their heat well but spinach and cabbage don't.