Fab Fare for Summer Fun

Summer fun includes easy, delicious recipes perfect for family gatherings or backyard BBQs. Our team has created several of such favorite recipes for July and August. We feature Donna and Tim Sessions along with Loveta Byrne, our cuisine expert, who through the years has shared with our readers her enticing recipe favorites. Specifically, we are bringing back her Fried Green Tomatoes from our July 2005 issue. Donna and Tim Sessions, former BBQ judges for various cook-offs, offer tips for grilling meats and specialty ribs.

Adapted from southernplate.com/Donna and Tim Sessions

Pork roast (about 5 pounds) 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1½ cups cider vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Place roast, fat side up, in slow-cooker; and sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides. Pour cider vinegar over roast. Cover with lid and cook twelve hours. Remove pork roast and shred with forks. Drain juices from slow-cooker, reserving two cups of liquid. Return roast to slow-cooker. Add brown sugar, hot sauce, and crushed pepper flakes to the reserved liquid. Stir well. (This is not a spicy sauce. For a bit of a kick, add onion and garlic powder or tobacco chipotle or any of your favorite spices, and pour over shredded pork.) Place lid back on. Place on low or warm setting until ready to serve. This can be made ahead of time, refrigerated, and reheated in the microwave.

Tips for a successful rack of ribs!

We like to buy Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Style Ribs. (St. Louis Style Ribs are meatier.) The night before, pull membrane off the back of the ribs with catfish pliers. Use a rub of choice. (You can find great commercial rubs now in any grocery store. My preference is Uncle Bud’s, which is made locally in Natchez, Mississippi.) Rub ribs with olive oil or spray with olive oil Pam. This helps your rub stick to the ribs. I begin with a layer of garlic powder (Garlic and pork go together!) and then a layer of Uncle Bud’s. Make sure to season both sides of ribs! Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. This makes the rub sweat into the meat.

The next morning take your ribs out and bring to room temperature. (I always add more rub and a little brown sugar to the ribs at this time.) Tim and I have an Oklahoma Joe’s smoker with an offset fire box! It is around 25 years old and still works great! I begin the fire with lump charcoal. This charcoal does not have an accelerant in it that taints the flavor. We use a charcoal Chimney to start the fire—lighter fluid also

taints the flavor of the meat! Once the charcoal is hot, we add it to the firebox. We like to smoke with a fruit wood and were lucky enough to receive some cherry wood from our favorite firewood guy—Alton McGee! However, our grocery stores sell fruit wood chunks— apple and cherry are usually easy to find. The fruit wood adds additional flavor to your meat.

Bring smoker to 225-250 degrees. Place ribs on smoker. Smoke for 4 hours. Do not open smoker—you lose temperature. Smoke doesn’t penetrate meat after 4 hours, so I wrap the ribs in aluminum foil after 4 hours. I learned from Diva Q, a world-famous female barbecue cooker who came to a contest in Vidalia, Louisiana, to put Parkay margarine and peach preserves on ribs when I wrap them. This puts moisture back into the ribs. I used to spritz with apple juice before I learned this trick. When you smoke meat, moisture comes out; you need to add moisture back into the meat. I put the wrapped ribs back on smoker at the same temperature for a couple of more hours to tenderize. Happy Smokin’ and Grillin’ this summer. Enjoy!

(First published in Bluffs & Bayous July 2005 page 22)

5 medium green tomatoes cut into slices 1 cup buttermilk ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoon dried thyme Oil for frying

In a bowl, soak tomato slices in buttermilk 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt, peppers, and thyme. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Dredge tomato slices in flour-cornmeal mixture, and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Drain and serve.

Adapted from southernplate.com/Donna and Tim Sessions

4½-5 cups chopped or shredded cabbage (about half a head) or packaged shredded slaw 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup sugar Salt and pepper to taste, optional (Tony Chachere’s seasoning adds a touch of fire for a seasoned coleslaw.)

Combine cabbage, vinegar, and sugar. Stir, cover, and place in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight before serving. This is a perfect topper for your pork sliders.