I don’t know about you, but the Fourth of July totally puts me into a BBQ state of mind. I love the smell of a good summer BBQ filled with smoke, fire, earth and all kinds of yumminess. I love the concept of a good old fashioned All American family BBQ for the patriotic holidays and how it brings people together to celebrate and bond. But for this foodie, the Fourth of July is all about the ‘Que. I’m talkin’ sweet, spicy, tangy, savory BBQ sauces for your ribs, chicken etc. Add some grilled corn, homemade slaw and an artisanal beer or a jammy red wine like Zinfandel and I am golden. Here are some tasty BBQ recipes that have recently amused my palate, Enjoy!



1.    Baby Back Ribs with Jammy Glaze

Everyday with Rachael Ray June/July 2006

This is an easy sweet slightly tangy and spicy BBQ sauce created by the maven of quick and simple recipes Rachael Ray. It’s all the flavors I love in a good BBQ sauce and soooo much better than the store bought stuff. Deelish!



2.    Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce

Bon Appetit July 2008

This is another tasty and relatively easy BBQ sauce recipe that is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. I love the flavor combination of cherry jam, cherry cola and chili sauce, it is soooo good. Every time we make this sauce people ask for the recipe, so it’s definitely a crowd pleaser.



3.    Ginger and Honey Baby Back Ribs

Bon Appetit July 2009

This is a more Asian inspired BBQ recipe with honey, ginger and soy sauce, all flavors that I love! This recipe is salty, sweet, and zingy and will go nicely with white rice, stir fried vegetables and a nice summery Rose wine.



4.    Bourbon and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Bon Appetit July 2010

We had this amazing sauce on baby back ribs last night and I am still licking my lips, it was that good! This sauce is smoky, sweet, savory, spicy and full of flavor. The recipe is filled with complexity of flavor and there are a lot of layers going on, so it makes your basic BBQ into more of a foodie experience. We paired it with some fresh summer corn, cole slaw and a juicy berry Syrah--Nirvana!



5.    Spicy Orange Barbecue Sauce

Heinz Food Service: FoodNation With Bobby Flay

Orange Marmalade is a more unexpected ingredient in a BBQ sauce and that’s why I like this recipe. The combination of orange, chilis and vinegar gives this recipe a bright, sweet and spicy combination of flavors that works well on ribs , chicken and or as a tasty dipping sauce for wings. Feels like a nice change of pace to put into your summer BBQ mix.



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