Big Grilling Weekend

 It's going to be a big grilling weekend with Father's day and Junettenth happening one day apart. There's so many fun foods that can be barbecued and tasty sides to be savored

How to celebrate dad? Try all sorts of steak cuts. A skirt cut would be perfect for those who live a good thin cut. Keep in min that skirt steak can be tough thanks to all the muscle fibers running through it. You can pound it with a meat mallet  or rolling pin or try a good marinade to soften the texture. Think a soy marinade , rich with scallions and gingers for an Asian take. You could also serve it with a chimmichurri sauce. This is mixing cilantro, oregano ,parsley and cilantro with olive oil to form a kind of pesto. fresno chile or jalapenos are added along with garlic is added in for heat and flavor.  Add a dash of red wine vinegar for a little more zing. Another Father's day treat is a grilled T one. These are lovely marbled and fatty cuts so there's no need for amarimade. Just barbecue and serve with a blob of herbed or garlic butter on top. what happens of your fathe r i smore of chicken lover than a beef one? Then serve crispy wings. Get them extra crunchy by adding cornstarch tothe seasonings. Thsi coats the skin and gives it an extra crackle. You can do the same with legs and breasts too.

The day after is Juneteenth, a time to celebate the end of enslavement in the US, Millie Peartree,a famed chef and food writer gave some delcious recipes to wednesday's new York Times Food section. Red foods should be served because they represent resilience and joy. Watermelon is always a welcome barbecue treat. Combine it with chopped cucumber for a different take on the barbecue favorite chow chow.it also has a Junettenth staple hibiscus  in it along with jalapeno for bite and chopped red onion. Sugar is also added. Another staple are ribs.  Think  baby back ones slathered ina barbecue sauce on the grill. You could serve them with a red cabbage slaw instead of traditional white one. follow Chef Peartree's chicken recipe that again employs hibiscus in its' sauce.It's firs dry rubbed with a mix of seasoned salt and onion and garlic and then drenched in red tangy sweet sauce that has a ketchup base. Theres sock it to me cake a kind of hybrid and pound with a crunchy topping of walnuts and brown sugar.A new idea for dessert is red velvet cookies. Make them sandwich cookies with the addition of a cream cheese frosting filling.

Celebrate these two important days with good food on the grill. These recipes are perfect for family and freinds . Get together over a good piece of meat.