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By Steven Siler

It seems that every holiday in America is tied to some type of food. For Thanksgiving, roast turkey. Easter? Deviled eggs (pardon the irony). Christmas? Cookies and fruit cake. And so it is with the 4th of July, and barbecuing. But why barbeque? The answer is steeped in patriotism, borne from the founding of our country.

Back in the 1750s, while we were still a loyal British colony, Parliament enacted the Iron Act. Basically, it said that the colonies were free to produce pig iron and bar iron, but that those raw materials had to be exported to Britain, where they would be processed into things like farm implements, cooking pots, and cooking utensils. These products were then imported back to the colonies, where they were the only legal products that could be sold. You can imagine that this did not sit particularly well with the American colonists. 

Fast forward to the 1770s, and the colonies decided it was time to fly the nest and form their own country. So, as church bells and gunshots celebrated the Declaration of Independence, folks would gather to cook, gossip, and share news about the Revolution. But since virtually every iron and steel cooking implement had been made in England, it was considered unpatriotic to use them on our day of independence. 

With American ingenuity being what it was, the newly-minted Americans begin cooking meats outside without using any of the detested British goods. Thus, the tradition of barbecuing on 4th of July was born.

So when you are out this long weekend, celebrating a day off with friends, family and food, perhaps raise a salute (along with a perfectly cooked pork rib), to our founding fathers. And smile, that you are still engaging in a little rebellion 250 years later.

Speaking of rebellion and ribs, we were able to convince Sarah McClure of Southside Smokehouse to share her recipe for her mouth-watering ribs. And just like our battle for independence, Low and Slow wins the day…

Ingredients:

1 rack St. Louis pork ribs

1 cup apple cider

2 Tablespoons Southside Smokehouse rub (use your favorite)

2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat the grill for indirect grilling. The target temperature for your grill is 225°F. I recommend using fruit woods, such as apple, peach, or cherry, or hardwoods like hickory or oak.
2. Trim the ribs. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Trim down any excess fat and remove the thin membrane on the back of the ribs using a paper towel for grip.
3. Lightly spray ribs with a 50-50 mixture of apple juice and olive oil.
4. Rub generously with a rub of your choice.
5. Smoke for 6-7 hours at 225 degrees, spraying and flipping the ribs every hour.
6. Wrap ribs in foil for the last hour.
7. Once finished, hold in an insulated container until it is time to serve.

Steven Siler is the public information officer for the Tryon Fire Department, a chef and author, and a general raconteur. He can be reached at swsfiremedic@gmail.com