Summer Party Recipes

Iain Bagwell

Sweet, seeded, or lemony herbal

Pick a summery glaze –– or do all 3

Recipe: Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Sticky Brown Sugar Glaze (left)
Addictively sweet-spicy

Recipe: Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Zaatar Glaze (middle)
Zaatar is a Middle Eastern spice blend

Recipe: Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Basil Chile Lemonade Glaze (right)
Tart, spicy, and aromatic

Photo by Alex Farnum; written by Elaine Johnson

Achiote Short Ribs with Ancho Barbecue Sauce and Avocado Relish

James Beard award–nominated chef Mark Fischer is forging his own Southwest style at Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale, Colorado, with dishes like these ribs: They’re oven-braised with citrus and achiote, then finished on the grill with smoky chile sauce. At the restaurant, he uses boned beef short ribs, but we kept it simple by leaving the bones in. The recipe is also outstanding made with pork spareribs.

Recipe: Achiote Short Ribs with Ancho Barbecue Sauce and Avocado Relish

Photo by Alex Farnum; written by Elaine Johnson

Grilled Spareribs with Fennel Seeds and Herbs

Meat expert Bruce Aidells drew on the Northern Italian heritage of Sonoma’s founding wine families for this recipe, creating crisp-edged ribs that don’t require additional sauce.

Recipe: Grilled Spareribs with Fennel Seeds and Herbs

Photo by Alex Farnum; written by Elaine Johnson

Chinese Glazed Riblets with Garlic and Thai Basil

For these crisp, garlicky ribs, Alexander Ong, chef of Betelnut restaurant in San Francisco, uses Chinese red vinegar and mushroom soy sauce. If you substitute regular vinegar and soy sauce, they’ll be lighter in color and flavor but still delicious.

Recipe: Chinese Glazed Riblets with Garlic and Thai Basil

Iain Bagwell

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad

If you’re serving these vegetables with grilled ribs, grill the vegetables first. They’re good eaten at room temperature.

Recipe: Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad

The New Three-Bean Salad

No canned kidney beans here ― and the flavors get even better if you start the salad a day ahead.

Recipe: The New Three-Bean Salad

Iain Bagwell

Ice cream floats

Nothing makes people happier than an ice cream float bar on a hot day. To serve 8 people, you’ll need at least 2 pts. ice cream or sorbet and 64 oz. cold soda or juice, but having extra encourages experimentation. Here are some of our favorite combinations.

Coffee Cream = coffee ice cream + cream soda

Coconut Citrus = coconut sorbet + grapefruit soda

Fro-yo Berry = vanilla frozen yogurt + sparkling berry juice

Double Lemon = lemon sorbet + sparking lemonade

Cook’s tip Serve the ice cream floats in heavy glass mugs ― they retain cold best. (Put mugs in the freezer an hour before using.)

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Your complete grilling cookbook

Savor deliciously grilled chicken, steaks, ribs, chops, fish, veggies (and dessert).

Guide: Your complete grilling cookbook

Throw a backyard ribfest

Sweet, seeded, or lemony herbal

Achiote Short Ribs with Ancho Barbecue Sauce and Avocado Relish

Grilled Spareribs with Fennel Seeds and Herbs

Chinese Glazed Riblets with Garlic and Thai Basil

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad

The New Three-Bean Salad

Ice cream floats

Your complete grilling cookbook