Happy Fourth of July!

Old Glory is flying here under sunny skies… perfect for an Independence Day family gathering as we celebrate the birthday of our country.

I’m busy with preparations in the kitchen for our picnic featuring pulled pork sandwiches with cole slaw, baked beans, salads….. and always for our grand finale….. homemade peach ice cream.

What recipe do you use for BBQ pork sandwiches? I was raised in the South so that can mean many regional varieties of sauces for pulled pork. In the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, they often add a little smoke. Other recipes are heavy on tomatoes. I’m from the coast of Virginia closer to the North Carolina border and was raised on a vinegar based sauce. No Worcestershire sauce, no Coca-Cola, no Tabasco, no steak sauce, no tomato sauce or mustard. I could get a bit of a backlash from pulled pork sandwich lovers from other locations but this works for my family.

The sauce is vinegary, sweet, spicy hot. Tender pork piled high on a soft bun topped with a kick of coleslaw and I hear music with the first bite. Close my eyes and I’m 10 years old again, barefoot and in my bathing suit, sitting at a picnic table at our summer home on the Chesapeake. In the background I can see my father hand cranking the ice cream we’ll soon enjoy…. always peach, his favorite. Maybe I’ll get to lick the dasher this time… but maybe not. With 7 kids in the family, I’m lucky to get a finger in there for a taste.

.

Today I hope to create some of those memories for the youngest of my family.

Hope y’all have a fabulous Fourth of July wherever you are!