The 4th of July is made for backyard entertaining. Make sure you have plenty of liquid refreshments, a well tuned pit and some wonderful friends for the premium outdoor event of the year! We would love to hear your successes and failures! Click here to let us know how it went!

Today's Topic: Great tips for a successful 4th of July event!

 Cool New Store Items & Store Sale
 Old Smokey Contest Winner
 Free Basting Mop Offer Goes On!

Want to hear a particular topic? Let us know!

Did you miss our last issue? Read it here!

Keep On Barbecue'n,
Charlie McMurrey

P.S. FIRE UP THE GRILL!

Great tips for a successful 4th of July event!

The following topics are offered for your 4th of July backyard entertaining. We hope everyone enjoys not only the suggestions, but their 4th celebration also. Hopefully you can get Monday off as well!!! So, %CUST_1%, here you go........

"Chicken on a Throne" - Or "beer-butt" chicken, has become one of the favorite ways to cook the ever popular chicken. Simply put, you get a container (originally it was a beer can), fill it with beer, wine, juice, coke, etc. Then add garlic, basil, apples, etc. Next, place the seasoned chicken on top of the Chicken Sitter and place it on the grill. The throne holds the chicken upright, adds flavor from the ingredients and makes a great presentation. The heat from the grill not only cooks the chicken but additionally heats the liquid. Thus the moist flavor engulfs the bird from the inside out. Moist and flavorful chicken is the result! HINT: Always use a Chicken Sitter that will not tip over and place a foil tray (made from heavy duty aluminum foil) under the chicken to prevent the grease of the skin from dripping directly into the fire and causing flare-ups which will burn the chicken.

"Best Burgers" - The orginal burger was brought into the world by Oscar Weber Bilby on July 4, 1891 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now look what we have...BBQ burgers, Mexican-style burgers, chicken burgers, lamb burgers, pork burgers, ostrich burgers, buffalo burgers, pesto burgers, turkey burgers, elk burgers, bacon burgers, and the list goes on and on. Burgers are perhaps the most served item on the 4th of July, along with the hot dog. Here are some tried and true burger tips for the perfect burger...

It is best to start with freshly ground beef, preferably bought on the same day. Using meat that is medium-lean (about 20% fat), form patties (handle as little as possible) about 1/2 inch thick and just a little larger than your bun, as the meat will shrink! Pack the burgers loosely so that they will be crisper on the outside and juicier inside. Season with salt and pepper plus your favorite spices -- but don't over spice or you will lose the great meat flavor. For fun, press in small bits of chopped onion on both sides. SECRET: Poking a small hole in the center will keep the hamburger from rising in the middle. The hole will close during the cooking process. Preheat the grill on high and place hamburgers on grill once the grate becomes hot; then reduce heat to medium. TIP: If the grill is HOT, the burgers will release when ready; then you can turn them over. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

"Burnt Ends" - Maybe you haven't heard of these but simply put, they are usually made from the fatty portion of the top of the brisket - often called "the point" since it sticks up higher and is more fatty. Once your brisket has been cooked to perfection, remove "the point" and proceed to "cook it again". This will help it lose some of the fatty grease and turn it into crunchy, chewy morsels of smoke flavor! Should you not wish to do this on the same day, you can always freeze this portion and re-cook it on anther day.

And finally...."Perfectly Cooked Ribs" - We all have our favorite seasonings for most items we cook on the pit - in this case ribs. But the real art of cooking the best ribs is to make them tender, juicy and still have them gently pull from the bones. Many folks will swear that the best ribs are the ones that "fall off the bone". WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Others will say that you should "par-boil" the ribs to make them tender. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Ribs that "fall off the bone" have been over cooked and are past their prime for both flavor and tenderness. In fact, any piece of meat that is overcooked will fall off the bone. Try it and you'll see what we mean.

These improper techniques probably come from not knowing how long to cook ribs and the many experiences of tearing the meat from the bones with your teeth. The next time the cook tries to do ribs, he or she over-cooks them and they "fall off the bone". Better? Maybe, but not BEST (we make the bold assumption you signed up for The Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer to become the best). OK, here is the answer for ribs that are tender, juicy and gently pull from the bone...

As you near the end of the cooking process (remember, do not par-boil!), you are probably moving the ribs around the grill to get the best heat for all the ribs. Use your food tongs to lift one end of the ribs (about 1/3 of the length of the ribs) while you let the remaining 2/3 of the ribs "dangle" from the end of the tongs. If the ribs hold firm, begin to crack slightly (but remain intact) and look like they want to pull from the bone, then you are done. If they hold firm and you can even wiggle the ribs up and down (like going off a diving board), they are not done yet...keep cooking. If they break in half and you see the bone, then you've been hitting the refreshments more than watching the ribs -- and you have over cooked 'em! You will be surprised how much difference it makes in tenderness and flavor.

HAVE A GREAT 4TH!

REFERENCES & TOOLS:	Hooks, Paws & Tongs | Charcoal Starters | Hardwood Charcoal | Happy Holla Steak Rub | Meat Thermometers
OTHER 4th IDEAS:	Don't keep secrets, tell a good friend to sign up for the newsletter! | Barbecued Pork Ribs | Shoulders & Butts | Artful Hamburger & Great Wieners | Beginner's Section

Looking for a specific answer? More than likely you will find that answer in one of the links below. If not, send your question to Smoky and he will take a stab at getting you back on the right track! Have fun and keep on keeping on Barbecue'n and Grillin'. Ask Smoky's - Collector's Edition FAQ's Ask Smoky's - New & Improved FAQ's

Don't wait, the good stuff goes fast!

The Summer-Time Values are Here Now! Cast aluminum - Will last for just about forever! This is one of our most popular grills SUMMER IS HERE! NOW is the time to begin preparation for the active grilling and barbecuing season. We have a lot of new items and many items are now on sale. Order Now...Get your free basting mop! Miss your old "kettle grill"? This grill will bring back the good memories, only better www.barbecue-store.com The Best Barbecue'n Products in The World The Safest Shopping Experience Everything You Need NOW SHOP BY PRICE RANGE Looking for a gift in a certain price range? Well, The Barbecue Store makes your gift giving just a little easier. Now you can choose a price range and we'll show you all the items in the store that meet that price level. Go ahead, select a price range and choose the perfect gift! Select Your Price Range $1.00 to $15.00 $15.01 to $30.00 $30.01 to $60.00 $60.01 to $100.00 $100.01 to $200.00 $200.01 to $350.00 $350.01 to $500.00 Over $500.00 MAYBE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SALE? We've always got a sale going on and right now, we have a great selection of products for the grilling season. Most of the sale items are now 10+% off. SALE ITEMS GAS GRILL PARTS We now have one of the most extensive inventories of gas grill parts you'll find anywhere. If you cannot locate it here, it probably does not exist. Find the part you are searching for easily in our unique database. Simply place it into the shopping cart and we'll send it! IT IS NOW TIME TO TUNE UP YOUR GRILL! OLD SMOKEY ELECTRIC SMOKER If you love electric smokers and have not yet cooked on an Old Smokey (formerly known as the Redi-Smoke Cooker) then you have been working way too hard and your meals are not as flavorful as they would be coming from an Old Smokey. This smoker is clearly the leader in electric smokers! A MOST POPULAR SMOKER! OUR VERY BEST SELLER LIST EQUIPMENT: Hathorn Grill, Bradley Smokers, Portable Kitchen Cooker ACCESSORIES: Chicken Sitters, Hooks, Paws & Tongs, Grill Covers THERMOMETERS: Remote Thermometers, Digital Thermometers, Pit Thermometers FLAVORING: Bone Suckin' Rib Rub, Paul Kirk Rub, Pig Powder Rub WOOD & PELLETS: Western Hardwood Charcoal, Wood Chips, Smoking Pellets OTHER STUFF: Smoky's BBQ Manual, Videos & DVDs, BBQ Lighting Click here to receive special e-offers from The Barbecue Store

Looking for Gas Grill Parts? Simply follow the link

The Perfect Burger

 1 1/4 pounds ground chuck
 1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
 4 ounces Roquefort or other blue cheese
 8 1/3-inch-thick slices red onion
 8 Pepperidge Farms type onion buns
 2 tsp fresh thyme - crushed
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper to taste
 Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Begin by setting up your grill for medium-high heat. Next, combine ground chuck and sirloin salt and pepper in medium bowl. Then shape into 8 1/2-inch-thick patties. Place 1/8 of cheese in center of each patty. Using cold, moistened hands, fold the meat over cheese and enclose the cheese completely. Now, shape the meat into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Sprinkle cracked pepper on both sides. Stir oil and garlic together in a small bowl. Brush both sides of bread and onion slices with garlic oil.

Oil the grill rack. Place burgers and onion slices on cooking grate. Grill burgers to desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare). Grill onion slices until just tender, about 4 minutes per side. Grill garlic bread until golden, about 1 minute per side. Place 1 slice grilled bread on each of 4 plates because everyone will want a second helping! Top each with burger and onion slice. Enjoy!

BBQ & RIB JOINTS MATCHBOOK COLLECTION
The perfect BBQ lover's gift! Matchbooks from the most beloved and acclaimed BBQ & Rib Joints in the nation! This is a collector's item. If you like BBQ, you'll having enjoy these! Check out www.BBQmatches.com for more information.

Old Smokey Contest Winner
Each newsletter we give away one heck of a grill to one of our lucky readers. By far, the Old Smokey Grill is our largest selling portable charcoal grill because of its durability and ability to produce great tasting food. There is only one winner each month! The winner of this month's Old Smokey Grill - #18 is:
   Warren Musacchia     Hey Warren, send us the email address used when you signed up for the Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer and we will validate your address. Congratulations! For everyone else, we'll have a new contest next month and will be drawing from the same list you are on!
Cook Up Something New!
From the leading Barbecue'n Internet site world wide, we offer you lots of great information for your backyard entertainment. We don't keep any secrets! You get all the information you need to become extremely proficient in outdoor cooking!
COME SEE WHAT'S NEW TODAY!