A Labor Day Grill Out Menu

Quinn and I have spent the better part of our summer weekends here at the lake house. This is our first full season enjoying all the renovation work, and we’re definitely putting it to good use. We’ve hosted family, friends, and IDCO Studio team members, and there’s nothing better than gathering with everyone around the table.

For this upcoming long weekend, I wanted to share a few recipes that have become our guest go-tos. They’re easy, fresh, and perfect for any Labor Day grill out you might be hosting. Just assign someone to the smoker, assemble a few sides, and serve with your favorite spritzer.

Revisit the lake house reveals:

Entry + Dining + Kitchen + Bath + Living + Primary Bed + Guest Bed

Labor Day Grill Out Menu

EASY + ELEVATED RECIPES

Smoked Pork Ribs

Recipe via All Our Way

If there’s an occasion to try your hand at pork ribs, it’s Labor Day weekend. Quinn followed this tutorial for St. Louis-style ribs and it was a huge crowd-pleaser. You’ll need a good chunk of time and patience to make these, but it’s so worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. St. Louis-style cut pork ribs
• BBQ sauce

Ingredients: Season Blend

• 4 Tablespoons chili powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 Tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons dried oregano

Directions

• To prepare the seasoning, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Place in a large shaker container and store at room temperature.
• To prepares the meat, tear off the membrane on the bony side of the pork ribs. Coat ribs with seasoning on all sides.
• Heat the grill to 225 ℉ – 250 ℉ and position pork ribs with the meat side facing up.
• Allow ribs to smoke for roughly six hours. By the fifth hour, begin to baste them with BBQ sauce.
• Test the temperature with a digital thermometer. They will be done at a temperature from 190 ℉ to 203 ℉.
• A rule of thumb is that at 225 ℉ baby back ribs will take 3-4 hours to cook and about 5-6 hours for Style Louis-style cut ribs.

ON THE SIDE

Grilled Marinated Peppers With Burrata

Recipe via How Sweet Eats

These grilled peppers with burrata have appeared on our IDCO Menu Plans more than once. They are an absolute summer staple, and work as an appetizer, side dish, or even a happy hour snack. This time around, I skipped the breadcrumbs and topped them with lots of herbs straight from our potted garden.

Ingredients

Directions

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. I like it to be around 500 degrees.
• Slice the peppers down the center, cutting them in half from top to bottom. Remove some of the ribs and seeds. Spray or brush the peppers with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Make the vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, crushed pepper flakes until combined. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Optional Step: make the sourdough crumbs. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Add in the torn sourdough pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper along with the garlic powder. Cook, tossing often, until crunchy and golden, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Place the peppers on the grill, cut side down. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes (or until golden and slightly charred), then flip and grill for another 5. Remove the peppers and place them on a dish. Drizzle them with a bit of the vinaigrette and let them sit for a few minutes to marinate in the dressing. Tear apart a ball of burrata and distribute it over the peppers. Drizzle on more vinaigrette. Top with the sourdough crumbs and fresh herbs.

Fiesta Avocado Corn Salad

Recipe via Dishing Out Health

Fresh sweet corn with avocado is the ultimate flavor combo, in my book. It’s a great complement to a Labor Day grill out, but honestly, it’s tasty enough to be the main event. You can use jalapeño to either crank up or tone down the spice level to your preference, with lots of crumbled Cotija cheese added in for a balance. 

Ingredients

• 5 ears of corn, husked
• 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 grated garlic clove
• 3/4 teaspoon ground sumac (sub paprika)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings 
• 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds 
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese

Directions

• Add 1 Tbsp. of the oil to a large cast-iron skillet (or grill pan) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 3 ears of corn, roll in oil, and let sit, undisturbed, for 4 minutes, until bottoms are lightly charred. Toss, and continue cooking in 3 minute intervals, until the corn is charred to your liking (about 12 mins total). Set aside and let cool. *Note: the remaining two ears of corn remain raw, which gives the salad more texture.
• Meanwhile, prepare dressing by combining remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil, rice vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic, sumac (or paprika), 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper in a bowl; whisk to combine. Stir in shallots and set aside.
• Once the charred corn is cool enough to handle, carefully cut the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Cut the kernels from the remaining 2 ears of raw corn and add to bowl, along with diced avocado, jalapeño, basil, mint, pumpkin seeds, Cotija cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
• Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Garnish with extra herbs, seeds, and cheese, if desired.

Click here to view all our past IDCO Menu Plans!

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Now you can find our shop of resources, templates and custom branding and web design work over at IDCO Studio – leaving The Identité Collective as a permanent resource for our beloved design community.