“American” foods are changing, but July 4 still revolves around the grill

For much of the last century of American history barbecues and potlucks have dominated the Fourth of July feast-ivities Hot dogs and hamburgers accompany sides of macaroni and cheese potato salad and watermelon slices in ecstatic union in backyards and front porches across the country Coolers full of beer and soda crackle as the ice melts throughout the hot summer day Ice-cream sandwiches popsicles and pie await as the sun sets and fireworks light up the night But those aren t the only kinds of American foods Immigrants from other countries often celebrate their patriotism with twists on the classics or other foods entirely And with its proximity to the Southwest Colorado has a meager of its own traditions for the patriotic holiday including green and red chile corn beans and tortillas foods eaten in Hispanic communities long before there was a Colorado or a Fourth of July In fact anthropologist Carole Counihan documented Fourth of July foods in Colorado s San Luis Valley in a description published in a anthology The Globalization of Food She observed special dishes such as posole deviled eggs and pasta noting the holiday is represented by dishes from all over the world with a heavy emphasis on grilled meats Below a group of Denver chefs share their personal spreads for the Fourth of July Particular like Munetoshi Taira at Sushi by Scratch and Manny Barella at Riot BBQ which opened this year weren t born in the United States Others like Ni Nguyen of Sap Sua and Darren Chang at Pig and Tiger are first-generation Americans Lastly one chef shares a recipe inspired by his annual travels to Italy for the Fourth The grill and the outdoors are what tie most of of their respective menus together Chef Manny Barella looks at orders at The Regular on Thursday May in Denver Colorado Photo by Rebecca Slezak Special to The Denver Post Manny Barella Riot BBQ S Delaware St BBQ society was a huge part of my upbringing in Monterrey Mexico Every gathering revolved around open-fire cooking and outdoor grilling Tending to the grill on your own is a rite of passage We celebrate the Fourth of July here in the U S by honoring those same grilling traditions You can count on me having carne asada ribs al pastor and grilled vegetables on the table We also like to smoke chimichurri a classic element of Monterrey cookouts thanks to the strong Argentine influence in our region Erasmo Ras Casiano Xiquita E th Ave We go all out with a giant backyard BBQ that is exactly like the gatherings we had back in Mexico We throw carne asada and chicken on the fire and make a bunch of salsas salsa Mexicana pico de gallo salsa ranchera And of unit fresh corn tortillas and rice We wrap onions in aluminum and throw them in the fire Once they are good and roasted we hit them with specific lime juice The day is all about great food and gathering with family and friends That s the best tradition of all Darren Chang Pig and Tiger California St opening this summer My dad grilled Taiwanese street corn every Fourth of July growing up in Los Angeles A few of my best summer memories are standing around the grill and eagerly awaiting that first bite of succulent corn At Pig and Tiger our Taiwanese street corn starts with fresh Olathe corn We use my dad s original shacha sauce recipe only difference is that we make it vegan then we give it a dash of sweet soy for a perfectly savory-sweet bite Pig and Tiger chefs Darren Chang and Travis Masar cook Taiwanese Street Corn at their apartment in Denver on Friday June Photo by Hyoung Chang The Denver Post Related Articles Colorado only wins one James Beard award but it s a big one Belonging looks like mapo tofu Nana s Dim Sum Dumplings continues expansion Dumpling shop from Okinawa owners taking former Tacos Tequila Whiskey space off Colfax Avenue National pickleball venue Chicken N Pickle to open first Colorado location this month Four dishes we loved in May including Chef Carrie Baird s favorite omelet Anna and Anthony Ni Nguyen Sap Sua E Colfax Ave Every year we make BBQ pork skewers Americana-style We skewer quartered onions and bell peppers along with pork shoulder marinated in lemongrass We still don t miss out on the hot dogs though We throw them on the grill right alongside the pork shoulder and serve them with Vietnamese accouterments Our favorite is bratwurst with our version of pickles lacto-fermented garlic baby eggplant daikon and carrot It provides the perfect briny acid pop Don t forget the brown mustard Munetoshi Taira Sushi by Scratch Restaurants Larimer St In my kitchen I enjoy blending traditional American Independence Day dishes with Japanese flavors For instance I often prepare yakitori-style grilled meats alongside classic barbecue fare and I like to incorporate ingredients like miso or shiso into familiar sides such as potato salad This fusion not only honors the holiday but also reflects the harmonious blend of cultures that I cherish Darrel Truett Barolo Grill E th Ave For the past years I ve spent the Fourth of July in Italy with the Barolo Grill gang on our annual staff trip One of the things I dependably look forward to on a hot day during that first week of July is Panzanella It s an Italian bread salad with mixed greens tomatoes cucumbers and toasted bread tossed in a beautiful red wine vinaigrette And I usually make it when I come home from the trip shortly after the Fourth of July to offset all of the incredible food and wine we indulged in Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox