By Kelly Bogard

On your mark…get set…GRILL! Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the grilling season. For diehard grillers like me, this means cooking outside almost every weekend, come rain or shine. In honor of the upcoming holiday weekend, I present to you a triple threat: Apple Glazed Pork Rib Eye, Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Corn and Grandma Da’s Baked Beans–three recipes for a complete Memorial Day Feast.

First, the Apple Glazed Pork Rib Eye. I found the lovely cut of pork the other day at the grocery store. The pork rib eye is a beautiful deep pink and marbled cut. It’s very juicy and similar to a pork chop or loin, but much more tender. For the glaze, I used Fischer & Weiser’s Harvest Apple Cider Grilling Sauce. South Texas Pork Rib EyesFischer & Weiser is based in Fredericksburg, and I’ve yet to find a glaze of theirs I didn’t like. The combination of the cinnamon and small bits of apple in a tangy sauce makes for some mighty fine pork.

Simply cover the rib eye in the glaze and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then flip the meat and spoon the glaze from the bottom of the dish onto the other side of the meat. Return to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes and then you’re ready to grill it. Remember, the USDA recommends that the internal temperature for grilled pork be at least 145 degrees.

While your pork is marinating, start on your corn. For the Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Corn, you will need fresh, sweet corn on the cob, bacon and your favorite seasoning. After shucking, desilking Bacon Wrapped Sweet Cornand washing your corn, wrap it in two pieces of raw bacon. Sprinkle each ear liberally with your favorite seasoning and wrap in foil. When you put the corn on the grill, place it over direct heat for the first 10 minutes or so, flipping once to make sure it cooks evenly. Then the corn can be placed aside, where there is indirect heat, for another 20-30 minutes. Since you are roasting it, the bacon will not brown like normal.

Finally, Grandma Da’s Baked Beans. My Grandma Da is a wonderful cook. When I think of all the meals we’ve had together over the years, three dishes come to mind: Green Salad with Avocado and Green Onion with Garlic Lemon Dressing, Baked Chicken and her famous Baked Beans. (I’ll think about sharing those other recipes later.) Grandma Da's Baked Beans
I have a confession to make… I actually make these beans in the microwave. It’s easy and they taste just as good. 

To start, take a half cup of chopped yellow onion and two to three strips of raw bacon and combine them in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 2 minutes on high or until the onions are soft and the bacon is partially cooked. Next, combine in the bowl two 11-ounce cans of pork and beans, one 26-ounce can of Ranch Style beans, one-and-a-half tablespoons of mustard, two tablespoons of packed brown sugar and three tablespoons of ketchup. Stir until combined and return to the microwave for another five minutes. Remove, stir one last time and return it to the microwave for another two to three minutes until heated through.

Now you have the makings of a Memorial Day Feast–minus an amazing dessert. You’ll have to come up with that one on your own this time. In fact, send it to me and maybe I will share it in a future post. From all of us at Table Top, we hope you have a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Apple Glazed Pork Rib Eyes

Summary: South Texas Pork Rib Eyes marinated in Harvest Apple Cider Grilling Sauce

Ingredients

Grilling Pork Rib Eye

  • 4-6 South Texas pork rib eyes
  • 1 bottle Fischer & Weiser Harvest Apple Cider Grilling Sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

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    Instructions

  • Place pork in a 9×13 glass dish for marinating.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour grilling sauce over the pork rib eyes.
  • Cover with foil or plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • After 30 minutes, remove cover and flip rib eyes in dish.
  • Spoon remaining sauce over the pork, re-cover and continue to marinate for 30 more minutes.
  • To grill, remove from dish and grill over medium direct heat for 7-10 minutes on each side, flipping only once until you reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

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    Prep and cooking time (duration): 1 hour, 30 minutes

    Number of servings (yield): 4-6

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    Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Corn

    Summary: Sweet Corn on the Cob wrapped in Bacon and grilled

    Ingredients

    Sweet Corn

  • 4-6 ears of sweet corn
  • 1 pound sliced bacon
  • seasoning to taste

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    Instructions

  • Shuck and desilk corn, washing to remove any stray silk.
  • Wrap corn in two slices of bacon, covering the corn end to end.
  • Season to taste.
  • Wrap in foil and grill for 10 minutes of medium direct heat.
  • Move corn to indirect heat on the grill and continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.

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    Prep and cooking time (duration): 45 minutes

    Number of servings (yield): 4-6

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    Recipe: Grandma Da’s Baked Beans

    Summary: Super simple Baked Beans in the microwave

    Ingredients

    Baked Beans

  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 2-3 strips raw bacon, chopped
  • 2 – 11 ounce cans Pork and Beans
  • 1 – 26 ounce can Ranch Style Beans
  • 1 ½ tablespoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup

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    Instructions

  • Combine 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion and two to three strips of raw bacon in a microwave-safe bowl.
  • Cover with a paper towel and cook for 2 minutes on high or until onions are soft and bacon is partially cooked.
  • Add remaining ingredients to bacon and onions, stirring well.
  • Recover and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Stir and return the covered beans to the microwave for 2 to 3 more minutes until cooked through.

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    Prep and cooking time (duration): 15 minutes

    Number of servings (yield): 4-6

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