Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

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If you were on planet earth back in the 70s, then you are familiar with the wedge salad. True to its name, the wedge salad is little more than a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with blue cheese salad dressing, and the extras of your choice. When all of that foo foo lettuce came into vogue in the 80s, the wedge salad fell into disfavor. Not with me. I liked it then and I liked it now. You can’t argue the ease in putting one of these together, but I also love the cold, crunchy lettuce, the smoky crumbled bacon, the fresh chopped tomatoes, and that magnificent dressing.

Happily, I’m not alone. Four-time world barbecue champion Myron Mixon, known for his best-selling barbecue books (BBQ&A with Myron Mixon, Myron Mixon’s BBQ Rules, Everyday Barbecue, and Smokin’ with Myron Mixon), recently came out with Keto BBQ, Real Barbecue for a Healthy Lifestyle, a new book published by Abrams in which he details how he lost 100 pounds while still enjoying barbecue. But, as he tells us, it’s not just about the barbecue, it’s also about the sides. The wedge salad is one of them. His contention is that the wedge salad’s main function is to deliver blue cheese and bacon to your belly. He’s not wrong, topped with his fabulous blue cheese dressing, it's a wedge at its best. I have made a lot of blue cheese salad dressing in my time, but this is unbeatable. Try it, and wax nostalgic with a wedge salad. Or, if you must, toss it with some foo foo lettuce and enjoy it that way as well.

 Blue Cheese Dressing

1 c. crumbled blue cheese
2/3 c. full fat sour cream
2/3 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 t. garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional: two scallions, white and light green parts only, minced, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I added both of these.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This dressing can be refrigerated in a jar or other container with a lid and stored for up to five days.

Makes about 2 cups.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of Keto Barbecue from Abrams Books as a member of Abrams Dinner Party.

Barbecue Sauce

It is one of my favorite seasons of the year, barbecue season! And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get the urge to barbecue and have no barbecue sauce at hand. I hate running out to the store for just one item, so I have learned to make my own sauce. I have already shared a local recipe for Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce (that will always remain one of my faves), but a new candidate has emerged in the form of this basic barbecue sauce recipe from my new favorite barbecue book, BBQ&A by Myron Mixon. I whipped some up yesterday afternoon, and grilled some St. Louis-style pork steaks. Dinner was amazing! This sauce is so good I could eat it with a spoon. I won’t, mind you, but I could. You’ll feel the same way. Try it!

Barbecue Sauce
From BBQ&A by Myron Mixon
 
2 T. onion powder
2 T. garlic powder
2 cups ketchup
2 T. paprika
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. maple syrup
2 t. kosher salt
2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients of the base in a blender; pulse until thoroughly combined. Pour into a medium pot. Over medium heat, stir continuously until the sauce is heated through. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from the heat and use the sauce immediately, while hot.

If saving for later use, allow the mix to cool, then pour it into a large bottle or container. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

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If you want to give the Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce a try, click here.

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