Father's Day 2023 Edition
A Menu + Gift Ideas for Dad
Just recently returned from an extended overseas trip and Father’s Day seems to have snuck up on me again this year.
<To be honest, holidays in general sneak up on me>
Many people get stuck with analysis-paralysis on menu planning.
I’ve got a full menu below for the upcoming Sunday that would play very well together and is low maintenance.
Following are some gift suggestions that Dad would appreciate and there’s still time to click-and-ship to have them in time for Father’s Day.
Father’s Day Menu
Mid-way thru June and the summer heat is hitting most parts of of the globe. Being smart about having a blend of hot, room temp and cold dishes makes for the most enjoyable meal-time.
Below is a low-maintenance feast so you can chill, enjoy time with dad and not be stressing about finishing 4 dishes at once to get on the table.
All of these recipes are ready to view in the archives so you can start planning prep-list and grocery runs today.
MEAT
Alabama BBQ Chicken
The beauty of this dish is that 90% of the cook time is hands-off. Once you get the chicken on indirect-heat to smoke on your grill it give you 60-90 mins to prep the watermelon salad, marinated veg and corn below.
Using whole chickens gives you the best of both worlds, white and dark meat. This makes an easy way to have two ‘different’ meat offerings without needing to cook separate proteins.
Most importantly: This will be some of the juiciest, delicious chicken that’s been kissed with the best parts of smoke. Dunked into a tart and hot white BBQ sauce that’s loaded with horseradish and cider vinegar it’s the perfect BBQ on a hot day that won’t make you feel heavy-bloated or over stuffed.
SIDES
Yellow-Rice Salad
Make this the day before and you can serve this cold or at room temp. I prefer room temp so just pull it out of the fridge before the chicken starts smoking.
The turmeric, green bell pepper and pineapple make a bright and refreshing counterpoint to the rice. I grew up eating this recipe with the Coronation Chicken previously published but it works equally as well with Alabama BBQ.
Watermelon Salad
Possibly the most popular summer fruit, there’s many watermelon salad recipes but this iteration is the best. The balance of acid to sweet is key, with a kick of salty feta and fragrant mint.
Pace yourself because it’s easy to eat an entire bowl without thinking about it… aka addictive 🤤
Bone-Marrow Corn
Notice there’s no potato on the menu. The rice salad is not heavy at all but for some added richness this marrow-spiked summer corn is indulgent. You find this in certain parts of Mexico and is a flavor bomb.
Easy to cook while you’re smoking the chicken it’s the one side to serve warm alongside the BBQ at mealtime.
Marinated Vegetables
My great-aunt always served marinated vegetables in the summer. It’s pure synergy because the recipe is simple but once you take a bite it engages all your senses and flavors on your palate.
Another addicting summer side dish that is perfect with BBQ.
DESSERT
There’s a lot of ways you can go with this. The recent Chocolate Cream Pie drop would be a hit.
Basque cheesecake, Cuban-style Flan or Key Lime Pie would also absolutely slap but I’m rounding out this particular menu with ⬇️
Tres Leches Cake
Most of these are just overly sweet and cloying.
No bueno!
This has been a family recipe go-to for many many years and you can taste all the milks, soaked into a delicate and airy cake that absorbs the liquid and sets almost custard-like with an overnight chill in the fridge.
The secret is folding the batter carefully so it doesn’t deflate. Otherwise you get a dense cake that can’t absorb all the milks.
Nail this and you are in heaven, guaranteed.
Gift’s For Dad
Dad’s can be notoriously difficult to buy for. Whether your dad is a cooking enthusiast or just enjoys good food I’ve got you covered with options below.
CHEF KNIFE
If dad is still hacking away with a Wusthof or Victorinox blade it’s time for an upgrade.
Japanese-made knives boast light-weight designs that allow for easier slicing and chopping, and steel that is razor sharp and glides through ingredients easily.
I rarely run discounts but for the next ~36 hours use code “DAD” on checkout to get the hookup and upgrade dads chef knife with the Octopod Classic Chef Knife
FLANNERY BEEF
In San Raphael, CA is one of the best kept secrets in America.
Flannery beef is a 3rd generation butcher that is getting, literally, the best beef in America to their customers.
Wanna know where all the Michelin * guys are getting their US beef?
Flannery Beef
I met Bryan many years ago and we have become dear friends… I still order from him as he is getting his hands on the best beef in the USA 🇺🇸
Bryan’s daughter, Katie, handles most of the day-to-day operations now as the family tradition of meat cutting and aging continues.
I’ve mentioned this before but this 3rd-generation butcher is putting out the best quality and value beef in USA.
They dry age their Prime beef in-house, so you can order aged meats directly to your door. This gives you access to a quality of product that is impossible to imitate at home.
(*No, putting a rib roast in your fridge is not the same as dry aging. It’s a meticulous process that requires certain airflow, humidty, temp and rotation.)
If you’re ordering for the first time, the California Reserve line is my fave… their signature cut “The Jorge Steak” is named after one of their favorite Spanish Wine Importers, Jorge Ordoñez. The Ribsteak is a full rib cut from the chuck end of the Prime Rib… 32oz of meaty goodness.
SNOW’S BRISKET
For many people BBQ is King 👑
Traveling around while I was cooking professionally afforded me the opportunity to meet world class chefs, and pitmasters.
If you want some of the best brisket on the planet, you can have it shipped directly to your door from my friends at Snow’s BBQ.
Snow’s isn’t in a hipster town, flooded with traffic and foodie visitors 24/7.
It’s literally in the middle of nowhere 😂
They are open 1 day a week, and if you get in line early enough you get to taste a little bit of heaven that my friend Kerry Bexley and Tootsie Tomanetz are smoking up.
The BBQ is unreal.
They already had a spotless reputation and then Netflix featured them in the Chefs Table: BBQ series.
Tootsie is 87 now and still tends those fires every Saturday to serve customers from all over the world. You’re literally eating a bite of history.
I’ve tried all the big guys briskets… If I could only have one bite of brisket again before I died… it would be Snow’s BBQ Brisket. If you’re adding on to your brisket order: Jalapeno Cheddar sausage is 🤤 … and the Signature Steak Seasoning is tasty af 🤌
ROBERT CRAIG WINE 🍷
This is one of the first Napa Cabs I fell in love with. Rover Craig was one of the first Napa wine pioneers. He sold his car to get enough funds to start buying vineyards that he predicted to be good plots for grapes.
He was ahead of his time and understood the soil, planting, grapes and is considered one of the godfathers of Napa wine by those who know.
Robert passed a few years ago but his legacy lives on and Elton Sloane who is the managing partner is a dear friend all these years later and the wine has never been better.
My favorite plot is the Howell Mountain Cab. There’s a certain femininity to the aromatics and fruit of the wine. If you want a more heavy and forceful cab experience, the Mt Veeder would be the way to go. More coffee and cocoa notes underneath the fruit.
The Affinty is a bordeaux-style blend, sourced from a single vineyard that is a lower price point and a screaming value.
If you can find their Gaps Crown Chardonnay it is wonderful and they also do small batch Zinfandel that might be on a retailers shelf near you.
Order direct from the winery (join their wine club for first access to special releases). Any quality wine merchant should also have some Robert Craig on their shelves… give this a shot for dads that love good wine.
Most importantly wishing you all a wonderful day celebrating with all the dads in your life.
Enjoy 🙏
Great recipes!