Photo by Theresa Stanley
Barbecue is an equally beloved and debated comfort food. Memphis style, St. Louis or Kansas City – which is better? Whichever style you prefer, we can all agree barbecue is king in the South, and side dishes make the plate. Savory, sweet or spicy sides bring balance to a plate of smoky Q.
We asked a couple of local restaurants – including the Nashville-based Edley’s Bar-B-Que, which recently opened its first Lexington location at The Summit at Fritz Farm, and J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar, a local, independent Southern restaurant that recently celebrated its first anniversary in Beaumont Centre – to share favorite side dishes. Both can be made ahead of time for a backyard barbecue and are real crowd pleasers – be careful, lest they steal the show.
Bar-B-Que Bean Salad
Recipe by Edley’s Bar-B-Cue
Ingredients:
• 1 can of black beans, rinse well
• 1 can of field peas (black eyed peas can be substituted), rinsed well
• 1 pound of frozen Shoepeg corn, thawed
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix. Set aside.
Dressing:
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Add dressing to vegetable mix. Lightly toss to coat ingredients. Refrigerate for at least two hours; the longer it chills the better it gets. Serves four.
Photo by Theresa Stanley
Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread
Recipe provided by J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar
Ingredients:
• 1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup diced jalapeno pepper (2 large peppers)
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and whisk until combined. Add buttermilk and baking soda then whisk to combine. Add the flour, cornmeal, peppers and salt using a spatula stir until just blended. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into a greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake for 38 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to cut.
Photo by Theresa Stanley