In my previous post about Labor Day I outlined the plans I had made for the party I was planning for our family, friends, and neighbors. I promised to follow up that post with one letting you know the party results.

For this event I prepared as much in advance as possible. The Onion Dip is something that is good to make in ahead of time so all of the ingredients can blend together which results in a much nicer dish. For chips I provided some favorites from the grocery – tortilla and corn. For salsa I ended up using several of Mrs. Renfro’s: Green, Roasted, and a new one (to me anyway) Pomegranate. The Pomegranate Salsa was excellent and I definitely will get that one again. One of our guests suggested it would be great with Shrimp, and I agree.

The dressings for the Potato Salad and Coleslaw I made the day before to save time as well as improve their flavor. The potatoes I cooked in advanced as well. The actual salads were assembled the day of the party to preserve the crispness of the fresh vegetables.

The brisket preparation had to be improvised due to the high winds we were experiencing in Texas over the weekend. My little smoker was not up to the task of performing all night in those conditions, so I ended up smoking the meat for 3 hours then finishing it up in the oven at 170 degrees for the remainder of the time. All told the brisket slow cooked for 20 hours. I had added the rub early in the morning on Sunday so by the time the decision was made to start smoking early it had been on the meat for 10 hours. Per instructions, I gave the meat a light coating of mustard before applying the rub. I used Dijon Mustard.

I ended up not using the mop sauce; it didn’t need it. Instead, before placing the brisket in the oven I wrapped it in foil. I also placed a metal casserole dish in the bottom of the oven filled with water to help keep the meat moist. The brisket actually turned out great, being tender and flavorful with a hint of smoke flavor. Although I would have preferred to smoke it the whole time much of the information I read indicated smoking is generally only effective for the first 5 hours anyway. But that is the subject of some debate.

The Coleslaw I prepared is very fresh and I used my own vinaigrette dressing. The Potato Salad was the result of some creativity, ending up with a reddish color (from the Hungarian Paprika) and flavors that go very well with a cookout. It is not heavy on the mayonnaise, but has a definite taste of dill.

The Onion Dip Recipe, how I prepared the Lemonade, as well as a link to the Brisket Rub I used can be found in my previous post. Here are the recipes for my Potato Salad and Coleslaw:

FRESH COLESLAW

Ingredients
2 c Cabbage, green, shredded
1 c Cabbage, red, shredded
1 c Carrots, shredded
½ c Onion, red, chopped
2 Celery stalks, sliced

Dressing
4 T Vinegar, balsamic
2 T Vinegar, red wine
1 T Mustard, Dijon
2 t Sugar, brown
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 t Celery seeds
½ c Olive oil
½ t Basil, dry
½ t Black pepper
¼ t Salt

Instructions
Prepare dressing in advance. Chop all fresh ingredients and toss together. Serve with dressing either mixed in with the salad, or on the side.

COOKOUT POTATO SALAD

Ingredients
1 ½ t Salt, kosher
½ t Pepper, ground
2 T Sugar
1 T Mustard powder
3 T Dill, dried
2 T Garlic powder
2 T Paprika

1 ½ c Mayonnaise
2 T Mustard, Dijon

1 c Green pepper, chopped
1 c Red pepper, chopped
½ c Onion, red chopped
½ c Celery, chopped
4 Pickles, dill chopped

12 c Potatoes, cubed and cooked

Instructions
Blend dry ingredients then add mayonnaise and mustard to make dressing. This can be made in advanced and kept cool. When ready to make salad, add chopped vegetables to dressing. Cook cubed potatoes until tender. Gently mix dressing and chopped vegetable mixture with cooked potatoes and chill.

For dessert we had Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and Moolenium Crunch plus all the toppings.

We at Lukewarm Legumes hope you had a very enjoyable and safe Labor Day event with your family, friends, and neighbors. We would be delighted to hear about your Labor Day preparations, your thoughts about our site, and your kitchen experiences. Be sure to +1 us on Google, Like us on Facebook, and Follow Us on Twitter.