Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions owner Chris Bolyard shares expert tips for backyard barbecues

When people think of Chris Bolyard in terms of barbecue, their minds instantly go to the stunning array of high-quality meats that grace the cases at his esteemed Maplewood butchery shop, Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions. The Culinary Institute of America–trained chef understands that the main event, however, is only part of the story when putting together a backyard spread. Here, Bolyard shares his thoughts on how to complete your at-home cookout with creative yet easy-to-execute side dishes and accompaniments that go far beyond the pre-made tubs of Costco potato salad. His advice: Trust your instincts, let the produce speak for itself, and don’t stress yourself out about everything being perfect; chances are, guests are just happy to be invited.

Oftentimes, it seems like, when putting together a backyard barbecue menu, people focus on the main event—brats, burgers, pork steaks—and treat sides as an afterthought. How do you approach rounding out your spread? I definitely don’t think sides should be an afterthought. In the summertime, there are a plethora of really great things you can use as your sides. We have so many farmers’ markets in St. Louis that are filled with plenty of options. Sometimes, I will go there with an idea in my head for something I really want to make for a particular gathering. However, what I like to sometimes do is just go to the farmers’ market or peruse the lists of what the farmers send us at the shop and get inspired by whatever looks or sounds good, whether that’s tomatoes, corn, squash, peppers, or green beans. I’ll start with that and go from there and build a dish from what is readily available. Whatever it is will be at the peak of its freshness and taste because it’s in season.

Walk us through some of the sides you would put on your Labor Day barbecue table. For a Labor Day party, in terms of sides, I usually gravitate toward things that will be served either cold or at room temperature. The meat will be your hot item, but there are so many cold side dish preparations that are great for a hot summer cookout, whether that’s a summer salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and watermelon or a cold corn salad. With corn, I think most people grill it and serve it hot and covered with a lot of butter, which is obviously a delicious way to eat it. But corn also makes a good cold salad if you shuck it off the cob. At the shop, we do a riff on street corn, where we prepare it a few diff ways—fermented, pickled, and grilled—shuck it off the cob and then use black garlic, mayo, and lots of cheese and peppers, so it has that street corn vibe to it. 

Talk to us about potato salad and coleslaw. They seem to be an essential part of cookouts yet I think most people just grab pre-made versions. Any tips on how to make your own? They’re not complicated to make at all. For potato salad, I prefer creamy versions. I usually use red potatoes; you can cut them small, cook them until tender in salted water, then set them aside to cool. In terms of the dressing, since it’s creamy it will usually involve mayo and sour cream. I love mustard, so I usually include a grain mustard, some hot sauce, and lots of herbs. This time of year, I tend to cook with a lot of herbs. In terms of coleslaw, I tend to gravitate toward vinegar-based ones. Something fun we are doing at the shop is grilling up peaches, blending them up, and incorporating those into the dressing base for our slaw so it has this nice peachy flavor hit with a bit of vinegar to balance it out. It gives this really nice charred sweetness to the dish. I also think that, for veggies, people often go with cabbage, but you don’t have to stick with that. You can use anything that is in season. I’ve used everything from turnips to kohlrabi to beets. You just slice them thin, shred them up, and they will add more flavor and texture to your slaw. I usually venture away from cabbage in favor of root vegetables.

You mentioned grilling peaches for the slaw dressing base, which reminds me of the joy of grilled fruit. I think people tend to sleep on this and are really missing out. I agree that I don’t think people really think of grilling fruit all that much. Peaches lend themselves really well to it; they are dense and hearty enough to hold up to a hot grill, and they can be part of a sweet or savory dish. One piece of advice, if you are going to grill any fruit, there isn’t any naturally occurring oil or fat in them, so I always throw a little bit of oil on them whether it’s something neutral like grapeseed oil or something with a little flavor to it. And a little bit of salt and pepper goes a long way. They are good on their own, or you can incorporate them into something like a yogurt and granola bowl for breakfast or a greens salad. 

What are your thoughts on condiments? Do you have some go-to ideas for sauces that you can easily make yourself to elevate things? Well, first of all, I think burgers and tomatoes are a natural pairing. I also think pickles and cheese are obvious burger toppings. In terms of sauces, I like to mix condiments together—for instance, a fancy sauce that is made with mayo and ketchup. You can even throw a little cayenne or paprika in there. Sometimes, I’ll even throw ketchup, mayo, and mustard all into one sauce. Something I like that is a good alternative to creamy dressing is made with Meyer lemon and tahini. It has this element of creaminess with the sweetness and tanginess of the Meyer lemons. There’s also an abundance of basil in the summertime, which people are familiar with as pesto. But that pesto can be folded into a vinaigrette base for a dressing. I usually make a bunch of pesto and freeze it in small amounts so I can just grab a portion and throw it in something as needed. And in general, I love fresh herbs in the summer. Dill and mint are my go-tos.

Do you have any words of encouragement for those who are stressing out about putting together a backyard feast this weekend—or anytime? The best advice I have is to not overthink it. In my experience, I am always grateful if people are cooking for me, and I am excited if I get an invitation somewhere and know that there is going to be food. It makes me feel very grateful. At those gatherings, it’s usually a family-style setup, so that takes a lot of pressure off. It’s one thing if you are going all out and doing a plated meal with multiple courses. That puts a lot of more pressure on you and involves much more planning. When it comes to a big summertime gathering situation, it’s so much more relaxed. My biggest piece of advice is to get what looks good to you at the farmers’ market. You don’t always have to have a plan going in—something will catch your eye that looks amazing, and then the gears start turning.

Chris Bolyard’s Summer Salad

Yields 4 quarts; feeds 14 people

Sometimes, Bolyard goes to the farmers’ market with a clear plan of what he wants to buy. Other times—his favorite times—he lets the produce take the lead, getting his inspiration from whatever catches his eye on that particular trip. Although this recipe calls for tomatoes, cucumbers, and watermelon, he encourages folks to go with their instincts and to be open to switching up ingredients if something else looks extra delicious. 

INGREDIENTS

Buttermilk–Miso dressing

• 138 g buttermilk
• 100 g sour cream
• 100 g mayonnaise
• 30 g  rice wine vinegar
• 30 g blonde miso paste
• 5 g salt
• 3 g white pepper
• 2 ea fresh garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp finely chopped herbs like dill, tarragon, parsley, chive, and basil 

Other salad components

• 2 qts fresh heirloom tomatoes of any variety, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 qt cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 qt watermelon, cut into bite-size pieces 

Directions

1. To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Transfer the dressing to a smaller container with a lid, and refrigerate.
2. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, and melon in a bowl with a little salt. Let this mixture sit in your refrigerator overnight.
3. The following day, drain off all of the liquid, and dress the salad as needed with the buttermilk-miso dressing.