Coleman is from Dallas, so he's particularly aggrieved when he sees good meat cooked improperly. Long, slow cooking over low heat is the only way to tenderize these tough and often fatty cuts, which is how he goes about it for this party.
The brisket and slabs of baby back pork ribs were started a day earlier in the kitchen at the Rittenhouse, where they were treated to a dry rub, then cooked for more than four hours in a 200-degree oven. After overnighting in the refrigerator, the brisket goes into Coleman's smoker at 8 a.m. and cooks for six more hours over indirect heat, gaining flavor from mesquite and cherry chips. The grill cover stays closed, and smoke billows cheerily from the grill's small chimney. A temperature gauge hovers between 180 and 200 degrees.
When the brisket is done, the ribs take a four-hour turn in the smoker, followed by the wings, which need only 30 minutes. (Because this process takes so long, Coleman supplied a quicker recipe for ribs that should satisfy most barbecue devotees.)
Coleman also ordered a whole roast pig from Cannuli House of Pork on Ninth Street, in the Italian Market. He had tried roasting a pig in the backyard once, but found it awkward. "I don't have enough room," he said.
Much of the yard is taken up by an in-ground swimming pool, a big attraction for the children and teens who come to the party. The adults stay dry and focus on the food, and who could blame them?
In addition to the all-American meats, this year's menu includes a number of Asian dishes prepared by Arling Khounlavouth, the cold-pantry manager at TreeTops, the hotel's restaurant. Coleman had hired Khounlavouth and two assistants to help serve. An hour before the party's 3 p.m. starting time, she brought hotel pans filled with vegetarian sushi, beef and chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce, pad Thai topped with fried tofu, and a spicy squid salad spiked with plenty of lime juice and cilantro.
