By January 2021. I am 62 years old, retired from the Postal Service, my days now belong to me and the smoker and Rosetta and the slow unfolding of a life without a mailbag. The week arrived the way weeks arrive in Orange Mound — carried by the rhythm of morning coffee and evening porch-sitting and the steady, patient work of being present in a life that doesn\'t require grand gestures to feel meaningful. Fourth of july 2021 — full family again.
Naomi is growing the way all Johnson children grow — fast, loudly, and with opinions that exceed her vocabulary. She is 11 months old and every week brings a new word, a new gesture, a new expression that reminds me of Marcus at that age or Angela's calm or, in certain moments — a tilt of the head, a stubborn set of the jaw — Denise, always Denise, present in the DNA, present in the grandchild who carries the family forward. Charlie and David in Nashville, building their life with the quiet determination that is Charlie's signature and the patient kindness that is David's. They are becoming permanent, the two of them, settling into each other the way smoke settles into wood — slowly, completely, leaving a mark that doesn't wash away.
I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the classic, the king, fourteen hours over hickory, mopped with the vinegar sauce, pulled by hand when the meat surrenders to the touch. The bark was dark and crackled, the smoke ring a quarter-inch deep, and the meat came apart in my fingers with the familiar, miraculous tenderness of something that has been loved patiently for sixteen hours. Served on white bread with coleslaw and the sauce, because the serving is as traditional as the smoking, and tradition doesn't innovate — it deepens.
The week ended on the porch, as most weeks do — Rosetta and me, the evening settling over Orange Mound like a hymn that doesn\'t need words. The smoker cooling in the backyard. The house quiet but full. The life continuing, low and slow, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I am teaching whoever comes next. The fire doesn\'t stop. It never has. It never will.
The pork shoulder is the centerpiece — it always has been, it always will be — but a table full of people needs more than one dish, and after a Fourth of July that felt like the first real one in two years, I wanted something bright and easy alongside the smoke. Lemonade Chicken has been in the rotation since Marcus was still in grade school: the citrus cuts through the heat of the day, the marinade does all the work while you tend the smoker, and when you pull it off the grill it tastes like summer the way summer is supposed to taste. If you’re feeding a porch full of people you’ve missed, this is the recipe that fills in around the edges — simple, generous, and grateful.
Lemonade Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 4 hours marinating | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl or zip-lock bag, combine the thawed lemonade concentrate, soy sauce, seasoned salt, celery salt, and garlic powder. Stir or shake until fully blended.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, turning to coat evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor. Turn the chicken once or twice while it marinates.
- Prepare the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat (around 350—375°F). Oil the grates lightly to prevent sticking.
- Grill the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season lightly with black pepper. Discard the used marinade. Place chicken on the grill, skin-side down. Cook for 15—18 minutes per side, turning once, until the skin is golden and slightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part.
- Rest and serve. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve alongside coleslaw, white bread, or whatever your table calls for.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 820mg