The sun is shining and the family are sat in the yard, a barbecue is the best way to socialise and feed the clan. There aren’t many people who can resist the sweet smell of a barbecue grill. It gives you a chance to relax, eat and drink with friends and family but more importantly it gives you chance to show off your skills to all the other men!
The first thing you need to do is get your kit in shape. A throw away grill just isn’t going to cut it. You need something with a little more grunt. The bigger the grill the more impressive it looks and the more food you can cook at once. A gas grill is good but nothing can really beat a traditional charcoal grill for the classic flavour. You could even go one step further and get your hands on a masterbuilt smoker to give your meat that extra special taste.
The Barbecue is a relaxing event and can’t be rushed. You need to give the coals time to burn away; the flames time to die down and turn white and your meat needs to be pre-warmed. That last point is something that most people miss out. The food should not travel straight from refrigerator to grill; it should be allowed to warm slightly beforehand. This simple step will let thick meat cook on the inside without completely burning the outside.
It is thought that barbecue grills are one of the biggest causes of food poisoning in the US. It seems that people try to cook their sausages as fast as possible and just end up with little pieces of charcoal that are still pink in the center. Just because something is black it doesn’t mean it has been cooked through. Cut the meat and check it is cooked because after a few too many drinks most of your guests will just eat whatever you put in front of them.
Almost anything can be cooked on the grill but family favourites will always be things like steak, ribs and chicken as well sausages and burgers. All these things can be spiced up a little with the right sauces and you don’t really need to put too much effort in. There are all sorts of sauces readily available from the store. Everything from chilli sauce to ketchup and spicy barbecue sauce can be bought over the counter and used to give your barbecue that extra edge.
The main thing is to have fun.