1. Pick a theme for your barbecue. Eva Ingvarson, a trend expert from Evite says, “Select a theme and carry it through from decorations to food preparations.” By the way, “grilling meat” is not a theme.
2. Bring the entertainment. Sure, your friends are great, but don’t expect them to entertain themselves while the ribs are on the grill. Set up some classic backyard games, like horseshoes or badminton so they’re not forced to sit around listening to your crazy Uncle Lou tell his stories.
3. Don’t stop at the burgers. Barbecues aren’t just for steaks and burgers. Expand your company’s palate range and grill up some seafood and vegetables—you lumberjack.
4. Keep it safe.Your guests are there to have a good time and to eat some great food, not to catch salmonella. “Use a probe thermometer to accurately measure temperature,” says Doug Huemoeller, president of Kitchen Window, a gourmet kitchen store in Minneapolis, Minnesota “A dual probe is best—one to measure the grill temperature and one to measure the temperature of the meat,” he says. And when you’re cooking different foods on the grill, make sure they all have some space. “Not only can marinades mix and lead to less-than-desirable results in terms of flavor, but uncooked juices from chicken can end up on other grill items, which can lead to salmonella poisoning,” says Daniel Stevens, executive chef of Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill.
5. Quit playing with your meat. When the food is on the grill, relax. Don’t move it around too much or too quickly. “The natural sugars in the meat need to caramelize before the food will release from the grill,” says Huemoeller.
6. Seriously, quit playing with your meat. “When food comes off of the grill, it will continue to increase in temperature. Plan ahead and pull it early. Then let it rest. Most food will increase in temperature 5-10 degrees. The bigger the cut of meat, the greater the increase in temperature,” says Huemoeller.
7. Watcha burning? Looking to go beyond just the usual charcoal and lighter fluid? Class it up with a premium natural charcoal or wood chunks like apple, cherry, hickory, cedar, birch or maple.
8. Start 24 hours earlier. Be sure to plan ahead. Marinating meat 24 hours ahead of time will give your food great flavor, says Jose Aléman, Chef de Cuisine of BOA Steakhouse in Las Vegas.
9. Have some consideration. Know your guests and what they like. Sure, PBR is great when you’re vegging out in front of the boob tube, but maybe your friends and family would prefer a glass of cab with their steak? Nothing wrong with having both on hand.
10. Don’t be cheap. Get the good stuff. Sure, dogs and burgers are classics, but try talking to your local butcher and get some great cuts of meat that will give your barbecue a much needed kick in the pants.
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James Park
James Park is a freelance journalist based in Southern California.
