Summer is our favorite time to get together with friends and barbecue. Summertime has people getting out their barbecue recipes and their favorite cooking apron. There was a time when grilling was just the fathers job. Today, anyone can tackle grilling a good burger.
Barbecue grills come in all shapes and sizes. Choosing a grill can be a very difficult decision. Some things to think about when choosing a grill are:
- How many people are you cooking for? You need to determine the average number of people you will be cooking for. The size of the barbecue determines how much meat you can cook at once. This is important because you do not want people waiting for food while others are eating.
- What type of outdoor cooking do you want to do? Do you want to cook with charcoal, propane or an electric barbecue? The true hardcore backyard chef cooks on charcoal. Gas is the most popular today though.
- What will you barbecue? Sometimes a great blueberry steak will surprise your guests. The heat is different on each type of grill. You may find that a small charcoal grill for hamburgers is all you need. On the other hand, a gas grill that can handle several steaks maybe your cup of tea.
Once you choose your grill you will want to find that perfect barbecue recipe. Many barbecue recipes are passed down from generation to generation. There are a lot of great barbecue sauce recipes that are guarded very closely. The weekend barbecue becomes a neighborhood competition. Who has the best sauce? Who cooks the best burgers? The contest will go on across America all summer long.
There are some basic things you can do to make your barbecue a success. You can add these ideas to any barbecue recipe. Some things you can do are:
- Spice up the burger: Add finely chopped onion and celery to your hamburger. A touch of Worchester sauce will also help spice them up. This will make your burgers plumper and have a terrific taste.
- Liquid smoke: You do not have to own a smoker to get that great smoked taste. A touch of liquid smoke during the meat marinate will work perfectly.
- Marinate: Marinate your meat the day before you are going to barbecue. It is not necessary to have that perfect marinade recipe. You can use anything you have on hand. Some wine, soda, and Italian salad dressing work really well. Season the meat to your liking and put it in a zip lock bag over night. It will make the meat have more flavors and be moist.
- Beat the meat: This works on any meat. Beat the meat to tenderize it. You can also use a knife and cut slits throughout the meat. It will make the meat cook evenly. It will also make it very tender.
- Inject: Injecting the meat gives the meat a special taste and flavor. Cajun injection spices are wonderful.
- Beer can barbecue: Pop the top on a can of beer and place a spiced, whole chicken over the beer can and barbecue. This barbecue recipe sounds crazy, but it is amazing.
- Pre-heat the grill: Pre-heating your grill is essential in cooking your meat evenly.
- Clean: Keep your grill clean. Clean it while it is hot. Rust, dirt, and bacteria can build up on your grill. It can also affect the taste of your meat.
These are just a few ideas you can add to your barbecue ritual that will make your barbecue a great success. Outdoor barbecues are one of the things that make summer time so much fun. Pull out your favorite barbecue recipe and let’s eat.