Welcome back to the 501 on First Blog! Today, we’re moving into a month-long celebration appropriate for the start of summer: National Barbecue Month! May is the perfect time to bust out your grill and head to a park near our apartment community in Rochester, MN. Invite family and friends to join you for an afternoon or evening of barbecuing. Remember these essentials as you prepare for your next barbecue.
Grilling Tips
-
It’s easier to remove debris when the grill is hot, so after preheating, use a long-handled wire grill brush on your grill rack to clean off charred debris from prior meals. Scrape again immediately after use.
-
To gauge the temperature of a grill without a thermometer, place your open palm about 5 inches above the grill rack; the fire is high if you have to move your hand in 2 seconds, medium if you have to move your hand in 5 seconds and low if you have to move your hand in 10 seconds.
-
Keep the juices in your meat! Don’t pierce your meat with a fork or prongs — doing so will result in drier, less flavorful meat — use tongs or a spatula to turn your food.
-
Use a grill basket when you are cooking smaller cut vegetables like peppers, beans, asparagus, etc. For larger vegetable (corn on the cob, potatoes, whole carrots), coat in butter, season, wrap in foil and toss on the grill.
What’s on the menu?
Food will be on everyone’s mind on a warm summer day. Provide BBQ favorites like burgers, steak, and hot dogs, or vary it up a bit with some other options. We love the 25 creative main dishes for a crowd-pleasing BBQ from The Kitchn. We also love grilling skewers filled with goodness like these Grilled Steak, Potato, and Mushroom Kabobs. Whatever you’re grilling, spices can make all the difference. We like these spice blends from The Silk Road that are available to buy on Amazon; they’ll add an around-the-world flavor to your grilled meats and vegetables.
Include side dishes, like salads, fruits, vegetables, and chips, to round out the meal. If you’re going to have a big crowd coming to your BBQ, do a potluck for the sides and desserts to make things easier — just be sure to include drinks as well as meats.
What are your favorite foods to grill or activities to include during a summer barbecue? Share your ideas with the rest of us by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy your next barbecue.