Time to Bar-b-que

It’s summertime. School is done (unless you’re taking summer classes), and it’s time to play and relax. Stretch out on the beach or by the pool, go to the attractions, travel, and enjoy yourself. And what better way to enjoy the summer fun than with an old-fashioned bar-b-que!? Just think about it; hamburgers and hotdogs, ribs, chicken wings, steak, baked beans, potato salad, chips and dip. All those tasty foods, ready to be shared with family and friends.

But before you get to the feasting, you have to prepare and cook the food. There are many ways to do this, but the best way I think is to begin preparing everything the night before. If you are going to do chicken ribs and steaks-you know the heavier foods-they are best prepared at night before the BBQ. Of course, wash everything thoroughly first. Then add all your favorite seasonings that you want to the food. Me personally, I like to also let my food sit in some type of marinade (like Lemon Pepper or Herb and Garlic) so that all those extra flavors can soak into the meat and add more boldness. Then, either cover the meat in a large tuber ware set or on a baking sheet (like what you might bake cookies on) and cover with foil.

When you’re ready to BBQ the next day, when you’re grill is all fired up and ready to go, take out your meat which has been patiently waiting, soaking in the seasoning and marinade all night. Place it on the grill and let the cooking begin. Now some people like to add foil to their grill, but I personally don’t-I like that straight, smoky flavor I get right from the grill.

Now, as for the “lighter meats”, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and hotlinks, you can toss them straight on the grill. Hamburgers can be given a special flavor of their own though. Store bought is quicker, but homemade burgers are better. You can add seasoning inside the actual meet before making your patties. Also, a little bit of chopped onion inside the hamburger meat tastes great-adds a little crunch and additional flavor. The best part of homemade hamburgers is creating the actually patty; you can make it as big or a small as you like them to be.

Now, while everything is on the grill, please be aware to keep your eyes on the food. Depending how done you want your food to be will determine how long you want it to stay on the grill. But you don’t want to overcook everything; your food will end up dry and chewy and leathery. Also, too much of the smoke from the fire will dry it out as well. But, if cooked just right, you can have the juiciest steaks and burgers and the tasty chicken in the world.

Now of course, what BBQ is complete without BBQ sauce? Some people like to make their own sauce with ketchup, mustard, steak sauce, and other spices and ingredients. I just use the lazy way out and buy mine from the store (Kraft is best). Just slap it onto your food and fix yourself a plate and enjoy! This is the perfect time for a good, old-fashioned BBQ! The weather is beautiful outside and just right. So what are you waiting for? Fire up the grill and get to grilling!