8 Summer Barbeque Tips Your Family Will Love

Spending time with family in the summertime can be extremely enjoyable. The sun is shining, the family is laughing, and the grill is cooking. We all love hearing the hiss of the grill as the burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork, and ribs (maybe even some vegetables) are cooked to perfection. 

Whether your family is small or large, spending time outdoors to eat good food and get some fresh air is fun for the whole family. After a year spent in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is great to be able to gather as a family for some fun in the sun. 

In order to make sure everything goes smoothly, there are some helpful barbecue tricks to remember. Here are a few tips for a summer barbecue your family will love:

1. Make sure the grill you use is clean. For instance, if you made fish on the grill the night before, make sure you clean it before you throw on some steaks and chicken. It would definitely not taste good if you had a leftover fish taste on your next meal.

   In order to clean the grill, make sure it is already hot, and then brush the grates with a brush that has metal bristles. 

2. Ensure that you do not flatten meats when they are on the grill. When you flatten meat on the grill with a spatula, you will lose some of the flavors that make the meat taste so good. The flavor that you are eliminating is the fat, as it provides flavor and moisture. 
3. In order to make sure that your food is not burnt while on the grill, keep a spray bottle of water at your side. That way, if your food ever catches on fire, you will be able to quickly extinguish it and prevent your food from turning black, while also protecting those nearby.
4. Flip your food as few times as possible while it is cooking on the grill. This will help retain the flavor of the meat and prevent unnecessary loss of moisture. For most meats, you will only need to flip once. If you ever find that your food is stuck to the grill, do not worry, just let the food cook a little longer, and it will likely come unstuck. 
5. Try using a meat thermometer. This will take the guesswork out of cooking on the grill. Even for chefs with years of experience, it is difficult to figure out the temperature of any meat by touch or sight. These thermometers only cost about $10 and are very handy tools. It could also save you the fear of serving undercooked meat and making someone sick.
6. Instead of placing foods onto the grill when they are cold or frozen, thaw them out first. This will help the food cook evenly and maintain flavor.
7. Instead of making sure that food is well done, undercook it. When you remove food from the grill, its temperature can rise, and it will continue to cook. Therefore, if you undercook it slightly while it is on the grill, it will be perfectly cooked when it is served. 

   It should be served between 5 and 15 minutes after it is removed from the grill. The larger the piece of meat, the longer it should be allowed to sit. This rest period ensures that moisture is equally distributed within the piece of meat. 

8. It can be hard to cook a variety of different foods for your guests, so to make it easier on yourself, limit the number of choices. Instead of offering four kinds of meat and six different vegetables, cut it back to three kinds of meat and four different vegetables. This will help alleviate some stress and make your job easier. 

We hope you have a great time barbecuing with your family this summer. Enjoy the nice weather and eat some great food with the people you love most.