There aren’t many things worse that going to a great barbecue and having the food not worthy of feeding to the dog. It’s happened to all of us, but don’t let it happen when you’re the host! In this post I want to offer some tips for creating the perfect barbecue menu as well as some cooking techniques to help with the standard items.
Planning your menu is extremely important. It helps you envision how everything is going to go, as well as helps you figure out the details of your shopping list. I even plan a menu if I’m just doing hamburgers and hot dogs so that I have a visual record of everything that I need. Plan food that you like, but also make stuff that most people like as well. Things like potato salad and chips will always be crowd favorites. Also, be sure to include some vegetarian/vegan options if you’re not sure that everyone who is coming eats meat and dairy.
Young Man Barbequing
Cooking burgers is the staple of the barbecue. Creating the perfect burger is really a work of art that many chefs spend years perfecting. You probably don’t have the time to study the art of the burger, so instead use the tools of the trade. First off, don’t buy frozen patties. They’re gross. Use fresh ground beef and a burger press to get uniform burgers. Uniform patties will all cook evenly and at the same speed so you get more uniform results when they come off. This is one of the best burger recipes I’ve been able to find for getting the patties cooked perfectly.
Cooking hot dogs is simple, but the quality of the dog will really affect its final taste. Spend the extra buck or two to get the nice, Kosher ones and everyone will be happy. Everyone likes their hot dogs cooked to different levels, some even like them burned, so be sure to ask what people want before throwing them on the grill. Remember that hot dogs are already cooked ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about them being undercooked.
When preparing things like potato salad and other side dishes be sure to taste as you go. You don’t want there to be any surprises once the food hits the plate. Check the levels of your spices as you go, with salt and pepper being the most important. Adding more salt is easy, but taking it out is impossible. If things get too salty, add a bit more mayonnaise to mellow it out. Also remember that the flavors are going to concentrate the longer it sits before serving. That won’t make bland food come to live, but it will get flavors like dill to pop out even more.
Hosting your own barbecue is one of the best ways to celebrate the summer. Have a plan that you can follow and you’ll be the most popular guy on the block!