As you look forward to the summer months, which are not far away, you might be considering how it will feel to heat up the grill and how to make the perfect barbecue too. It is going to be time to take out the backyard bbq supplies. Are you ready? After all, it is a lot of fun having friends and loved ones gathered for a backyard event. Well, here we will give you some tips so that with a little planning you can take the barbecue experience to a whole new level and make sure that it is unforgettable. In addition, we also have some tips on how to cook food on the barbecue so that they give an excellent flavor to your day. We will also discuss how to prepare your backyard, which means attention to lawn care, landscaping and kitchen remodel. Make sure that you have handmade outdoor furniture to seat your guests too.
Tips for Organizing an Unforgettable Barbecue
Before delighting all your guests with an exquisite meal prepared outdoors, it is advisable to first take into account a series of details so that the evening goes off without any inconvenience and everyone goes home with full stomachs and a smile on their face. . Among these options we can mention:
• Choose a theme for the barbecue
• Organize and decide on the guest list
• Plan the perfect menu
• Do not forget the companions of the meals
• Make sure that the shutters are clean
• Get all backyard bbq supplies ready
• If you have one or more central air conditioners installed, try not to seat any of your guests or place the table anywhere near them
• Free up the driveway where your used car or new car is parked
When preparing your backyard for this party, think about seasons, like when you went to school. You should have a barbecue station, a beverage station, a snack station, and an activity station or two. The reason you want to do this is to ensure that guests are not loitering around, but getting involved. They will feel welcome in your place and motivated to socialize, chat and are likely to be less annoying to you by the number of times you flipped the burgers.
The Landscape
You wouldn’t want to invite guests and not have lawn care done beforehand. Your landscaping will tell a lot about you. It could even be a conversation piece for you and guests. While seated, guests can also look at your shutters and might notice if they are not clean. Therefore, you should do some outdoor cleaning before the day of the barbecue.
Kitchen Remodel
Although your guests are going to be outside in your backyard, there are guests who will be coming in and out of your kitchen where some of the food will remain to keep warm. Therefore, you should definitely do a kitchen remodel, if you want to take pride in what people have to say about areas in your home. If you could set up an area with a small brewery, which would be quite impressive to your guests and you should expect them to talk about it.
The Guest List
Make sure you take time to write down a list of people you want to invite to your barbecue. It would be nice to invite a doctor friend, if you have one so that, if there are any medical issues, someone is there that can help. Send out your RSVP invites by email and mail and give your guests at least a week before the barbecue to confirm that they will be coming. You could even go a step further and have someone do a website design for you where you would post all details of the barbecue including:
• Menu
• Guestlist
• Activities
• Cocktail list
• Start time
• End time
Don’t forget your guests and their tastes before the barbecue. Use your barbecue theme to design party invitations. Digital invitations make it easy for guests to respond and are highly original and entertaining. Include basic details like time and place, but also whether children are welcome and whether guests need to bring a plate, dessert, or drink. This is your chance to ask about food allergies or restrictions, too. All this will help to create the atmosphere of the event in advance.
Select the Right Theme
Be sure that you select the right theme for your barbecue. This includes décor and lighting as well as decorations. Make it a fun theme such as a beach, surf, international party, or Hawaiian theme. Once the theme is chosen, then you will know which items to purchase to complete the theme and color scheme. The theme will also help you decide on the menu items.
Planning the Ideal Menu
Once you decide the number of guests that you want to invite to your barbecue and you have an idea
of their personal food taste, then it is time to plan the menu. Include various choices of meat. Make sure you cater to the vegetarians too. If you are hosting a small group, you could add extra details as it relates to the menu. So rather than using the usual hamburger buns, consider baguette bread. You could also have a nice choice of cheeses, cucumber, avocado slices, garlic mayonnaise, and other items for toppings or dips. Consider different selections of seafood since not everyone eats red meat.
Prepare Everything the Night Before
A good barbecue must always have good companions. While the star of barbecues is often the roast meats, the side dishes are important too – especially if you have vegetarian diners in the group. Take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables like sweet corn, tomatoes, and watermelon. Make a simple watermelon gazpacho, sweet corn cakes, and tomato salad or vegetable kebabs.
To ease the anxiety of barbecue day, prepare as much as you can the night before. Marinate the different types of meats overnight, mount the accompaniments, and cut the fruits or vegetables that are needed. Ideally, the only foods that should be left to make on barbecue day are those that are cooked on the grill.
Preparing the Actual Barbecue
Before putting the meats on the grill, you should take into account certain recommendations on how you are going to prepare your barbecue and what tools you have to get the most flavors out of your food. If you are not good at barbecuing, then get a family member or friend to help. You can take turns. Decide which grilling technique you will be using. This means you should decide whether you want to use gas or coal. It depends on how comfortable you feel with one or the other. Here is an overall of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Cooking the Meat
Avoid frequently turning meats. An occasional turn is all that is needed. Once your meats are to the diner’s taste, remove them from the grill and leave them for a few minutes on a hot plate or on an aluminum foil tray. This gives the meat time to “rest” and allows the juices to pool for the best flavor.
Things to Be Aware Of
You should be aware that when you are cooking your barbecue, you should not press on the chicken or hamburger meat while it is on the grill. Allow the meat to cook through on its own. If you use the spatula to press on the meat, the juices will be squeezed out and the flavor of the food will be lost. To get the smoky food flavor, put wood chips into water to soak for a few minutes and then put them on the charcoal grill as you cover it while the food is being cooked. If you are using a gas grill, put the soaked wood chips in the smoker’s box. Infuse your grilled food with herbs for added flavor. You can also grill some of your vegetables.
Using Charcoal
With charcoal, you can find affordable prices for various grills or you can settle for a luxury model. These types of grills can get really hot and are good for fast food preparation. If you use a charcoal grill and leave it unattended, the meat will burn. In addition, these types of grills have to be lit manually and preheated for at least 20 minutes before the temperature reaches the right threshold. They are also more complex to clean because of the residue left behind. It is recommended that you get a vacuum cleaner; especially for cleaning ashes. Otherwise, if you leave the ashes, it can cause a fire the next time you want to use it. One important benefit of the charcoal grill is that it gives a smoky flavor to the food and you get to cook on a real fire.
Using Gas
Most people use gas as their barbecue grill. There are different models and affordable prices. One of the main benefits is that it is easy to clean in comparison to the charcoal grill. You can also get a smoky food flavor by using this grill, especially if you use wood chips. Most gas grills are portable, which means you can take them anywhere; whether in your backyard or a park. The heat source and temperature are uniform for clean cooking. You can cook any type of food on low or high heat since the temperature is easy to regulate.
Cleaning The Grill For Use
After you have preheated the grill, it is suggested that you use a strong wire brush to remove char and to scrape and clean up any grease that is there.
Give it a good cleaning in advance of the barbecue event and then check it again the day before so you can make sure it is clean enough. Never leave your grill sitting with grease because it will oxidize and be harder to clean. Once you are done cleaning the grill, apply some oil applied to a paper towel and long tongs. It is advised that you use oil that can withstand high heat. Vegetable oil is a good option. When you clean the grill, the food is not going to stick when the grill gets hot for cooking and you will get the classic lines on the meat that is normal during grilling.
Playing Games
A barbecue without playing games is not going to be any fun. People will soon get bored while waiting for the food or after eating the food. So, in your plans, make sure you have some kind of entertainment. This is especially true if there are children at your barbecue. The adults may not mind staying at the table; indulged in conversation, but teenagers and small kids are not going to do so. Adults should get involved in games with the kids too. You can include games such as:
• Horseshoes
• Cornhole
• Croquet
• Badminton
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Ladderball
• Board games
The Beverage
Of course, while kids are not able to drink alcohol, the adults want to have that choice. Make sure you have a cooler with cans of soda and juice as well; for chasers and for the kids to drink with their meal. Be sure to include bottles of water for everyone.
The Time
It is best to start the barbecue event at noon. If it is a day barbecue and you start at noon, you can go until 5 PM or later; depending on how your guests are responding. Put up a tent or canopy to offer shade. If you prefer to do a night barbecue, it is best to start at 6 PM until 10 PM. You should make sure that there is enough lighting in the backyard so your guests can feel comfortable despite the dark.
Conclusion
It is important to know how to throw the perfect backyard barbecue so as to accommodate your guests and make sure everyone has a good time. When your guests walk away with a good feeling of having had fun, then they won’t hesitate to send their RSVPs in advance at the next barbecue.