We’re officially into summer now and I couldn’t be more excited. The kids will be tracking out of school soon and we’re ready for a break. Between school, sports, clubs, and activities, we’ve all been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. The summer will be a nice break from our hectic school year schedules and we’re looking forward to enjoying every minute of it.
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is entertaining all of our loved ones by hosting big cookouts with all of our family and friends. Since summer is pretty much synonymous with grilling, we have already made plans for several block parties and cookouts.
We have an awesome grill that’s large enough to cook for several families at once so we love to invite others over to grill out. We’ll host a few friends at our house or get some of our favorite neighbors together to plan a bigger cookout for the families.
My husband is definitely the grillmaster in the family, but I’m learning from him each time we grill out. Since summer is the perfect time to learn to grill if you haven’t done it before, I wanted to share some of his favorite grilling tips.
5 Grilling Tips for Beginners
1: Always have a clean grill. You don’t want leftover food from the last cookout to ruin the flavor of or affect the taste of this meal. When you’re finished grilling, clean the grates with a sturdy metal brush while the grill is still hot and the food can be removed easily.
2: Let your food cook without being disturbed. Don’t be tempted to move or flip the food until it’s cooked on that side. Most meats cook and taste better without being moved and can stick to the grill or fall apart if moved before it’s cooked enough.
3: Do not press the meat. Despite what you see in commercials, you shouldn’t be pressing down on your meat with the spatula. That causes the fat and the flavor of the meat to drip out and burn away. Leave the meat alone to cook so it stays juicy and flavorful.
4: Use a meat thermometer. Until you’ve been grilling for a while, it can be difficult to tell whether meat is cooked properly. You don’t want to keep moving or having to cut into the meat to see if it’s thoroughly cooked so buy a meat thermometer to use when you grill.
5. Don’t completely cook food. Because food continues to cook after it leaves the grill but is still very hot, remove it from heat when it’s just barely undercooked. By the time you serve the food, it will be perfect.
Summer Grilling Recipes
Ready to grill out? Be sure to check out our other favorite recipes for you to try at your next summer cookout.
