Barbequing Traditions: An American Tradition

Barbequing has been an American thing for quite some time. Everyone loves to either have a barbeque or go to a barbeque. There is just something special about the taste of the food cooked on a barbeque grill. As a matter of fact Burger King™ has relied and built their reputation on a flame broiled hamburger. If you are planning on holding a barbeque, whether at your house or some other location, here are some foundation tips to get you going and to have a successful barbeque.

Reasons to Barbeque

1. Family get-togethers
2. Memorial Day
3. Father’s Day
4. The Fourth of July
5. A day at the lake
6. Labor Day
7. It’s hot out and you don’t want the house to be hot.
8. Just because you feel like it.
9. Birthday parties.

You may be sitting there reading this and wondering why I should plan. Well, ok then, scenario time. You wake up in the morning and say, “I’m going to have a BBQ today.”

You go outside and get the grill. You then pour your charcoal in the barbeque grill, oops not enough charcoal. You decide to go to the store to get more. You come back and now have enough charcoal. You then grab your lighter fluid and give it a squirt, but come to find out you don’t have enough, so you run back to the store and get more lighter fluid. When you get home you finally get the grill started and immediately shut the lid. Oops, you didn’t read the safety information on the fire department’s website. You open the grill ten minutes later thinking it’s good and whoosh, a flare up happens that claims all of your facial hair and even some on your head.

Are you getting the picture? The seven P’s just became a reality for you. Piss poor planning provides piss poor performance. Planning is the most important aspect of any endeavor you will ever do. To properly plan for a barbeque you must start about a week out. Start inviting your guest on Monday for a Saturday barbeque. This will give them enough time to plan for it themselves. Have your guests bring chips, sides, drinks, or whatever else. A banquet type barbeque is beneficial for everybody as it spreads the cost out evenly.

If it is early or late in the season, check your forecast to make sure there will be clear and sunny skies. If it is sunny out are kids coming along? If yes then you’ll want to have some type of activity for them to entertain them with. You will also want to have activities for adults to be entertained with as well. There are countless outdoor activities to provide for adults and children. My favorite non sport game is badminton and horseshoes, for barbeques. A birthday party may require a piñata. The best time to do a barbeque is in the summertime because of the warmth. You don’t want your guest gathered around a “fire in a barrel” the whole time, which is wintertime barbequing.

Although they didn’t have grills or other fancy barbequing equipment, barbequing has been around since the caveman.  The cavemen would have a fire going and one day discovered that food was good when you heat it up.  Back then it was all about the menu, just the food.  Now-a-days it is still about the menu but also the other activities that are included in the good barbeques.

Things that can be Barbequed

1. Hamburgers
2. Hot Dogs
3. Steaks
4. Chicken
5. Ribs
6. Potatoes
7. Corn on the Cob
8. Shish kabobs

There is a huge list of other items that can be barbequed but here is just an example of possibilities.   Remember that a barbeque is not always about the main course.  I always try to have a couple of other sides, like salads.  Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Cole Slaw, real salad; there is also baked beans, pork and beans, green bean casserole, potato chips.  The list could go on for days so I’ll stop there, you get the idea anyway.

One full day before the event you should have an idea of a guest list. Now the preparations can start. On your way home from work you can stop by the store, you should buy two bags of charcoal—depending on your needs, lighter fluid—one should be enough. Depending on what you are cooking you need to buy condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo or salad dressing, steak sauce. Just try to think of every scenario and what your guests like. Most importantly, don’t forget the meat.

Once you get home you’ll want to keep the meats thawed in a refrigerator. Make sure your grill is clean, and your utensils are clean and ready. If you’re making steak you may want to marinate it overnight. You may also want to prepare your additions like onions and tomatoes, whatever you can do the night before the better.

I also recommend you go to this website here to read about barbequing safety. I highly recommend while barbequing to either have a garden hose ready or a fire extinguisher.

Whether you have a themed barbeque or not the site should be set up prior to guest arrival. This will prevent you from looking like you are unprepared.

In the end, if you follow these tips you can survive the barbeque with all your facial hair intact and free from singes.

© 2010 by Wesley Cox. All rights reserved. Copying without permission is illegal and will be prosecuted.