IVO Hot Tips: BBQ

BBQ Season is in its prime, and we know y’all need some help with this. The Art of BBQing should, for all intents and purposes, be taken as seriously asThe Art of War by Sun Tzu; you will literally have to attack your BBQ if you want to ever make it in the medium-paced life of a grill master. Strap on that novelty apron, marinate those meats, and turn on those burners because it’s time to meat your maker. 

From Dusk Till Dawn: Best Times to Grill

Any time. Any time is good to grill.

Marination Station… Destination Marination… Mr. Saucy Saucy I’m the Bossy?

Perhaps the biggest part of grilling aside from the company you keep at your BBQ is the marination. Getting that meat to be a tender yet juicy combination is an intricate practice that requires preparation and discipline. I personally like to start the marination process 24 hours - MINIMUM - before I grill. Anything under 10 hours will also be a waste. What you’re gonna want to do is get two zip-lock bags and put your meat in, pour a liquid base over that meat, and add any spices on top of that. The weird reverse-osmosis/I never really paid attention in science class principle will then take over and carry both the liquid base and spices into your meat. I personally like using anything from Kona Brewery as my liquid and then some mild spices to add a bit of a kick. Garlic salt is a good beginning spicy, but if you’re feeling risky maybe go ahead and add some mixed peppers and a dash of steak sauce. 

Charcoal V. Wood V. Propane V. The Greater Region of Isla Vista  

Stop me if you’ve heard this before; the Greeks believe Prometheus stole fire from the gods and delivered it unto man… and then 3 days later man kept that fire going, threw on some lamb kabobs, and invited his friends over so they could actually eat without getting salmonella for the first time in, well, ever. Since then, people have debated if wood, charcoal, or propane is the best to grill on. Wood is my personal favorite, as the smoke you get from each wood type (ie cherry, almond, peach, etc.) helps to alter the flavor of your meat ever so slightly. Charcoal is great for a medium to slow cook, and charcoal BBQs are gonna be the cheapest you find. Propane cooks the fastest and it’s great for larger groups, but it’s pretty much like cooking on a stove so, at that point, maybe just cooking on a stove is the way to go. In the cases of wood and charcoal, I cannot stress this enough, always put the lighter fluid on before you put your meat down and make sure to let that fire sit for a few minutes to cook this off. I’ve had meat with lighter fluid on it and I wanted to soft cry more than when I hit my pinky toe on my coffee table in the middle of the night. 

Are We Done Yet??? 

Grill times are highly subjective and vary depending on the type of meat you intend to cook. My best piece of advice is to have a knife ready because the inside of everything will be a dead giveaway. Hot dogs and hamburgers are gonna cook faster than steak, but your best tool is gonna be sight and smell. If it looks and smells done, it probably is done. Avoid any pink however, and I usually don’t pull anything off the grill before 10 minutes, especially steak. Steaks take a while longer. 

ABC: Always Bring Company

Whether it’s steak, hot dogs, burgers, veggies, or anything else you want toasty, the best piece of advice I can give for grilling is to always have your friends along. Life’s nothing without the people you love and you should invite those people over to share a brew, sit in a lawn chair, and laugh about the good times while you try not to sear the heck out of some delicious food. You got this kid--I believe in you.

You’re in the big leagues now. It’s time to take that soaring eagle of BBQing justice and ride it from 65 block to Sands. Godspeed kiddos, we believe in you and we know you got this. If you have any other questions, come drop by the store and ask Grillmaster Brock any other questions you might have.

Brock Clark is surprisingly well-versed in grill etiquette and this article is one of his favorites.