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grilling

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How to grill kabobs perfectly

We might be on the downward slope of summer, but that doesn’t mean your grilling habit has to end anytime soon. Fall is actually a perfect time to get outside and light up the grill. You won’t be standing over hot coals on a sweltering summer day, plus, you’ll get to enjoy the beautiful fall scenery around you. Because there’s no more delicious or fun way to get your daily veggies (and meats, too!), here are my top eight tips for grilling perfect kabobs: 1. Pick your stick There are two major options on which to skewer your meat and veggies: metal or wood/bamboo. I like metal because they’re reusable and the food doesn’t slide around as much. Plus, you don’t have to remember soak them, as you do with wooden skewers — one less thing! 2. Forgo the rainbow Okay, hear me out because I know a lot of you…

The Most Affordable U.S. cities for grilling

If your budget says ‘bowl full of ramen’ but your tastes say ‘grilled ribeye’, consider that moving to a different zip code may mean you can indulge your carnivorous cravings more often. It turns out that grilling in certain United States cities is far less expensive than it is in others. ApartmentGuide.com recently crunched some numbers to figure out the most affordable cities to grill in, based on the average prices of popular grilling goods such as steak, sausage, and beer, along with the cost of living for a one bedroom apartment. The website ranked a total of 257 U.S. cities. Each of four food categories (steak, ground beef, sausage, and beer), received a score from 1-257 (1 being most affordable) based on the average price of that food in that city. The four scores were then tallied and average to determine a Grilling Affordability Score (GRS). The results? If…

12 foods you should definitely not serve at your cookout

What’s a backyard cookout without burgers, dogs, and fresh fruit salad? While we welcome these summer staples, there are a few dishes that just don’t belong outside for long periods of time. If you’re planning an outdoor feast or the 4th or any other hot summer day, you should probably skip these 15 foods: Fried Foods Enjoy your burger and fry combo another day. Outdoor cookouts are no place for fried foods like French fries, onion rings, or mozzarella sticks. They’re all delicious finger foods, but they’re best eaten hot and fresh. Let them sit outside on the buffet table, and they’ll just get cold and soggy. Chocolate There is really no way around this one. Anything chocolate is going to melt and make a mess. Cheese plate Cheese plates are an elegant appetizer for a dinner party, so save it for that type of event. Your summer barbecue is…

How to choose the best meat for burger patties

Good burgers start with good beef, but your recipe is probably pretty vague, only calling for “ground beef.” So how do you know where to start making the best burger? When it comes time to choose the best ground meat for your burger patties there are a few factors to consider: Fat percentage Save your love of lean meat for another meal. Fat provides flavor and the necessary moisture when cooking over a hot grill. Without enough fat, your burgers will dry out quickly. Start with ground meat that is 80/20 or at least 85/15. You may even want to go as low as 70/30 for a really juicy burger. Choose a cut The high fat content requirement eliminate cuts like sirloin and round, which are far too lean to make a juicy burger. Beef chuck falls in the 15 to 20 percent (80/20) scale, and it has a rich flavor…

15 fun ways to take S’mores beyond the campfire

S’mores are delicious. If you disagree, we’ll, we’re no longer digital food world friends. Now, if you say they’re a pain to eat, they’re messy, and they leave you wondering if your face is covered in melted chocolate, gooey marshmallow, graham cracker crumbs, or all three — now I can relate. S’mores are seriously one of the most perfect trio combinations. Give me tomato, basil, and mozzarella caprese salad for dinner and a s’more for dessert, and I’ll be in a sort of summertime seventh heaven. But I do agree they are a serious mess. Most of the time the whole s’more doesn’t even make it into my mouth. The chocolate will ooze out, or a giant piece of cracker will fall into the fire. Thankfully, s’mores ingredients are insanely versatile and you can get super creative with them. From milkshakes to cheesecakes, here are 15 fun ways to enjoy…

A USDA food safety reminder for summer outings

Don’t let pathogens crash your summer picnic. With summer officially underway, people are gearing up their picnic baskets and grills for a long summer of outdoor dining. But remember that excess heat and humidity combined with outdoor activities make for the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply and spoil your food and your fun. If your idea of summer is indulgent whipped cream fruit salads, deviled eggs, and grilled chicken and burgers, you should take a few steps to make sure your meal won’t make you sick. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a few tips that will help keep summer fun and food handling safe: Lather up. If running water might not be present, bring soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer or moist towelettes. It’s good to wash hands before eating, but it’s extra important if you’re handling raw meat or poultry. Bring plenty of plates and utensils. Don’t place cooked…

Why you should always ‘rest’ meat after cooking

When the smell of sizzling, charred steak is wafting through the air, it can be hard to delay any further gratification. You want to dive fork first into that juicy piece of meat and feast until you’re full. But before you make this backyard barbecue blunder, you should understand the importance of resting meat. Let’s explore. What happens to cooked meat? Cooking a piece of meat causes the proteins to ‘set’. The more cooked the meat, the more ‘set’ the proteins are, thus creating the variation in firmness between, say, a raw and well-done piece of meat. A meat thermometer can tell you exactly how cooked your piece of meat is, but most cooks pride themselves on being able to tell doneness using only the tong test. (Poke any steak with a pair of tongs and the amount of push-back will tell you its approximate doneness.) Why all meat should rest…

7 steps to prep your grill for grilling season

You might have already packed away your sweaters and scarves, but before this summer can really heat up, you need to give your grill its annual checkup. It might not be the most exciting item on your upcoming schedule, but nothing can kill an outdoor dinner party faster than a broken grill. So for the sake of future fun, follow this advice to make sure your grill is ready for its Memorial Day debut and beyond. Also read, How to kick off grilling season with proper food safety. 1. Deep clean the grates. Little charred bits don’t add flavor — by now, it’s just dirt that can make you sick. Cleaning your grates regularly will prevent dangerous bacteria buildup, improve the taste of your food, and also reduce the risk of fire. Grill grates can be cleaned a variety of different ways, but to really start the season off right, consider…

How to make your own Montreal Steak Seasoning

The days are getting longer, and that only means one thing — grilling season! Soon, we’ll be digging out our favorite fuss-free appliance from the garage and firing up the coals. Ah, sweet summertime is almost here. Grilling season calls for lots of different steak and burger recipes and seasonings. Rather than pay a premium for one small seasoning shaker, make your own mix at home. You’ll save money and be able to customize the blend. Montreal Steak Seasoning is one popular steak rub that can be found at nearly any grocery store nationwide. The unique blend and coarse texture make it great for sprinkling on steaks, burgers, hash browns, baked potatoes, salmon, or even roasted veggies. You can make it in no time with a mortar and pestle or spice mill, but if you don’t have one of those handy, have no fear. You can toss your spices in a…

How to tell you have food poisoning and what may have caused it

Summer is a big season for food poisoning. All of those backyard parties and picnics can lead to some pretty questionable food handling habits. One in six Americans — about 48 million people — will deal with some type of foodborne illness this year, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means you’ve ingested bacteria, viruses or parasites that can really do a number on your body. But how do you distinguish funky food from a safe snack, and how do you know it’s not some other ailment? Food poisoning symptoms According to the Mayo Clinic, your food poisoning symptoms will differ depending on what your food was contaminated with, as well as your age. Very young or elderly people, pregnant women and those with weaker immune systems or chronic diseases face a high risk in contracting a foodborne illness, but food poisoning can affect anyone. Here are some…