Summer Grilling: Tips For Your Barbeque Party

Summer is synonymous with barbequing in America. Americans can’t wait for summer when they can take out their barbeque grills and get the whole family as well as loads of friends together and just have a great time. Studies show that as many as 90% of all American families attend at least one barbeque party each summer and abut 40% throw some kind of barbeque celebration. Its everything barbeque in summer, where whole conversations revolve about the where, what and how of throwing a barbeque party.

There are a few things to remember in order to throw that perfect barbeque party.

The most important thing is to start with a spotlessly clean grill. Cleaning the grill before and after each use is highly recommended as some foods have very high flavors that could stick to the grill and get transferred onto the new food being grilled. This could wreck the flavor of your new dish completely. If your last barbeque was sea-food based and this week its hot dogs, think what would happen to the hotdogs, which would end up smelling of fish. Clean the surface of the grill with baking soda when it has completely cooled down and clean the racks with a dish soap which has grease fighting properties.

Always apply some nonstick cooking spray onto the cooking area, so that the meat does not stick when you are removing it or even while rotating it as this will take half the taste away and also the meat could dry out.

Wait till the grill has reached the right temperature before you put food on it. Food could dry out or even burn if the temperature is still fluctuating. If it’s a charcoal grill you are using, wait till the coals are completely gray and only then put meat on the grill.

Meats are traditionally marinated before cooking as this enhances the flavor. What you need to remember is that most barbeque sauces contain a high percentage of sugar and fat, which tend to burn more easily. Marinating your meats in barbeque sauce could dry out the meat and probably even burn it. If you love the taste of barbeque sauce on your meats you should add it in the final few minutes, just before the meat is ready to be taken off the grill. Ideally barbeque meat should be lightly seasoned to bring out the flavor. The barbequing process anyway brings out and enhances the natural flavor of each individual meat

To get tender meat that is full of flavor, you must first sear the meat on both sides to lock in the juices. Then reduce the heat to medium and continue grilling. The initial high heat only acts to lock in the taste and flavor. Keeping the meat throughout on high fire will only urn the meat.

Cooked meat should never be kept on the same plate that the meat was in while it was uncooked. Utensils for cooked meats should always be different from utensils used for uncooked meats. This is because uncooked meats could contain some bacteria which would then transfer on to the cooked meat and could spread illnesses.

Leave the meat alone while it is cooking. Don’t poke it every so often to check if it is ready or any other reason. The juice from the inside of the meat will leak out and cause the food to dry out. Also the leaked juices could ruin barbeque grill.

Cowboys BBQ rides off into the sunset

After barely a month serving Texas-style barbecue — and racking up accusations of unpaid wages and debts — Cowboys BBQ and Country Club is no longer operating.

UTPB women's basketball team picks up big win

ODESSA -- The University of Texas of the Permian Basin women's basketball team kept pressure on the rest of the conference by picking up a 72-61 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Falcons are now 7-2 in Heartland Conference play and tied with Newman for the top spot.

Millie Kerr: Top Chef Misrepresents Texas

Reality television capitalizes on shortcuts and exaggeration, playing to the lowest common denominator when advantageous, Top Chef has historically dwelled in reputable terrain.

‘Top Chef Texas,’ Ep. 14: Fear the foursome

On this week’s episode, the four remaining chefs — Paul , Ed , Sarah and Lindsay — walk into the San Antonio Top Chef kitchen and are soon joined by Beverly , the winner of Top Chef’s online losers-bracket competition. Read full article >>

Senior menus for Tarrant, Johnson counties

For week of Jan. 16-20

Eats beat: Off the Bone BBQ brings noteworthy brisket, ribs to Mansfield

And in downtown Fort Worth, paradegoers can dine as horses go by.

Where The Hell Is America's Next Great Sports Venue? [Austin F1]

# austinf1 Formula One racing is a sport associated with a certain kind of wealthy international traveler — someone who charters a yacht to enjoy the Monaco Grand Prix. Boy aren't they going to be surprised later this year when they travel to the newest F1 race — in a town on the outskirts of Austin so culturally remote their slogan is "Where the hell is Elroy, Texas?" More »

RICK SMITH: Writer's Texas trip a real tweet

What did a sophisticated, world-traveling columnist from The New York Times find on his first visit to the wilds of West Texas?

FREEBIRDS World Burrito Opens Two New Locations in Houston, Texas

AUSTIN, Texas -- FREEBIRDS World Burrito, the fast casual burrito joint with the rock 'n' roll attitude, announced today it will open in Houston at the Enclave Shopping Center on Monday, February 6, 2012 ...

Texas approves coach Mack Brown's 4-year extension

University of Texas regents agreed Thursday to extend football coach Mack Brown's contract by four years to 2020, a move school officials hope will assure long-term stability for a program eager to get back in the chase for national championships. Brown, who is paid $5.2 million a year, won't get any more money out of the new deal, but he will continue getting annual raises of $100,000 per...