Barbecue basics you should know before grilling this Memorial Day
Whether it’s Memorial Day, the Fourth of July or just a random sunny summer day, barbecuing is always a great option.
Here are some basic tips to enhance your next barbequing experience:
Buy meat and vegetables from local vendors
Not only does cooking outside keep the heat out of your kitchen and home, but it’s also a great way to experiment with the foods — meat and vegetables alike — that you usually toss into the oven.
Visalia has plenty of options to choose from for fresh vegetables and quality meat.
Exeter Meats and Westside Lockers – which has three local locations throughout Tulare and Kings counties – offers customers high-quality meats, including wagyu, ribeye steaks, brisket, carne asada, birria, ribs, chorizo, sausage, bacon, jerky and more.
The shop also offers marinated tri-tip and chicken with flavors like burgundy pepper, Santa Maria, honey BBQ, sweet bourbon, sweet chili, westside and andouille.
As for fresh vegetables (and perhaps fruit for dessert), the Farmers Market and local strawberry vendors throughout town are the perfect stop. The Visalia Farmers Market offers a variety of options, including carrots, tomatoes, peppers, onions, peas, asparagus, artichoke, and a plethora of herbs.
Local strawberry stands are open seasonally, which varies depending on the weather. Some stands offer fresh vegetables as well as fresh fruits, perfect for dinner and yummy strawberry shortcake.
Exeter Meats is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays at 140 E. Palm St., Exeter. The store is closed on Sundays.
Westside Lockers Tulare is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays at 307 S. H St., Tulare. The store is closed on Sundays.
Westside Lockers Hanford is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 10945 9th Ave., Hanford. The store is closed over the weekend.
The Visalia Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday in the Sears parking lot at 2100 W. Caldwell Ave., Visalia.
Season your food
While you’re out and about grabbing food, don’t forget the seasoning.
There are a lot of good options out there — from cookbook recipes to premade rubs — explicitly made for barbecue meats and vegetables, which means finding the perfect blend may take some time.
Most rubs include salt, sugar, garlic, paprika, chili and black pepper. Some local meat vendors also sell their own, in-house premade seasonings, so be sure to ask while you are there.
Have the right tools
Before you fire up the grill, make sure to have all of the right tools nearby, ready to go.
First and foremost, it is essential to make sure your grill is clean before heating it up by using a grill brush to scrape off any leftover foods from the last cookout.
Raw onions are a great way to help get stubborn leftover food off the grill without having to use cleaning products, just put your grill on low heat and use half an onion to wipe down the grill's grates.
As for cooking, tongs, fork and spatula are grilling staples and can usually be found in a bundle; however, skewers are also a great alternative.
Another item to have on standby is a meat thermometer. This tool is extremely helpful, even for grill masters, as it allows you to check temperatures throughout the cooking process without cutting into the meat.
Temperatures vary depending on the food you are cooking and how you want it prepared.
For example, steak can range from rare to well-done. Chicken on the other hand should always be cooked to 165 degrees, as it kills off E. coli and other bacteria.
When grilling, the Center for Disease Control suggests these minimum internal temperatures:
145 degrees for whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal
145 degrees for fish
160 degrees hamburgers and other ground beef
165 degrees for all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs
Time to get grilling
Your food is seasoned, ready to grill, and you have all the tools necessary to cook it. Now it is time to fire up the grill.
Remember, don't leave your grill unattended.
Whether you are using gas or charcoal, or pellets it’s important to give your grill some time to heat up. Be sure to look up each food's suggested grill times so everything finishes cooking around the same time.
When it comes to cooking, cooking at lower temperatures is always a safe route to take because it gives you time to attend to all of the food on the grill without having to rush between items.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.
Searing meat and vegetables require higher temperatures in order to create a nice crust. Knowing where your grills’ hotspots are is important — you can use them for the perfect char or avoid them altogether, so you don’t overcook your food.
Be sure to have enough separation between foods to avoid potential cross-contamination.
Lastly, while you are outside grilling over this Memorial Day weekend, be sure to keep cool. Record temperatures are expected throughout most of the San Joaquin Valley, so put on sunscreen and stay hydrated.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Barbecue basics you should know before grilling this Memorial Day
