How to throw the best backyard BBQ

How to throw the best backyard BBQ

Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere is just about here. Near the equator, certain areas see great weather all year round. Because of that, the time is always right for a backyard BBQ. Barbecues are a great way to gather with friends, cook great food and entertain yourselves for hours. Here’s how to make your home the go-to home for barbecues this summer.

Have an amazing area to play

If you don’t already, make your garden a great place to entertain friends. If your garden is currently a wide open space, hire patio builders to create a space for you. Depending on the layout of your property and your home, you could build a deck, lay pavers and have a seating area with an outdoor fireplace, bar and you could build an overhang or palapa with a ceiling fan and outdoor TV.

If your budget allows for it, install a swimming pool as well. Nothing rounds out a backyard space like a pool where people can soak, swim and play water games while you mix drinks in the blender at the bar and make delicious food on the grill. It will be like everyone’s on holiday!

Cook delicious recipes

Summer recipes are some of the best recipes you can cook and find. A lot of them are simple to make and people will eat them fast. Summer recipes are light, tasty and can be made in large quantities in order to feed a lot of people. There’s more to put on the menu than just hamburgers and hot dogs.

Summer salads like pasta salads, potato salads and fruit salads are cheap to make and you can make them in bulk. Kebabs and sewers are great to make with shrimp, beef or chicken. Cut up some vegetables and add them to the skewer and you’ll have a hit on your hands. Download a delicious marinade recipe for the meat and your guests will rave at your cooking.

Break out the garden games

In the digital age, it’s good to get everyone off of their phones and interacting with each other in real life and in real time. The best way to do this is to have a set of games for everyone to play and enjoy. Playing games outside gets kids to interact with adults and everyone gets exercise. Aside from swim races in the pool, there are a bunch of activities you can offer.

Water volleyball is a great game that kids can play in the pool as well as bean bag toss into floating targets. On the grass you could set up volleyball, badminton, ping pong, Kan Jam and any variety of racing games for everyone to enjoy. If you have the space, you could host your own backyard Olympics.

Conclusion

With a few adjustments, some space and some clever ideas on what to cook and what to play, you’ve all the ingredients necessary for the perfect backyard BBQ location this summer. Get everyone to chip in and keep the place stocked.

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Pellet grill vs gas grill: which is right for you?

Pellet grill vs gas grill: which is right for you?

Did you know that more than 79 million people in the USA have grilled within the past year? There are many options out there that claim to be the best grill for cooking your favourite meats and vegetables, but two of the best options are the pellet grill vs gas grill.

There are many benefits that these two grills provide which make it difficult to pick the best pellet grill or the right gas grill for your needs. The good news is that you’re in the perfect place to learn more about these two types of grills so that you can make an informed purchase based on your needs.

Fire using pelletscredit

Pellet grill pros

Pellet grills use wood pellets to create the heat needed for cooking your favourite al fresco meals. These pellets get added to a hopper on the grill and get fed into the combustion chamber where they’re burned to produce the heat for cooking.

Buying a pellet grill is a great investment because they’re quite convenient compared to other types of grills on the market. All you have to do to operate one is add pellets to the hopper and set the temperature. They’re also one of the most efficient options when it comes to getting a grill for your home.

If you’re worried about the maintenance needed with using a pellet grill then you needn’t fret. They require very little maintenance since you don’t create much of a mess when grilling with one. You’ll need to maintain the grates and keep them clean from grease and charred meat but the grill itself is easy to take care of.

You’ll also get a much better flavour when it comes to grilling your favourite meats and vegetables. That is what makes choosing between Pit Boss vs Z Grill such a difficult decision.

Barbecue grill powered by a gas bottle

Gas grill pros

Gas grills are also a great option if you’re ready to purchase a grill for entertaining friends and family. You’ll have a much easier time grilling at higher temperatures when you’re the proud owner of a gas grill. They’re also quite inexpensive to run and power since they use propane as their fuel source.

There are also plenty of inexpensive grill options when you decide on getting a gas grill, which means that gas grills work with any budget. You also won’t find many options that are easier to learn and use than a gas grill. All you’ll need to do is make sure that the gas is ready to go and set your temperature.

If you’re someone that grills a lot and you want your grill at the desired temperature in a short amount of time then you’ll love a gas grill. They’re clean and they heat up in around 10 minutes. The only real drawback with gas grills is that they don’t produce as much flavour.

Start shopping for a pellet grill vs gas grill today

There’s never a bad time to start shopping for a pellet grill vs gas grill for catering for your friends and family at your home. Pellet grills produce more flavour and are easy to use but cost more money. Gas grills are easier to use and take almost no time at all to get heated up.

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How to make authentic smoked barbecue without a smoker

How to make authentic smoked barbecue without a smokercredit

Sometimes you just want to make a brisket and let it cook for hours and hours while you have a beer and wait. What you probably don’t want to do is pay thousands for a real smoker for authentic barbecue that doesn’t really work for simple grilling. Of course you can make one yourself, but you’ll need to know how to weld and have a lot of extra time to devote to doing it right.

In other words, you want the authentic taste of a good barbecue meat, but you want to be able to make it with what you already have. After all, it isn’t like you’ll be doing this every weekend so getting special gear isn’t really on the cards.

What we’ll outline in this post is how you can use the equipment you already have, or you can buy a grill that does a lot more than just smoke meats.

Wood pellets for barbecues

Get a pellet grill

If you don’t already have a decent grill and are looking to buy something, then your best bet is a built in pellet grill. The reason is how versatile it is as you can fire it up in minutes to make a burger, or let a slab of ribs and side of brisket cook away in the smoke for the whole day.

And it’s far less fussy than trying to tend to a smoker. The reason is that the pellets are fed to the burner in a way that you can control. If you’re looking to smoke for the whole day at a low temperature, then you can set the temperature and how much smoke you want and the grill takes care of it for you.

The pellets can be from any hard wood that’s good for smoking from mesquite to hickory to apple. Whatever your preference, you can find the perfect pellet.

Cooking burgers and sausages on a BBQ

Go with the snake method

You can create a perfect environment in your charcoal grill that simulates a smoker very easily. And it’s very hands off once you get the system down.

It’s called the ‘snake’ method and it involves positioning your charcoal in such a way that it burns slowly to keep the temperature low. Then a few chunks of hardwood provide the smoke.

The reason it’s called a snake is that you arrange the charcoal in a snake pattern around the edge of the grill leaving the middle empty. Then, every few inches you place a chunk of hardwood. Light the end of the charcoal and it will slowly burn through the shape of the snake. And then it only burns the wood at the intervals that you place it. For lots of smoke, keep the packed wood close together; for less smoke, further apart.

In the centre of the grill, place a pan with apple juice and put the grill over the top with the meat right in the centre. The apple juice will keep it moist inside the grill and catch the drippings so it doesn’t burn and taste acrid.

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Love Logs is smoking hot!

Win a smoking fuel kit from Love Logs

It’s June, and that means longer, warmer, sunnier (we hope!) days. It’s also a time that we turn our thoughts to spending more time outdoors – gardening, relaxing and eating al fresco.

This month’s giveaway will definitely get you in the mood for summer; we have a smoking BBQ fuel kit complements of Love Logs (worth £47.95) for one lucky reader. The bundle comprises:

  • 12kg sustainable British lumpwood charcoal
  • Approx. 24 smoking chunks – your choice of two species (apple, cherry, oak)
  • 16 natural fire-lighters

This quantity is enough for up to 8 cooks on a kettle barbecue – that should be all of your summer barbecues taken care of!

Love Logs fire-lighters Smoking chunks Lumpwood charcoal

Love Logs is our kind of indie brand. Heather & Paul launched their company only last summer, in the hope of making a difference in the firewood industry. Like us, they’re concerned about the proliferation of single use plastic in the trade. Also of concern, is the 1,500+ ‘wood miles’ much of the UK’s firewood travels to get here from Eastern Europe… that was news to us!

To be in with a shout at winning this outdoor cooking kit, just comment below telling us what is your favourite barbecue food.
A smoking BBQ fuel kit from Love Logs

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