How To Cater A Great Summer BBQ Party
A summer barbecue is one of life’s simple pleasures. In addition to showcasing fresh and seasonal food, it allows everybody to enjoy the great outdoors while mingling with good friends and family. What could be better than having a great summer BBQ party?
Planning your BBQ party doesn’t have to be hard, especially if you have everything planned out. Follow our tips and you won’t have to rush for supplies at the last minute just to replenish your spread. For a BBQ, you need to prepare recipes that are delicious but simple to execute and cook as well as drinks that can be made in big, easy batches. After all, a BBQ party should be about enjoying delicious grilled food, enjoying great company and getting plenty of sunshine.
Below are our top tips to cater for a great summer BBQ party.
Prepare your grill
Preparing and cleaning your grill is the first thing that you’ll need to do. Do this a few days before the event. To clean the grill, let it heat up for 10 minutes (gas) or 20 minutes (charcoal). Once the grill is heated, use a brass wire brush to scrape any charred gunk off the grate. Give it a good scrape and make sure that no gunk is left. Coat the grill with canola or peanut oil and let it set. Now, your grill is ready.
Set the stage
Since it’s a summer BBQ, everything should be casual and relaxed. Let your guests know that they can wear t-shirts and shorts; there’s no need to impress anyone with an expensive ensemble. Set your table outside with colourful place mats, table cloths and informal dinnerware. The plates should be big enough to fit sandwiches, grilled meats, salads and other extras.
Do not blow your budget on expensive meats
You don’t need to break the bank and serve fancy meats, steaks, chicken or fish. Instead of serving porterhouse, go for inexpensive skirt or flank steaks or flavourful chicken legs and thighs. For fish, go for darker, grill-friendly fish like bluefish or mackerel.
Let your guests know what’s on the menu
Use a blackboard to showcase what will be served during the party. This way, your guests will know what food to expect. But if you want to surprise them, ditch the blackboard and let your guest be surprised at the good spread you’re providing.
Drinks, drinks, drinks!
Fill your cooler with ice and stock it with plenty of drinks so that they are nice and cold by the time your guests arrive. Remember to frequently replenish the ice supply all throughout the event. Beer, soda, juices, summer cocktails and fruity wines should be available for your guest to enjoy. Summer favourites are lemonade, sangria, beer and iced tea.
Freshly cut fruits and vegetable are good appetisers. Keep them in the fridge until your guests arrive.
Make extra but not too much
When you plan out your portions, make sure to grill enough for leftovers. To reheat meat properly, sprinkle with water or BBQ sauce, wrap it in foil and cook over indirect heat for about 5 minutes. If you have some leftover roast pork, toss it into the slow cooker and add some BBQ sauce. BBQs are the perfect opportunity to cook some great meat that will last well after the party.
Set the party mood with the right music
Prepare your summer playlist before the event. Having the right music will keep your party guests in a great mood all afternoon and evening. As long as the music makes everyone smile, it should do the job.
Keep it simple
There’s no need to overdo the decorations when hosting a BBQ. Just set up a few lights or candles and some blankets to supplement seating.
Check out our BBQ menu for some ideas to get you started. Click on the banner below to get access:
