Whether you call it ’24th of May’, ‘Victoria Day’ or – if you’re in the States – ‘Memorial Day’, this is the first long weekend of the summer and the unofficial start of the Outdoor Grilling Season across North America. If your grilling skills have gotten rusty over the winter, I offer a review of the craft’s best practices…
Get out in the back yard and christen Grilling Season the right way!
Canadians call this the 24th of May weekend because that’s Queen Victoria’s birthday. It’s been a holiday since Victoria was on the throne, but now it’s officially the third Monday in May to ensure that we all get a long weekend. Be that as it may, it’s traditionally the weekend most Canadians open up the cottage for the season and take the winter cover of the grill.
Best practices
Most grillers have the basics down pat, but folks bombard me with questions this time of year about the fine points, which they’ve lost track of over the cold months. So I’ve put together a list of previous posts that go into detail about various aspects of grilling. This year, we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 lock down – though gradually re-opening our cabin-fever-ravaged society – but we can get out into the back yard and grill. We just can’t have a big shindig with extended family, friends and neighbours. Maybe later in the season…
Unlike in the US, where they’re weather shortages of some Meats due to COVID-19-related Meat processing plant closures, Canadians should not face the same problem. Prices may temporarily spike, but our government says that, while there may be a reduced selection of Beef cuts in stores until the packing plants here get their pandemic procedures in order, we’ll see no shortages.
Make the most of your Weekend grilling feast
In this post, I presented a grill basket full of suggestions for making any long weekend grill-fest a special one.
I also posted a short list of important safety and maintenance tips for the serious griller.
And don’t forget to stand up-wind from your grill. The smoke is full of really bad chemicals…
Treat the food right:
Let’s start with some basic rules you need to know to ensure that your Meats and Veggies always come out perfect.
Here’s why you should avoid using metal-bristled grill cleaning brushes.
Beef Tips:
Here’s a post on tips for preparing and grilling the best Steaks.
Marbling (or lack of it) can make (or break) your Steak grilling experience.
Not sure which Beef cut to grill? Canada Beef has a free app for that!
Maximize your Burger grilling know-how!
Make your own Burger Patties for stand-out results on the grill!
Cooking and grilling Beyond Meat Burgers must be approached differently than Real Meat Patties.
Chicken Tips:
Tips for prepping and grilling award-winning Chicken.
Have you tried flattening a whole Chicken to ensure it cooks evenly on the grill?
Hot Dog Tips:
Something to get you thinking about how to elevate Hot Dogs to a fine art…
Odds and ends:
Are you already a devotée of Marination? If not, why not?
The most common grilling myths debunked and legends affirmed.
Don’t forget a crisp, tasty Summer Salad! The perfect accompaniment to grilled Meats.
The aftermath…
Great ideas for re-using and re-purposing leftover Burger Patties.
Now get out there and christen Grilling Season right!
I hope the above links prove useful to you this weekend. If we’re going to grill, we should all endevour to become the best grillers can can be – maybe even legends among our families, friends and neighbours!
~ Maggie J.