Monday, May 24, 2010

Safely Grill Party Food to Perfection

I want you to be successful. If you've been reading Cater-Hater articles for a while, you've learned that I'm not afraid to give you my catering and event planning secrets.

My desire is to see you maneuver your way through putting your party together, and have it look like you paid someone else to do everything for you.

When I hear that your wedding reception and party guests have asked you did everything (because they have no idea that you've done everything yourself), that's when I say to myself, That's what this is all about... Helping people.

So, let's get started with a few easy tips that will have you in your backyard, safely grilling your party food to perfection.

If you just purchased your first barbecue grill and never grilled before or you aren't the one that usually grills but are the one that now has to do it, remember first and foremost, it's important to be safe.

Please don't approach this like a few people in my neighborhood have done; creating a fire hazard by grilling on a balcony with a rooftop above it.

A fire that starts by accident is usually followed by someone later stating their good intentions - about how they turned away for just a minute. Or, how they don't know what happened - they've done the same thing (that started the fire this time) several times before and never had any problems. It's fire, people. And, you simply shouldn't take that chance. Insuring for grilling safely, place your grill at least 10 feet away from any other objects, such as your house, shrubs, or bushes.

If you grill all the time, this information may seem like baby stuff to you. But if you're a new cook out who doesn't know because you've never done it, I'd rather you not learn how to grill your party food to perfection by trial and error, otherwise known as the hard way. So, to get your barbecue grill fire started safely use appropriate grilling fire starter fluid for charcoal grills and check the gas connection for gas grills. And, never use a match to check for a gas leak.

When you're grilling, keep distractions to a minimum. And start by looking out for your babies. Keep kids and pets away from the grill until it is completely cool, and stay by the grill when cooking. Young kids that are good at doing their job, which means that they're good at being super inquisitive, may decide that they want to get in there close and look at the food or help you cook. Either way, if that's what is on their mind, you and I both know that's a recipe for disaster. And, you might be surprised how far a pet might try to go, too. So, never assume that the heat will deter them for trying something that could turn out to be a dangerous move.

Lastly, this one is about food safety. Make sure that no one gets food poisoning and cook all of your meats to a safe minimum internal temperature, which should be checked with a food thermometer. Food temperatures should be: