Your Barbecue To Do List

We're a week away from the start of the summer grilling season  and now is the time to  assess what 's needed and not needed.A new grill may be needed or one or two ingredients for the perfect sauce. Get the backyard ready for weeks of tasty outdoor dining.

The star of any cookout is the grill. Many home chefs and grillers are so attached to theirs , that there's usually a big scene when it does have to be retired. How long does one last? That depends on the care. An uncovered Weber grill can only survive two to three years .By the third year, it's usually covered in rust and not really good for use. At the end of the season , make sure you have a good sturdy cover for yours.Ceramic cookers like the Kamado egg can last as long as twenty or thirty years and that's without any protection. If you feel like you need a new one, buy it now. There may even be discounts with it. This is also the time to clean the grill, especially if you haven't used it already ( or if you have  and you just want it clean for cooking). The grates need to be cleaned first, Spray soapy water on them , scrub, then rinse clean. The same applies to the exterior of the grill too.Check the fuel lines and ignition too. The last thing you need is a fiery disaster at a summer party. Also make sure that the implements are OK too.Keep the brush used for slathering on sauce clean along with making sure you have enough skewers for kebobs and holders for corn. This is also a good time to check inventory with your outdoor plates and cutlery. Will you have enough for a large party or just enough for a small family dinner of four? Stores such as Target ,Wal-Mart, and K-Mart sell outdoor melanine plates and sturdy plastic knives and forks for outdoor dining.

Before any cookout , write a list of what you're not only going to make but what you'd like to make. Do you want to go the simple  route of just hot dogs and  hamburgers? Or go more in depth with steaks and ribs?If it's the first then, it's just buying buns and making sure you have enough condiments. A simple salad, whether lettuce or macaroni based will suffice. If you're planning on a bigger do , then make sure you have the ingredients for a marinade and enough room in the fridge to hold a pan of marinating steaks and ribs. This begs the question of buying a bottle of barbecue sauce or creating your own. Home made sauces require a lot of ingredients such as ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses. It's a lot of cooking but well worth it. Another must have for barbecue season is macaroni and beans. Both are used as the base of many salads. To change it up a bit buy a box or two of the tricolored rotelli along with cans of various types of beans. Chickpeas are versatile, both as a base and as an extra in other salads.Other products to stock up on are oil and vinegar for salads and marinades.Desserts are usually simple but it does pay to have popsicle trays handy for making quick and easy treats. Also have a few boxes of instant pudding   around for ice box cakes and easy cream pies.

A to do list is invaluable when planning your next barbecue.That way there will be no disasters or shortages to deal with in the middle of a cook out. It'll make your barbecue sunny and bright.