How to host a backyard cookout

Teach: How to host a backyard cookout

What to say

Host a backyard cookout by keeping the menu short, doing all the prep indoors beforehand, and running the grill in zones: a hot side for burgers and sausages, a cooler side for chicken and for holding. Keep raw meat in its own cooler, use a thermometer and a clean platter for cooked food, set up shade and water, and keep the grill well away from the house and anyone playing.

What to show, in order

1. Plan a short menu: two grilled mains, two sides that can sit out briefly, and one make-ahead dessert.
2. Shape patties, marinate and chop vegetables indoors the day before or that morning.
3. Pack raw meat in its own cooler with ice, separate from drinks and ready-to-eat food.
4. Set the grill on level ground, well away from the house, overhangs and play areas.
5. Heat one side high and leave the other low, so you can sear and then move food to finish.
6. Cook poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and ground meat to 160.
7. Check doneness with a thermometer and put cooked food on a clean platter, never the raw one.
8. Set out shade, water and a trash and recycling bin before guests arrive.
9. Put leftovers in the fridge or on ice within an hour on a hot day.

When to stop and call a professional

• A grease flare-up turns into a fire you cannot control with the lid and burner knobs: get everyone back and call 911.
• You smell gas at a propane grill that will not stop when you close the tank valve: move away from it and call the fire department from a safe distance.

The check question

Ask: Why keep raw meat in its own cooler? Answer: To stop its juices reaching drinks and ready-to-eat food

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.