Spring is such a great time because everybody comes out of their house and spends more time outside again. But hanging out at the park, going swimming or doing other outdoor sports makes one hungry. And what’s better than ending a sunny day with some BBQ meat with salad and cold drinks? If you don’t want to buy a big BBQ grill because you won’t be using it enough or because you don’t have room for it, take a look at the Weber Portable BBQ. It is so small that you can easily take it with you to picnics, parks, or camping trips. With its round form, it has enough room for lots of meat and vegetables. There is so much more to consider than just the right BBQ, when deciding to grill meat outside:

1. If you decide to marinate meat, make sure to do so at least the night before the BBQ. A marinade consists of three main ingredients: cooking oil, vinegar, and spices or herbs. The oil/vinegar mix should be of equal amounts and it mixes best if you slowly whisk the oil into a bowl with vinegar. Once the two are blended well, you can add herbs and spices such as basil, mustard, honey, salt, sugar, rosemary or anything you think might taste great.
2. Starting the fire: if you don’t like putting lighter fluid on charcoal briquettes because you can taste the petroleum, there are definitely alternatives. For example, you can use an electric starter if you are near a power outlet. Another way to light the fire is by using a fire chimney. It’s a round cylinder that you fill with newspaper and charcoal. Just light the newspaper inside the cylinder and wait around twenty minutes for the charcoals to heat up.
3. Grilled vegetables taste awesome. They are a great alternative for vegetarians and are easy to prepare: just cut vegetables such as zucchini, squash, potatoes, or asparagus in slices and coat them with light olive oil so that they won’t get burned. Add your favourite seasoning (basil, garlic, rosemary, etc.) and put it on the grill!
4. A BBQ grill with a thicker metal cover will keep the internal temperature steady longer than a pit made out of thin metal. So if you happen to buy a new BBQ grill, make sure to get one with thick metal walls and you will see that the grill will stay heated longer.
5. Instead of meat, try to put fish on the BBQ. It works best with thick steaks such as tuna, mahi-mahi or salmon as they are not too thin, and won’t break and fall through the grill. The trick is to get the grill as hot as possible so that it seals in the juices and firms the flesh right away. Your fish steaks won’t dry out then.
6. When you plan on preparing side dishes for your BBQ, your choices are almost endless: you can serve grilled corn, red potato salad, baked beans, grilled vegetables in foil packets, and grilled artichokes are just a couple ideas.
7. Make sure you have enough BBQ tools so you can efficiently prepare and grill the food. You can easily find a whole BBQ tool set consisting of things such as sharp knives, spatulas and more. Also make sure to take things like a cutting board, heat-resistant gloves, or carving forks with you.
8. When you plan the BBQ outside, also make sure to prepare or take some outdoor games with you. It can be fun to play in a big group until the grill is heated up or until the meat is ready. Bring balls, frisbees, boardgames and cards to your shindig. Just make sure that the rules are not too difficult and are easy to understand.
9. We know that you probably want to keep your Portable BBQ grill as long as possible, especially because it is so comfortable and easy to take with you. A way to prevent rusted grates is the following: when you are done grilling and the grill is still hot, scrape of any cooked food or products from the inside walls of your BBQ grill. Then scrub the inside walls with vegetable oil. After that, your BBQ grill is ready to be stored until the next time you cook or even until next season.
10. To keep your BBQ grill working as long as possible, you should make sure to clean your equipment well especially if you know that you won’t be using it for a long time. You can use a washing soda solution and paint it on the grill. Make sure to wear gloves and eye protection because this solution is very corrosive. Let it rest for a little bit and then rinse it off with water. Lastly, spray a mix of vinegar and water (1 tablespoon vinegar in 250ml water) on it, this will neutralize the alkaline concentration.

Did you know?
If you don’t like BBQing outside there are alternative indoor BBQs. A George Foreman grill works perfectly in the house and is  a very healthy alternative as you don’t need to use any oil. Also, a stone grill is a very easy way to grill meat, fish or vegetables. They can be cleaned without a lot of work–you just have to wipe it down with a paper towel.

-Simon

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