I love to barbecue. In fact I have been known to do it with 3 feet of snow on the ground. I barbecue chicken, lamb chops, vegetables and even fruit. Now that the BBQ season officially opens this weekend with Memorial Day, I have tried to come up with new BBQ ideas for my friends, family and readers.
Here are a few ideas for your BBQ that I often do at mine:
- I find that lamb has its own natural flavors and doesn’t need a marinade; you can just throw it from the package straight onto the grill. (yay, no extra work!)
- Sliders are very popular nowadays; I buy all kinds of great chutneys, sauces and flavored mustards to go as a complement.
- My favorite sausages are Jack’s Gourmet Sausages. Try buying a variety of them. You can also buy some “fakin bacon” and place them on the grill for a few minutes until they are crispy; it makes a great topping for hot dogs or sliders.
- I make a platter of all kinds of pickles (half-sour and sour pickles, sour kraut and pickled tomatoes).
- I serve platters of sliced of tomatoes, red onion, and shredded lettuce and some sautéed onion.
- No bbq is ever complete without coleslaw (either homemade or store-bought).
- I always have big fresh garden salad, corn on the cob and French fries. (I love the 5-minute McCain’s fries).
- Fresh pineapple and mango are delicious on the grill. 3-4 minutes per side max.
The marinade below is great for chicken or vegetables. For the meat, let it soak for 2 hours or overnight.
If you are using it for vegetables, leave out the ketchup and marinade for up to 1 hour.
Dijon Garlic Marinade
1/2 cup red wine (I like Zmora its a young red, with fruity tones)
1/4 cup seeded Dijon mustard
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar½ cup ketchup
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves crushed fresh garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together except the meat.
Place the meat in a shallow pan in one layer and pour over the marinade.
Try to marinade for several hours — it helps tenderize the meat.
Place the meat on a medium- hot grill about 4 inches above the fire and cook on both sides until cooked through.
