Cat Cora's Best Barbeque Tips
I'm a Southern girl so grew up on BBQ. My dad taught me all my grilling techniques growing up before I received my formal culinary training in my early 20s. I love the time spent casually outdoors, the togetherness with friends and family lingering over dinner until it's dark out. And it's always a nice treat to keep the food prep and meal time outdoors, especially when the weather is nice, as it is nearly year round in Southern California, where my family lives.
If you're throwing a barbecue of your own, here are some tips for making it great:
Cheesy and Spicy Cornbread Madeleines
Pit Beans
Broccoli Slaw
Chimichurri 'Qued Chicken
report abuse- Prepare ahead of time! Keep it easy and casual the day of the BBQ. Make everything you can ahead of time, and have the meat pre-rubbed/marinated to avoid day-of stress. (Plus, marinating the meat overnight helps get the most flavor out of it when you grill it!) You can pre-prep any bean salads or sides and desserts to save some time. For a delicious, do-ahead salad, try making my Broccoli Slaw the day before and then toss in the mustard vinaigrette just before serving—it'll stay crisp!
- Go global! Spice up classic BBQ with flavor surprises from around the world. I love traditional grilled steak, pork, seafood, or chicken rubbed with a spicy Basque blend rub and smothered in more globally-inspired BBQ sauces, such as ancho-apple, Chimichurri Sauce, or even Asian sesame.
- Make fab side dishes! Have a few great, simple sides to compliment the grilled food. Cheesy and Spicy Cornbread Madeleines are dainty and make for the perfect serving size portions. Also, my cinnamon-infused simmering Pit Beans are sweet & delicious and make a great side dish you can whip up ahead of time.
- Go buffet all the way! Make food that can be served buffet style or pass around family-style portions at the table, so you're not making each dish to order and unable to actually enjoy the party. Pretty much anything can be made buffet style (a basket of madeleines, pots of beans, bean salads, slaws, etc.)—just make large portions and have it ready for people to self serve.
- Don't forget the music! Have some lively but crowd-pleasing upbeat music on in the background to keep the energy levels up and the party going.
- And of course, don't forget the kids! Skewered and grilled items are very kid-friendly because the meat and veggies are already in bite size portions, perfect for kids to enjoy. I like to alternate bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and pearl onions, with the protein. Just help them remove it all off the skewer to avoid them poking themselves with any sharp edges!
Cheesy and Spicy Cornbread Madeleines
Pit Beans
Broccoli Slaw
Chimichurri 'Qued Chicken
Submit!
