Warm weather, National Barbecue Day and Memorial Day all spark the urge to light up the grill and invite some friends over for a backyard barbecue. When it comes to grilling, there are plenty of options.
“It really boils down to what your theme of the party is going to be,” says Tony Tanner, CEO of The Butcher & Grocer.
The easiest choices are burgers and hot dogs, which provide a quick grab-and-go experience, Tanner says. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a pork shoulder, which will benefit from slow-cooking or smoking throughout the day, is a great choice for a leisurely day sitting down with family or friends.
From The Butcher & Grocer’s selection, Tanner recommends sausages as a summer grilling staple. All of the store’s hot dogs are homemade and excellent choices to mix up the options as well, he says.
It’s important to order specialty meats a few days in advance, Tanner says, but for hot dogs, hamburgers and other more common meats, day-of pickup is okay. At the Grandview store, associates are available to help customers choose the best meats for their specific occasion. The staff enjoy contributing to the planning phase of barbecues, he says.
Once you have the meat for your barbecue, Tanner says there are four must-have ingredients. He recommends simple salt and pepper to prepare the meat prior to grilling or smoking, some bell peppers or other fresh veggies to grill, and a versatile sauce for guests that prefer meat served with sauce.
But you’re not ready to hit the grill yet; no good barbecue is complete without drinks and sides. Tanner says that if you are going to have a late summer barbecue, nothing beats Ohio sweet corn. Local tomatoes pair well with most any grilled meat as well. When it comes to the drinks, Tanner
says a glass of bourbon is his go-to, but barbecue is versatile for drink pairings.
“Bourbon or beer goes with everything, but the richness of our ground beef really pairs well with red wine.” Tanner says. “We can pretty much find any beer that fits anyone’s palate on whatever they’re making.”
Kate Anderson is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
