A barbecue party can be the highlight of summer. If you are planning to hold one, you’ll want to prepare for it properly. It can be easy to mess up a party if you don’t have everything lined up correctly. Here’s how you can have a barbecue that they will talk about for years:
Prepare Your Cooking Area
If you have an outdoor fire pit, then this should be pretty simple. You already have a ready-made place for a barbecue. Just ensure that you can cook there. Some fire pits are more of a campfire arrangement, so you’ll need to set up a grill and a few other things. If your fire pit already has those, then you should be ready to go.
If you don’t have a fire pit, then you will most likely have to haul your grill out of storage. Do this a few days before the event so that you can clean things up and ensure that all of the items are in good shape. This allows you to fix anything broken or replace anything missing. It will also be a good idea to stock up on fuel for the party.
Prepare the Ingredients
Hours before the guests arrive, you should already be hard at work. You don’t have to put anything on the grill yet, but good barbecues need quite a few prepared ingredients. Chop the necessary vegetables, marinate all the meats, and have the spices ready. This allows you to just put the meat on the grill and watch as it cooks. If you have side dishes, you should make them beforehand.
Have an Outdoor Fridge or Cooler
Another essential part of any barbecue is drinking. If you can’t offer cool drinks to your guests, then they won’t be having a fun time. This is where having an outdoor fridge or cooler comes in. Instead of having to go inside to get cold drinks, you can easily put all the drinks that you need in a single cooler and pile it up with ice. Refresh it when necessary. If you are fancy, a mini-fridge can be a great way to keep the drinks coming.
Ensure that the Bugs Stay Away
Since you will be doing the entire party outdoors, you are giving the local insect population a potential buffet. Gnats, mosquitoes, and flies are the sort of unwanted guests that you don’t want showing up. Deter them by bringing out the bug zappers and the citronella oil. You can also look around for other bug repellents on the market. If you want something all-natural, you can bring in potted peppermint and marigold plants around the perimeter of your backyard. These two plants can repel insects effectively.
Overall, a great barbecue is something that your family and friends will remember for a long time. A bad one can also be memorable but in a way that you don’t want. Make your guests have a fun time by preparing for the barbecue with the right approach.
