5 Keys to a killer end of summer BBQ

1. Food- This normally goes without saying but no matter how much all of your friends love you, they want some tasty food. It is important to cater to all of the many different types of tastes out there.

a. Fresh grilled vegetables are a great substitute for those friends who don’t necessarily eat meat.

b. Don’t forget to cook the meat at room temperature for optimum flavor
c. Dry rub is best but don’t massage the meat too much, the meats pours will naturally pull in the flavor
d. Variety, variety, variety. Don’t just do the normal hamburgers and hot dogs. Test your boundaries
2. Family and Friends- Sometimes one of the most difficult part of the BBQ is intermingling friends who have never met each other before.

a. Keep it small or make it big. The less people there are the more control you can have over the conversation. Whereas making it big creates the likelihood that that there is someone there for everyone.

b. Have activities. This forces people to get to know each other in an none intimidating way.
3. Drink- it is gonna be hot, so make sure that everyone is staying hydrated while enjoying drinks that match the level of your food.

a. Water. Provide copious amounts of water to offset the high sugar and sodium levels that other drinks have.
b. Ice. People love cool drinks and if you are throwing a party the last thing you want to do is run out of food or ice.
c. Selection. Make sure people have lots of different things to choose from. Soda, lemonade, water, and anything new and inventive.
4. Temperature – the hottest time of day is between 3PM-5PM, so decide what kind of party you want to have.

a. Water Party – if you have a pool do it during those hot times of day and provide lots of shade for those who don’t want to get in the water.
b. Casual BBQ – Have it later in the day maybe around 6 (people won’t show up until 6:30-7) the sun will be setting and interfere less with BBQ.
5. Ence Home- location is everything. A lot of topics of conversation revolve around the house hosting the BBQ. If you want something you can be proud to talk about choose an Ence Home.

ENJOY!