A GRILLING PARTY

Families have been gathering for meals ever since the dawn of time. Grilling over an open fire has been the chosen way to cook food since man discovered fire. It is only natural to combine these two age old actions into a fantastic Grilling Party.

HISTORY OF GRILLING

Grilling is the act of cooking over an open flame, or coals that were once an open flame. The food is placed on a grate (or grill) that is placed over the fire and then the food and fire are covered. The juice from whatever you are cooking falls onto the fire and the smoke is circulated within the covered area, thereby adding flavor to whatever is being cooked.

Some of the first grills were made of stone and allowed the cook to place the meat on a stick to keep it from falling into the fire. These fire pits did not have covers to keep the smoke in. Even early Cowboys on the American Plains did not cover their fire pits in the beginning. However, with the advent of the 50 gallon metal drum, the modern barbeque grill was born.

A 50 gallon metal drum was cut in half, two hinges were welded to one side and a metal grate placed on the inside. A wooden handle was placed on the top half of the drum and wood placed in the bottom half. The wood was set ablaze, and when it burned down to just the embers, the grill was ready to begin cooking.

Today, grills have progressed way past that. There are ones that you can use charcoal briquettes in, so you don't have to burn wood down to the coals, you just need to light off the briquettes and once they are all started you may start cooking. There are also grills that are powered by propane gas. These grills have an open flame and are ready to use as soon as you turn them on. Along those same lines, there are electric ones, where the cooking element is powered by electricity. These are much the same as the gas grills, only they will require some time to heat up. Lastly, there are the contact grills. These are the type made popular by George Foreman, and are very convenient. This type of grill is primarily used indoors and is a viable substitute for grilling outdoors when the weather is bad, or when you don't have time to wait for the briquettes to heat up.

According to some people the best grill is the charcoal or wood grill. But others swear by the gas grill. The wood or charcoal grill takes a while to heat up and get to the perfect temperature for cooking. The gas grill is available as soon as you turn it on. The wood grill provides the taste of the wood that is used, and the charcoal grill provides its own distinct flavor as well. While the gas grill depends upon the juice of the food to provide the necessary flavoring. Both grills work just as well and either one can be used for any of the recipes below.

RECIPES

Some people say that the key to a good grilled meal is the sauce or the seasoning. For this reason you will want to try different sauces, store bought and your own, as well as different seasonings. There are plenty of choices out there; it is up to you and your individual taste.

Here are some recipes to get you started.

UNCLE JOE'S BARBEQUE SAUCE

Start with one bottle of any brand plain (original) barbeque sauce. Pour it into a large mixing bowl. Stir in ½ cup of dark brown sugar, ¼ cup of molasses, 1 teaspoon Cajun spice. Set this aside.
Chop one onion very fine and sauté it with four strips of bacon. When the bacon is done, it has to be extra crispy, crumble it into the sauce mixture, and stir in the onions. Mix well.

Brush on beef, pork or chicken to coat. Cook on the grill on one side until almost done, turn over and brush on that side. Then turn it again and brush it again.

APRIL'S RUB

Start with freshly 1 teaspoon ground garlic and black pepper. Stir in ½ teaspoon red pepper, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt. Mix together with a mortar and pestle. Add one dried bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon dried basil and a ¼ ground allspice. Make sure everything is blended very well.
Sprinkle on beef, pork or chicken and massage it into the meat. Refrigerate for several hours, take it out and repeat. Grill as usual.

JERRY'S GRILLED SHRIMP

Skewer large shrimp on bamboo skewers, alternating summer squash, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms, with the shrimp. Baste with Italian salad dressing and grill until done.

ARLENE'S SHISH-KABOBS

Alternate cherry tomatoes, Polish Sausage, and mushrooms on bamboo skewers. Marinate overnight in a mixture of olive oil, lemon pepper, sea salt and Italian spice mixture. Grill until sausage is done.

GRILLED VEGETABLES

Meat is not the only thing that can be cooked on a grill.

VEGETABLES BY BOBBY AND LIZ

Vegetables are wonderful when coated with Italian Salad Dressing and then grilled. Most vegetables will require a special grilling pan, with smaller grates. These are available anywhere grills are sold.
Corn on the cob, can be basted in butter and sprinkled with sea salt then placed on the grill, without using a special pan.

Bell Peppers may be split and the seeds removed and they too may be placed directly on the grill. Baste these with olive oil and Cajun spice.

SIDE DISHES

The only thing left to round out this meal is a nice salad, baked beans and some garlic bread.

GRANDMOTHER'S COLE SLAW

Start with one head finely grated green cabbage, and ½ head finely grated red cabbage in a large bowl.
In a measuring cup, put about ¾ cup of mayonnaise, three tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, dash of black pepper, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar (or two packets of Splenda). Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Pour onto the cabbage.

Toss well. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

AUNT COLLEEN'S BAKED BEANS

Two cans any brand plain baked beans, drained. Add one cup Uncle Joe's Barbeque Sauce. Stir well and heat to boiling. This may be done on the grill. Be sure to stir it occasionally to keep it from sticking or burning.

DONNY'S GARLIC BREAD

Start with one loaf fresh French bread. Slice it in half and butter both halves. Then sprinkle with ground garlic and a pinch of Italian Spice. Put the halves back together and wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the grill, on the top rack as far away from the flame and heat source as possible. This needs to only warm up enough to melt the butter.

Pull your family together and enjoy your meal.