Its summer time and that is the best time for backyard grilling with friends and family! Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Steaks, Fish… Summer time is vacation time. The kids are out of school, work has slowed down and everyone looks forward to cooking outside. The smell of great food cooking on the grill will make everyone’s mouth water. I love to cook on the grill! I love steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, you name it. More importantly, I love to cook for my friends and family and they seem to like it as well. Here are some of my favorites and the best crowd pleasing way to cook them.

Hot dogs are America’s grilling favorite for kids and adults alike. They are seen everywhere from tail gating to neighborhood holiday parties to everyday family get-togethers. You can’t go wrong with the good old fashioned hot dog. Well, that’s not entirely true. Most hot dogs you find in the grocery store are packed with all kinds of not so good items like sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, MSG and other allergens. These are not healthy and you have other alternatives. Always look for Black Angus Beef Hot Dogs when choosing for your family and friends. Another reason Hot Dogs are such a huge hit is because you really can’t cook a hot dog wrong on the grill. First, hot dogs are pre cooked which means you cannot undercook one. Secondly, if a hot dog looks done, than it is and it’s that simple.

Hamburgers are the second most popular grilling item and they can be found anywhere you can find a hot dog on the grill; although, they lose out to hot dogs in the kid department. You have so many options of thickness, weight and fat content to choose from and it can be quite overwhelming. Unlike steak, the less fat in your burger the better and the type of beef used is important as well. Most grocery stores used mixed ground beef for their hamburgers but you should look for specific types of beef like Black Angus Burgers, Kobe Beef Burgers and the newest member Buffalo Burgers. Even more so when everyone wants them cooked a certain way. You also have an unending list of condiments to accent your hamburgers from mustard/ketchup to salad dressings to a Mexican flavor. There as many options as there are hamburger lovers! Cooking a hamburger is the same as cooking steaks on the grill.

The perfect steak is much simpler than most realize, but most people do it wrong. Selecting the right type and cut of steak is important because each person has their favorite cut. Some of the most popular are Black Angus and Kobe in Filet, Sirloin, Strip, Ribeye, T-Bone, Porterhouse and new on the scene Flat Iron. Here are a few simple steps that will make your steaks the talk of the neighborhood. Your first step is to get a good application for your smart phone or pc to help cook each item to your guest’s specifications. Go to the app store on your phone and search for “steak grilling timer”. There are several and all do a good job.

1. Thaw your meat in the refrigerator overnight and do not remove until you are ready to cook.
2. Preheat your grill on the highest temperature and cook on highest temperature.
3. Brush olive oil onto each side of the meat and season both sides.
4. Place on grill with fat side up. This is very important as it will cause the fat to liquefy and flow downward through the meat which gives flavor and tenderness! (Use timer app or chart below for times)
5. Always finish by testing with a meat thermometer. (see chart below)
6. Remove items when internal temperature is 5 degrees below chart.
7. Let meat rest 5 minutes before serving. This is very important as it will finish cooking inside and force the juices out from the center; spreading the flavor throughout the meat.
8. Enjoy!

Grilling Times by Thickness and Doneness

Internal Temperature Testing

• Very Rare Steak – 120°
• Rare Steak – 125°
• Medium-Rare Steak – 130° – 135°
• Medium Steak – 140° – 145°
• Medium-Well Steak – 150° – 155°
• Well-Done Steak – 160°

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