How to Grill Meat and Vegetables for Your Memorial Day Cookout
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. That means grilling season is here! Whether this is your first summer with a grill or you simply want to brush up on a few tips, we’ve got the information you need.
Basic Grilling Tips
No matter what type of cooking appliance you own—from a small charcoal grill to a decked-out natural gas grill—grilling best practices remain the same. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Stock up on the right tools. A long-handled spatula, carving-style poker, and tongs are all you need for basic grilling.
- Plan time to prepare and heat up the grill before cooking.
- Oil your food, not the grill.
- Season your food at least one hour before grilling to allow the flavor to sink in.
- Clean the grill grates after cooking to prevent sticking next time.
Grilling Safety
Here are some reminders to keep your Memorial Day cookout incident-free:
- Never leave the grill unattended while cooking.
- Don’t combat flare-ups with a spray bottle. Instead, avoid flare-ups by trimming excess fat from your meat and controlling the temperature.
- Don’t add sweet sauces or marinades to the meat while grilling because the sugars may ignite.
- Keep grilled food separate from raw meat.
- Set up your grill away from open windows and doors, awnings, and low-hanging branches.
Memorial Day Cookout Recipes
Want to try a new spin on an old classic? These Memorial Day grilling recipes are perfect for you:
- Bang Bang Corn: The sweet and spicy sauce normally reserved for Bang Bang Shrimp goes perfectly with grilled corn. Once you try it, you’ll never prepare your corn-on-the-cob any other way!
- Grilled Swordfish with Tomatoes and Oregano: Turn heads with something completely different on the grill this Memorial Day. A drizzle of honey in the vinaigrette perfectly balances the briny fish and capers in this recipe.
- BBQ Herbed Drumsticks: Have you ever tried using pesto as a marinade? It’s a fast and tasty way to enjoy chicken drumsticks. Try this recipe with store-bought or homemade pesto.
- Jalapeño Popper Burgers: What’s better than a burger with a side of jalapeño popper dip? How about jalapeño popper dip inside your burger? This recipe is bound to become your family’s go-to every Memorial Day.
- Grilled Rib Eye with Shishito Pepper Salsa: The mildly spicy East Asian shishito pepper makes a prominent appearance in this recipe. Give it a try this Memorial Day!
If you’re ready to stock up on ingredients for your cookout, head to NetCost Market for everything you need! We are a local supermarket with a global reach, proudly helping our customers save time and money by offering a world of food all in one place. We’ve grown a lot over the past 20 years, now with 12 locations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Shop with us to enjoy a comfortable, gratifying experience complete with convenient online grocery shopping and home grocery delivery.