thursday august 28 2003
4 jayplay.
thursday, august 28, 2003
BARBECUE BASICS
Summer grilling requires savvy shopping and a knowledge of food and drink
Buying the right grill is almost as important as the food you grill. There are several businesses in town that offer affordable and portable grills.
By Meghan Erwin merwin@kansan.com Jayplay writer
Can you sniff out a barbecue a mile away? Well, it's certainly in the air. It's also behind student houses and apartment complexes. Want to impress your friends with a backyard barbecue without breaking the bank? Here is your guide to throwing a great party on what we all can relate to a budget.
Before we get down to food, we must discuss the most important tool of the barbecue art: the grill. Target, 3201 Iowa St., and target.com have a selection of Weber grills that won't put you into debt and retail at around $60. If you plan on living with the same people throughout your time at the University of Kansas,
SHOPPING LIST
Charcoal
Starter coals
PBR a.k.a. Pabst Blue Ribbon
Non-alcoholic drinks
Chicken
Avocados
Tomato
Onion
Red potatoes
Vegetable oil
Corn
Tortilla chips
Salsa
Guacamole mix
Paper plates/cups and utensils
Soy sauce
Crushed pineapple
you could even split the cost with roommates.
These grills are affordable and portable. The Weber One-Touch Kettle Grill and the Weber Smokey Joe Platinum Grill use charcoal and are priced at $59.99. The alternative to charcoal grills is the Weber Gas GoAnywhere Grill that is $59.99 and also portable. Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., and walmart.com also sell reasonably priced grills. Wal-Mart sells two grills under $30, a smaller version of the Weber Smokey Joe Grill and the Meco Sizzler Supreme Charcoal Grill. Wal-Mart carries a Sunbeam Charcoal grill priced just under $50. These three grills are great for students. They are easy to use, easy to clean and can follow you during your sometimes yearly residential moves. They fit neatly on most patios, decks and for those of you lucky enough to snag one of the ever popular Ohio Street houses, these grills are necessary for any backyard get-together. All Weber grills are available at www.weber.com.
Now, what to serve? Russ Bush in the HyVee meat department, 4000 W. Sixth St., suggests buying frozen chicken. The average cost for frozen chicken in Lawrence is $2.91 per pound; fresh chicken sells for $3.89 per pound. Bush says the frozen chicken is just as good as the fresh and buying in bulk is where the savings are. Just remember to allow time for the chicken to thaw thoroughly under appropriate conditions.
Whipping up a quick and easy marinade will upgrade your barbecue from ordinary to extraordinary. Combine soy sauce, crushed pineapple and pineapple juice in a blender and voila an instant marinade to wow your hungry friends. Be sure to let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. Marinating overnight will add even more zing.
You should probably think about a quick appetizer to have ready for when your friends start to stagger over in order to avoid early drunkenness. Chips and salsa are great, but why not whip up a quick and easy guacamole to accompany your store bought salsa? Simply buy the pre-packaged mix and just add avocados. Be sure to add chopped fresh tomatoes and red onions to add zest and bite.
Now for the sides. A quick side that will be sure to impress your friends is grilled ears of corn, or any vegetable that can stand up to your grill. You can save money by buying half of the corn you need and simply cut the corn in half and serve smaller portions. With a quick brushing of butter, a sprinkling of salt and pepper or some seasoned salt, the grilled corn will be slightly crunchy, a little smoky and sweet from the grill. Roasted red potatoes are also a quick and easy dish with lots of flavor. Look closely in your cupboard, you probably have all the necessary spices already.
If you don't have room on the grill, place about 20 quartered
small red potatoes in a 13 x 9inch pan, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil, some garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and you're done. Don't worry if you don't have the spices on hand, create your own mix. Almost anything will work as long as it's savory, not sweet — no cinnamon! Place in a 450 degree oven for 25-30 minutes and you're on your way to a delicious feast!
Now for a very important part to any backyard barbecue—the drinks. You could always save money and request the popular choice to many college parties and BYOB, bring your own beer for those of you who don't know. Or you can pick up a case or two, or three, however much
you may need, of cheap but crowd pleasing PBR, Pabst Blue Ribbon for those of you sophisticated college students. Two 12packs of PBR sell for just $12.95 with tax at Cork and Barrel, 2000 W. 23rd St.
If you're planning on keeping the party going you may want to think about investing in a keg and just collecting some cash upon your guests' arrival. Be sure to have some non-alcoholic drinks on hand for your more reserved guests, underaged guests and designated drivers. This unofficial guide to the backyard barbecue will help make you the host or hostess with the most-est! Just be sure and wait for the temperature to drop to at least 102 degrees!