Memorial Day Grilling 101 - Tips, Tools and Resources

Memorial Day heralds the coming of bike rides, pool parties, lounging in the sand, and firing up the grill - it's the first long weekend of the summer season, and once it arrives, outdoor fun is in full swing. Soon you'll be enjoying the sounds of kids playing and friends socializing, the sights of blue skies and clear water, and the smells of freshly cut grass and - of course - barbecue!

This Memorial Day Weekend, make sure you've got all the grilling tools and tips you need to have an unforgettable cookout:

The Tools

The most important grilling supplies to have on hand are tongs, a spatula, and a turning fork - but it's also helpful to have skewers, a basting brush, corn cob holders, and a grill brush. The Chef Set is the perfect accessory for any BBQ enthusiast - it comes with an apron, mitt, and 4 stainless steel tools. If you're looking for a larger set that contains everything you need without any frills, the Traditional Grill Tools set is for you. An impressive gift for any grilling aficionado is the Phoenix Deluxe BBQ Basket and Tool Set (pictured), which showcases a set of wood and stainless steel grilling tools along with an apron, mitt, and chef's hat in a beautiful rattan basket.

Preparation

• To avoid food sticking, make sure the grill is hot and your food is cold - pre-heat the grill for about 15 minutes before throwing anything on. Also, rub the racks with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray.
• To ensure the outside of your food doesn't burn before the inside is cooked, don't brush on thick marinades or sauces such as barbecue sauce until the last few minutes.
• Trimming the fat from meat can help prevent flare-ups.

The Food

• Use skewers to cook shrimp - it will make them much easier to handle. When they start to turn pink on the sides, turn them and then cook until the gray color is gone. Remove and eat immediately when done for the best taste and texture.
• Use an instant-read meat thermometer to tell when your meat is fully cooked - it should read 145 degrees for medium rare, 160 for medium, and 170 for well done.
• Be creative - you can cook just about anything on the grill, from appetizers to desserts. Grilled pineapple and honeydew melon brushed with lime juice and sugar or honey make a delicious accompaniment to ice cream, for example.
• AllRecipes.com has some delicious, unusual Memorial Day recipe ideas including grilled halibut steaks, Asian beef skewers, basil shrimp and grilled asparagus.

Cleanup

• To ensure you always have a clean grill, use this trick - let the grill act as a self-cleaning oven by closing the lid and letting it burn itself out when you're done cooking for a charcoal grill, or leaving it on for a few extra minutes with the lid down with a gas grill.
• Using tongs, scrub the grates with a dampened ball of aluminum foil while they're still hot - the steam will help loosen gunk and bits of food.
• On gas grills, keep an eye on the drip pan - if it's full, it can catch fire.