Grilling in the backyard can be a cinch, but what happens when you don’t have the home-field advantage? If you’re a city dweller or don't own a grill, hosting a cookout at a beach or a public park is a great option. But if you're taking the party on the go, planning ahead is essential (after all, you can’t just hop back inside for a pinch of something or an extra platter). The burger fixings and cooler full of beer are a given, but here are 5 key things you might be forgetting:
A public park's grill can have layers and layers of history caked up on the grates. Who knows the last time anyone cleaned the grill—and no one wants year-old grease and grime on their chicken cutlets. Bring a a large piece of tin foil and ball it up: now you have a makeshift grill brush. Use it to scrape the grates clean. If there’s a lot of really caked-on material, you can add a few sprinkles of coarse salt and water to create more abrasion. After wiping the surface, heat the grill until dry before cooking on it.
If you don't have a sink nearby you’ll need to take some precautions to avoid cross-contamination. Those tongs you used to load the grill up with raw ribs or steak? You need to switch out to a different set once it's time to serve that cooked meat. Always bring two sets of tongs—preferablyones with an 18-inch reach—so you can keep a safe distance from the heat.
If you're unable to wash your hands after handling raw meat, use disposable sanitary wipes instead. (A dish towel will collect bacteria and pose a threat of food-borne illness.) And after polishing off a messy stack of ribs, sanitary wipes are a gift from the barbecue heavens.
Have you ever tried slicing steak on a paper plate? It doesn't end well. Be sure to bring a cutting board—you can also use it for last-minute preparations or serving small bites like cheeses and charcuterie.
Resealable plastic bags are great for transporting prepped ingredients, especially marinated meat. Bring along a few empty ones as well for packing up leftovers.
