Local Meats and Memorial Day Grilling Tips

It’s hard to believe Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Seems like just last week we were pulling hoodies over our heads or boots onto our feet. Oh wait…

Summer unofficially begins this weekend. If you plan to host a Memorial Day party, or you just plan on enjoying a juicy slab of meat on your day off, here are some grilling tips to get you started.

Prepping the Grill

Before you begin to grill, clean the grill. This is important if using it for the first time this year. You’ll want to scrape out old grease and coals ready for retirement. Before each use, clean the grill rack. If you have a charcoal grill, open the vents and use a stick or metal skewer to poke all of the dust remnants out from the last use.

Stock up on everything you need for grilling beforehand, especially if hosting a party. Nothing like realizing you forgot a necessary step right when you’re about to start cooking! Make a checklist: charcoal, lighter fluid, matches or lighter, cooking utensils, oil spray, oven mitts, spices and food. Obviously, if you have a gas grill, you won’t need all of these items. But who wouldn’t agree that charcoal-grilled food tastes better? Or is that just my opinion?

Buying the Food

Check out Mokena’s local grocery stores for your meat and veggie purchases. Often, stores have deals for Memorial Day weekend.

• has nearly everything you need for your Memorial Day party on sale, featuring pork baby back ribs for $2.99 per pound, New York strip and Porterhouse steak for $7.99 per pound and spare rib for $1.99 per pound. Also on sale are potato chips, sweet corn, salads, fruits, popsicles, Gatorade and more. Check out their weekly ad for more deals.
• Stop by for a wide selection of ethnic grocery products and to sample the business' reknown Irish sausage. Bring food from there to put a twist on your traditional Memorial Day barbecue.
• Spend $5 for 10 Jewel Pub Burgers at , or opt for a USDA Choice bone-in beef loin T-bone, Porterhouse or strip steak for $5.99 per pound. The store's seedless watermelons are just $2.99 each and boneless chicken breast are buy one, get one free. Check out their weekly ad for more deals.

Once you have the meat purchased, store it in the refrigerator for the weekend. If using frozen meat that you already have, thaw it in the refrigerator or immediately before use in the microwave. Never thaw on a counter or table, where bacteria can form.

Cooking the Food

You want to use direct heat when cooking thin pieces of meat. This means that you place the meat on the grill directly above the coals in a charcoal grill, or directly above the burners in a gas grill. If using a gas grill, the burners should never be set lower than medium heat. The best direct heat foods include hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, steaks, boneless chicken breasts and fish.

Use indirect heat when cooking larger pieces of meat, such as whole turkeys or chickens, pork roasts, pork tenderloin or beef roasts. For a charcoal grill, this means moving all the coals over to one side, placing the meat on the side without the coals and covering the grill. This allows the heat to slowly cook through the meat without direct heat burning the outer layer. For gas grills, turn one burner as high as it goes and place the meat away from that burner.

Most meat you can place directly on the grill to cook. With fish, you might want to brush it with oil beforehand in order to prevent sticking. The cooking times for each type of meat vary, depending on thickness. In general, fish takes the least amount of time, followed by beef and pork, and poultry takes the longest.

For vegetarians, you can place an array of veggies on a skewer or on a piece of foil to grill. Brush some oil on the veggies or the foil beforehand.

Fruit lovers can even grill up some fruits on the grill, such as pineapple, grapefruit, apples, peaches and pears, which can all withstand the heat.

Don’t forget to supply condiments with your final products! Allow people to personalize their burgers, sandwiches or skewers with spices, ketchup, mustard, pickles, buns or whatever you wish to include. Add some freshly made lemonade or a fruity cocktail and you are all set to relax and enjoy your grilled masterpiece.