4th of July is upon us… what better way to celebrate America than with 3 simple B’s – beer, bikinis & BBQ?! Here are a few simple tips to make sure your friends all leave with a smile on their faces

STEP 1: PLAN AHEAD

First things first, estimate how many people will be attending this bash. Gather up all the supplies before hand – patriotic red and blue plastic cups (enough for drinks & games), plastic plates & utensils, napkins, garbage bags, chips, dips, meat, buns, condiments, soda, etc…and of course, the beer. You can safely assume that any summer fiesta will require tons of ice and coolers to keep everything frosty. Charcoal or Propane? Whichever you use, make sure you have a backup supply in case you run low.

BBQ’s generally require that you provide some sort of food… no one’s expecting gourmet cuisine here but it’s very important that the food is edible and plentiful! Hot dogs and burgers on the menu? Make sure you have enough to go around. If the BBQ is an all day affair, expect to fire up that grill more than once…. after a beer pong tourney or two, your guests will probably be hungry again.

STEP 2: ENLIST THE TROOPS!

Throwing a BBQ is not cheap, so we suggest that guests contribute to the festivities. Once you’ve come up with a list of things you’ll need, assign everyone something to bring- put someone in charge of ice, buns, chips, etc. Just make sure that someone dependable is in charge of the beer!

STEP 3: ENTERTAINMENT!

Break out the super soakers, set up a slip and slide (ONLY on grass – DON’T try this on concrete!), let your inner child out with a water balloon fight – for a 4th of July BBQ, the wetter the better! Have a pool? Awesome! What better way to get the girls to wear as little as possible? Of course, always prepare for beer pong & flip cup tournaments. Are your friends adventurous? Suggest a wet t-shirt contest! With a little liquid courage, you never know what could happen Oh, and remember – a party isn’t a party without MUSIC! Let the fireworks begin!!

BONUS: MY FAVORITE  SUMMER PARTY DRINK RECIPE – GIN BUCKET!

If you usually whip up a batch of jungle juice for a party, try this fresh alternative for summer. Start with a clean bucket. Cut up, squeeze and add 5 lemons and 5 limes inside. Next, add a liter of gin, and a 2 liter bottle of lemon-lime soda. Mix it all up and add ice. Serve and enjoy!

STEP I: THE BASIC BARBECUE SHOPPING LIST

Skirt Steak

Chicken wings

Burgers (and buns)

Hot Dogs (and buns)

Extras:

Cheese

Condiments (remember to get barbecue sauce)

Chips

Drinks

STEP II: PREPARE THE MEAT

Open each of the packaging for the meats and begin preparation.

The Steak

Skirt steak can be cut into pieces that are as wide as your index finger.  Begin to cut the raw skirt steak and place it in a bowl.  When finished, you can pour a generous amount of barbecue sauce, salt and pepper in the same bowl and get dirty.  Stick your hands in there and mix the steak with the sauce so that every piece is nice and covered.  Really, you an do this with any steak, just know that the skirt steak tends to absorb the barbecue sauce in less amount of time than a rib-eye or sirloin would.

The Chicken

You can cut the wings to make them easier to eat and more pieces, but if that sounds like too much for you, don’t sweat it.  In a separate bowl, throw the wings in with some barbecue sauce, salt and paper and mix away.

Burgers and Hot Dogs

Burgers and Hot Dogs do not really require preparation.  You can throw on some burger seasoning (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, etc.)

STEP III: GRILLING EFFICIENTLY

• When the grill is hot, throw on the wings first because they take the longest to cook (10 minutes on each side)
• Throw the burgers and steak five to ten minutes after (around 10-15 minutes each)
• Lastly, throw on the hot dogs (5-10 minutes on a hot grill).

*Be sure to flip the meat and pay attention to everything that is going on, instead of staring at that girl in the red, white and blue bikini.

Extra Basic Barbecue Tips

• You always need to start with a clean grill. Removing old ashes assures good air circulation, which leads to a more balanced grill surface.  Besides, you don’t want your new fresh meat being rubbed all over little bits of wings from last year’s barbecue season.
• Be sure to wash everything after handling raw meat. Don’t use the same plate for the cooked meat that you used for the raw meat.  There are many bad-ass ways to die, like exhaustion from sex with 3 models, but salmonella is not one of them.
• Some places suggest you cover the grill with vegetable cooking spray, or brush with cooking oil to assure that the food doesn’t stick.  This definitely works, although we suggest just covering the meat with barbecue sauce, which is also effective.
• You should always start the grill before grilling.  Let it heat up the grill and make it nice and hot, this way the cooking begins once the meat touches the grill.

Using gas grill? Light it up and wait 10-15 mins.
Using charcoal? Stack in a pyramid shape and light with a liquid or electric starter.  Charcoal is ready when it turns ashy and has that red glow to it.

• Chicken needs to be cooked well-done.  You cannot make chicken rare because it can seriously make someone very sick and potentially kill them.  Also, an undercooked chicken does not give off flavor the way a rare steak would.  Steak and burgers can be cooked on the rare side, depending on the eater’s preference.

Note:  If there is a douchebag at your barbecue, be sure to drop his portion on the floor for some extra seasoning.