June 04, 2018
Summer is nearly upon us, with only a few short weeks before we move into prime barbeque weather. Firing up the grill is as much a part of summer as going to the beach and wearing your favorite shorts until they fall apart.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the hottest barbeque trends for the upcoming summer season, and get those taste buds working overtime.
Thin is In
Everyone always wants the biggest steak on offer or the thickest porkchop of the bunch, but this year things are changing. Summer 2018 is about thin, marinated meat.
Thinner meats take on more flavor from rubs, sauces and spices, offering a tastier, more satisfying meal than thicker cuts. This trend is taking inspiration from Japanese cooking, where thin cuts are the go-to. Think heavily-rubbed rib-eyes with peppers and onions.
Pork Steaks
Shoulder cuts of pork are tender, marbled and take on flavor like nothing else. Whereas chops can dry out if they’re overcooked, the fat marbled shoulder steak retains moisture.
Add some hot sauce or a smoky rub, and you’ve got a moist, flavorful steak that costs much less than beef.
Smoke the Easy Way
Smoked meat is massively popular at the minute. Restaurants are grabbing the trend like there’s no tomorrow, with smoke houses going up in many establishments. But you don’t need to build anything to get a rich, smoky flavor – you just need some chips of wood and a barbeque.
Grab some hickory chips, throw them onto your glowing charcoal and wait for the smoke. The choose your meat – chicken, pork, steak or even veal – and cook until done. When you dig in, you’ll find the meat has an amazing, hickory smoked taste.
Salt Slabs
You might have seen cooking shows using these. They’re chunky squares of Himalayan salt that sit on the grill and act as both a flavor imparter and medium between heat and food. Warm them over slowly and place fish, shrimp or meat on top. Add some diced onions, chilis and peppers, and you’ve got a deliciously salty, unique meal.
Deserts
A big 2018 trend is to make melted deserts on the grill. There’s nothing nicer than something sweet after a feast of barbequed meats, so think about things like bananas, chocolate and marshmallows. A banana sliced lengthwise, stuffed with chocolate and sprinkled with brown sugar will take about five to ten minutes and has an out-of-this-world taste.
In order to capitalize on barbeque season, think about expanding the uses of your yard. A perfect way to do this is with one of our amazing backyard hidden TV lift cabinets. Designed to mesh perfectly with the design of any back yard, our stylish, functional designs can help take barbeques to the next level. Whether it’s a game, movie or music, there’s never been a better time to make your back yard the place to be.
