July is National Grilling Month and you can almost smell it! When you think of grilling, you may think about a lot of different things. Burgers, hot dogs, brisket, and ribs. Is your mouth watering yet? This article will discuss the many ways you can celebrate National Grilling Month, types of grills and some ideas of what to grill.

Ways You Can Celebrate National Grilling Month

To celebrate National Grilling Month, there are many ways to go about it. Backyard barbecues are a classic. Gather your family together for a potluck of potato salad and coleslaw. Fill up the kiddie pool or turn on the sprinklers for the kids to play in and fire up your grill. Serve burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings. Or, for the more experienced griller, smoke a brisket or pork butt and roast some corn. Whatever the menu, a backyard barbecue is a great way to spend time with family and friends.

Another way to celebrate is attending a barbecue cook-off. Tasting your way from booth to booth is an experience you have to have at least once.

Maybe the best way to celebrate national grilling month is to have someone else do the grilling! Visit a popular restaurant that specializes in grilling. Some barbecue joints in the area are famous for their chopped beef, sausage or pork. You might just have to try them all to find your favorite.

Favorite Area BBQ Joints

Here are a few on our list:

• Tejas Chocolate Craftory in Tomball, Texas. They offer smoked brisket, pork shoulder, pork spare ribs, turkey, and sausage. Signature sandwiches are “Brisket & Blues” and “Bird & Bacon.” And, you have to try some chocolate while you’re there.
• Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q has six locations in the Houston area. Don’t let the outside fool you. Rudy’s menu boasts twelve kinds of meat, sandwiches, sides, desserts and even breakfast tacos. Get yourself some of the moist brisket and you won’t be disappointed.
• Early BBQ is the best kept secret in Willis, Texas. Located at 14340 Shepard Hill Rd., Early’s is only open on weekends and just takes cash. Their simple menu consists of beef, sausage, ribs and chicken. The sides are potato salad and beans. Everything is mouth watering and delicious. Also, they sometimes have homemade banana pudding. Get some, if they haven’t sold out!

Types of grills

If you are looking to start grilling at home, you’ll need a grill. But which type is best for you? There are kamado grills, charcoal grills, charcoal kettle grills, pellet grills and gas or propane grills. Before you decide which kind of grill is best for you, ask yourself these questions.

• Where do you plan to grill? Porch, deck or patio? Is it wired or within range of an extension cord? Without a plug-in outlet, a pellet grill is not going to be the ideal choice.
• How much do you plan on grilling at one time? Consider some of the gas options with lots of cook space and side burners.
• Do you have the space and good support for a heavy grill? A kamado or “egg grill” is quite large, in terms of weight, depending on the size. But, it’s a fantastic grill to choose.
• Do you want to be able to grill in a hurry? A slow-heating and stabilizing grill probably isn’t a good fit.
• Are you dreaming about grilling steaks and burgers with grill marks and a smoky flavor? A gas grill will not give you that. But it is clean, affordable, and heats up fast.

Ideas for what to grill for National Grilling Month

You may have already had the traditional burger and hot dog for your 4th of July celebrations. And, you have mastered the brisket and corn on the cob. So what else is there? Try pork butts, pork loins, and bacon wrapped anything. There is also chicken, whole or pieces. And, vegetables can be very tasty when grilled. Make sure you get the heartier varieties that can stand up the grill and don’t cut them too small that they fall through the grates. Squash, peppers, onions, mushrooms and eggplant are great grilling vegetables. 

Try out some grilling accessories like skewers, baskets, or foil packets. Find some new rubs to try or experiment with a marinade.

Happy National Grilling Month!

Like this content and want more? Subscribe to Dock Line Magazine and receive free content like this in your email every week!