With Father’s Day coming up, Calgary families will likely be hanging out on the patio or deck, enjoying one another’s company and the sunshine. Having a yard celebration in the summer is the best way to enjoy the outdoors with family. It’s why most homes have an outside entertainment area. A Desert Sun Patio Cover is an ideal addition to keep dad dry, and free of those powerful sun rays!
Imagine the perfect Father’s Day outside on the deck or in your screen room away from those pesky mosquitos. While dad might be the big tough guy who can handle the sun and the bugs, he will also want all the guests to feel comfortable and to celebrate the day that’s all about him.
Since Dad will likely want to be the guy in charge of the grill, even though it’s Father’s Day, we thought we would put together some of our favourite BBQ Recipes that are sure to please any crowd.
When it comes to preparing food for a family gathering, you will need to think of everyone. Dad might love red meat, but you might have someone in the family who is vegan. There’s always a favourite aunt, who needs something gluten-free and someone is almost always on diet. Oh, and most importantly, don’t forget about a kid-friendly recipe for the little ones. Look no further for some meal inspiration!
Here are a few of our favourite BBQ recipes to enjoy on the Patio all season long!
For the vegan in the family, try some Vegetable Kabobs that everyone can enjoy! To make your life even easier, make it into a “make your own” kabob station – that way, everyone gets what they want and there’s no food waste.
Patio BBQs are traditionally easy to organize and manage but there are a few BBQ tricks that you should be aware of, especially if you want a hassle-free outdoor celebration.
Prepare your BBQ in advance
It’s a simple thing but it’s interesting how many people forget to put the barbecue on in advance. Get it heated up in good time so you don’t have a last-minute panic, and you can check if you have enough propane at the same time. One last bit of preparation that should be done for any patio barbecue celebration is to make sure that the grill bars are clean to avoid cross contaminating flavours and textures.
You also should make sure that you have all the accessories ready; a clean set of barbecue tools, cooking trays and dividers for the grill, and most importantly, a matching set of big dishes to serve all the delicious food into.
Marinade your meat early
You may be cooking meat that comes ready marinated but if you are making your own marinade, do it in advance. You can marinate meat a full day in advance or a few hours in advance. Don’t be the one with messy fingers when your guests arrive because you’re busy throwing on the sauce. Marinade your meat, put it in the fridge until you need it, and hey presto, you have a great Father’s Day BBQ.
A pro trick that will make you an invaluable helper to dad and really take your barbecue game to the next level is to reserve as much of the marinade as you can after you remove the meat for grilling. Use a pastry brush to cover both sides with an extra layer as you lay the meat on the hot grills, and then add a light cover just before you’re ready to serve. Your meat will get an extra flavour boost and will come out more juicy and succulent than ever.
Have the condiments handy
Kids like to add ketchup to their steak, chicken or anything really. Always make sure the ketchup is full, so you don’t have any grumpy kids hanging around on Father’s Day.
Add an extra twist to your barbecue with some unique condiments beyond the usual relish, ketchup and mustard. To wow your guests, trying sourcing and serving some of these:
Gojuchang – this spicy Korean bean paste is becoming more and more popular as the Korean Wave spreads across America. It’s like a flavoursome hot sauce, so advise your guests to use it wisely.
Mango salsa – to be honest, any kind of tropical fruit salsa will work, but mango salsas tend to be less sweet and give a better texture than others. You can add them to any meat, but they particularly go will with grilled chicken breasts and surprisingly on a rack of ribs. You can buy mango salsa in stores, but as with all condiments, it will taste better and fresher if you can make it yourself.
Hummus – if you’ve got vegans or vegetarians coming to celebrate dad, having a big bowl of hummus will keep them happy as well as full. It goes well in grilled vegetable wraps and spicy bean burgers, as well as being an excellent dip option for chips and chopped vegetables. This is one option that you can make it at home, but it requires a significant number of unique ingredients (tahini as an example) and it’s often cheaper and more convenient to buy store made hummus.
Always make a little extra
You think you are going to eat one steak and then find yourself digging into all the other fixings. Make a little bit of extra so you don’t run out of food midway. And if your guests don’t devour everything, you can always enjoy the leftovers tomorrow – dad will surely not mind an extra of celebration!
What could be missing, do you think, from this fabulous Father’s Day BBQ?
All of these barbecue ideas work well, but could be spoilt if the sun is too hot or the bugs are out in force that day. If you have cover, then you’re all set for the best Father’s Day celebration to date. If you don’t have a patio, screen or sunroom, this might be the perfect gift idea for Father’s Day, especially if he is an avid outdoors man. Contact our outdoor-living experts and find out how we can protect you from the rain, give you some shade and keep away those bugs away from your dinner plate!
