Denver Barbecue

Just picture this, a stunning backyard on a warm summer afternoon, delicious food and a sound system playing a smokin' jazz track or the newest upbeat tunes or some modern rock records. Fill up those pitchers with margaritas, or some vodka and pineapple-juice, or iced cordial for the kids. All that's left are the loved ones to come in numbers. I for one cannot think of a more appropriate time and setting for a barbecue.

Now, when planning the barbecue menu, don't forget that even the simplest of food are made totally delicious by the smoky barbecue taste. The classic sausages, burger patties, steaks, chops or cutlets are somewhat simple foods. Top them off with onions or capsicum and these vegetable sides mesh together in taste just by cooking them on the barbecue.

Make it easier on yourself. Gather up some pre-cut vegetables and pre-made salads from your local supermarket. These same outlets also store, in numbers, some ready-to-grill beef kebobs, marinated chicken, souvlaki and fish. Depending on what you want to cook, this could save a considerable amount of preparation time.

Pick up bunches of strawberries and grapes, a few watermelons, cherries and some rock melons while you're at the supermarket. Arrange these fruits in a stylish platter and you have a simple yet tasty and attractive dessert. Oh, it's also important to keep these fruits chilled. Maybe place the platter on a large tray filled with ice. It's up to you what recipes you want to dish up for your guests but you can have all sorts of different barbecues.

For an informal outdoor barbecue, attempt having a BBQ ribs cookout. Ribs can take quite a while to cook so remember to start a few hours early. Serve the bbq ribs up with some garlic bread and corn on the cob straight off the grill. On the other hand this type of barbeque is neglecting the little ones.

For a cookout centered around kids, I recommend giving the children a choice between hot dogs or burgers. Remember to teach them about adding a few greens on their plate! Place salads out with carrots and celery sticks so they can add it to their plates themselves without being forced to. If you're looking to entertain by sophistication (for dinner) try serving up some grilled salmon, baby Asian vegetables and some steamed white rice on the side.

Hopefully, these ideas can get you going, but take note that I didn't get into detail, so unless I studied hospitality/catering I probably would have already floored you with hundreds of ideas, which is why I'm moving your attention to this handy little book - Super BBQ Secrets. It contains easy to read guides to throwing a 'kickass' barbecue. It will save you time AND money for every barbecue event you plan on having. For loads of other terrific barbecue secrets, keep coming back to my blog at least once a week to find newly added barbecue recipes, so YOU can cook up your own unique BBQ ideas.

Things to Consider When Choosing BBQ Meat

Everybody loves a good barbecue. But once in while, we get that itch when we just want everything to be absolutely perfect - from the bbq marinade to the the barbecue meat to the paper plates and cups. Speaking of barbecue meat, there are some things you should consider when choosing meat to help bring out the perfect flavor of the barbecue.

In general, the most common barbecue meat choices are beef, pork and poultry, with each type of meat having something different to offer to the palate. As a general rule, select meats that were derived from younger animals since these would be tender and more flavorful.

BBQ meat tip # 1. Beef cuts ideal for barbecues are the New York strip, Filet Mignon and Rib eye. The appropriate thickness of the beef should be about a full inch. A little seasoning rub helps bring out the natural flavor of the beef without overpowering it.

BBQ meat tip # 2. Poultry is another barbecue favorite that can either be in the form of duck, chicken, game hen or even turkey. Choice cuts of poultry like wings, legs and thighs can be marinated or flavored using a dry spice rub. Chicken breasts can also be seasoned in the same way before grilling.

BBQ meat tip # 3. Pork is a barbecue staple enjoyed by everyone. It is the simplest type of meat to barbecue. To appreciate the flavor of pork, choose lean cuts like tender chops and spare ribs or baby back ribs seasoned with spices or barbecue sauce.
Seasoning Meats

Barbecue rubs give traditional barbecue a whole new dimension. It makes for a tastier and more flavorful barbecue. In fact, most famed barbecue restaurants use rubs to give their ribs, chicken and steaks a rich deep flavor. Barbecue rubs should be rubbed thickly into the meat and left there for at least four hours or more. When grilling, the barbecue rub will give the meat a nice, chunky and crusty coating.

Ideally, you should rub the meat first, and then add the sauce while grilling. BBQ rubs come in all kinds of mixtures. For a nice brown color, you should add some more brown sugar. Paprika is also a popular ingredient in rubs. It has a very light peppery taste, and gives the meat a nice, rich, brown color. Oregano, thyme, and rosemary are excellent herbs which go well with red barbecue sauces. Rubs also typically have onion and garlic powder to flavor the meat.
For an all-around sauce, try the Jim Bean Honey BBQ Sauce and Maguire's Irish BBQ Sauce. They are two exceptional sauces that can be used for any type of meat even fish.

On the other hand, the Bone Suckin' Sauce Rib Rub, the Cowtown BBQ Seasoning and the Habanero Seasoning from Hell are multi-purpose dry rubs that can be used to season everything from beef, pork, poultry, fish as well as eggs and pasta.

Special Event Planning- making your next event one to remember

Planning the perfect Denver corporate event, holiday party, team building event, employee appreciation day, company picnic, family reunion, fun fair or other special event is an easy task when working with a professional Denver event planner. Many people planning special events are overwhelmed with fitting event planning tasks into their schedules, especially if it is their first time producing an event.

The first place to start is to find a reputable professional event planner you feel comfortable working with. Planners are easily found by asking others who have planned events in the past, reading company bios on websites and asking companies you are interested in working with if the planners and staff they employ have had a background check. It is a good idea to speak with more than one planner if this is your first time planning an event.

When selecting a professional Denver event planner, it is important to evaluate whether you are in need of an outdoor event coordinator, indoor event specialist, games assistant, meeting planner, caterer, etc. The individual you choose to work with will depend greatly on the type of event you are interested in producing. Once you have selected an individual or event planning company, the party details will begin to fall in place. Event planners will focus on executing four main areas of fun. They include: catering, music, games/rides and tents/tables/chairs.

When selecting catering for your event, a planner will evaluate the type of event participants are attending. For company BBQ's, on-site cookouts, or catered luncheons, a casual atmosphere is necessary which may entail typical picnic foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts and side salads. For upscale events such as client appreciations, open house, grand openings and the like a more sophisticated menu would be needed. In some cases, special dietary concerns will need to be factored into the types of foods you choose to include. (i.e. vegetarian, kosher, allergen foods, etc.) It is important to discuss any food limitations your event may have with your planning professional. A decision must also be made whether or not to provide a full meal, several course meal, fun foods, dessert/coffee or appetizers. A professional Denver caterer will work with you and your event planner to help you to select the foods appropriate for your audience and ensure success for your event. If you select a full service event planner, they will help guide you in finding a catering partner. Often times, full service event planners work with several catering companies and will know by the description of your event which company will best suite your needs.

Selecting the right music for your audience is essential in ensuring your guests have a memorable and enjoyable experience at the event. When hiring a DJ, MC, band, specialty act or musical group it is important to assess the underlying goals of the event. Do you want to select an interactive DJ to provide activities for children? Would your guests respond well to hula dancers, a Mariachi band, Dixieland band or cover band? Do you want your music to accompany your event theme? Are you looking for background or forefront party music? Do you want people to dance? Do you need a dance floor or not? Do you want your DJ to offer guests bingo or other interactive activities such as the chicken dance, hokey poky or hot potato throughout the day? How you would like your musicians or DJ's to dress for the occasion? Many questions must be answered before making your musical selection. Once these questions are answered you will be able to work with event staff in producing the perfect event! Selecting the right music is crucial as you want to make sure not to annoy or offend any of your guests, therefore, you will want to have direct input on the choices of music for your event thus eliminating any unwanted surprises or negative outcomes.