Grill a Delicious Chicagoland Feast With These Tips

Summer vacation is coming to a close, but Chicagoland still has plenty of warm and sunny days ahead. Celebrate your weekends off of school and work with a decadent barbecue that keeps that summer feeling going well into the fall. Up your game, and grill something spectacular with these tips.

1. Get the Grill Going

The first step to grilling a truly delicious dinner is prepping the grill. Start the fire and warm the grill so any residue or buildup will soften. Clean off the grates with a grill brush before you begin. When the grill is clean, dip an old towel in canola oil and rub it over the hot grates to keep your meal from sticking as you cook.

2. Pick Your Meat

For a truly Chicago-style meal, your must-have meat is rib tips. This is a local favorite for its combination of crispy outer meat and soft juicy center. If you’re going for burgers, choose high-quality beef and you won’t have to worry about blending it with other meats or adding a lot of seasoning. Splurge on ground beef and it will need nothing else to taste truly outstanding.

3. Get a Little Saucy

If you’re making rib tips or another type of barbecued meat, a tomato-based sauce will give you the most authentic midwestern flavor. You can bring the flavor of some of Chicago’s most iconic restaurants right to your home with the right purchase. Mumbo Sauce was born on the south side of the city and though the restaurant chain closed, you can still buy the sauces in stores.

Chicago native Jeff Mauro of Food Network fame crafted a line of sauces that are sold at Mariano’s outlets in the Chicago area. There’s a Mariano’s in Aurora just 7 miles from our Springs at Orchard Road community. The Mariano’s in Naperville is about 5 miles from Springs at Weber Road.

4. Make Sure It’s Done

A digital meat thermometer is the best way to make sure meat is done. Cutting into your meat to check doneness will dry it out. Here are some guidelines:

• Beef is rare at 130 degrees, medium between 140 and 155, and well done at 170 degrees or more.
• Pork should be somewhere between 140 and 185 degrees.
• Cook poultry to at least 160 degrees for white meat and 170 for dark.
• Fish should be between 120 and 135 degrees.

Are you planning to grill up something special before the weather turns chill? Share your favorite recipes and grilling tips in the comments below.