Summer is here and it’s time to put the outdoor kitchen to use. Doing so keeps the inside of your home cooler because you won’t be using the oven or stove burners. For some, cooking outdoors seems more of a hassle than it is worth, but if you make a good plan and have the tools you need outside, you will become a seasoned outdoor kitchen chef in no time. Luxury Landscape Supply has the supplies you need to build your outdoor kitchen. Once built, here’s how to cook in it.
Plan Your Menu
The menu is the most important part of cooking outside because the foods you cook take into account the tools you have. In other words, if you have a grill surface only, you are going to prepare foods that you can cook on the grill. A casserole or other food that needs to be cooked in the oven won’t work unless you have an outdoor oven. Therefore, think carefully about the types of foods you can cook easily in your outdoor kitchen and plan the menu accordingly, i.e., hamburgers and grilled vegetables.
Prepare the Foods
Next, you want to prepare the foods so they are ready to be cooked outside. You can do all of the food prep indoors and then take the foods outside, or prepare the foods outside if you have outdoor counter space. Some people have everything they need to prepare the foods outside, including a refrigerator, in their outdoor kitchen. If you prefer, you can get the food ready inside and then put it on platters for easy transportation to the outdoor cooking space. Prepare the foods for easy transfer to the grill.
Utilize the Kitchen
Once the food is prepared, fire up the outdoor kitchen. If you are using the grill, heat it up to the proper cooking temperature. If you are using an outdoor oven, preheat it. If you have a solar oven, make sure the sun has preheated it properly. Use the different grill levels for the proper cooking temperatures. For example, you want to cook meat close to the fire and vegetables further away from the fire.
Enjoy Eating the Food
Once the food is cooked, plate it and shut down the grill or oven. If you desire to eat outside, do so, but you can also bring the food inside if you prefer to eat indoors to avoid the flying insects.
Need some help with your outdoor kitchen? Stop by Luxury Landscape Supply in Lawrenceville, GA, today. We have inspirational photos of outdoor kitchen projects and supplies for them.