We associate grilling with summertime, and with good reason.
But winter grilling is just as tasty!
Parties by the pool, festive music, cold mixed drinks, a baseball game in the background – these are some of the rites of summer, and barbequing fits right in with that.
Still, it’s a shame not to be able to enjoy barbeque food for half of the year, which is why many look for ways to keep on barbequing even in the wintertime.
Is this madness?
Maybe, but as these six tips for grilling in winter snow, there is barbeque-flavored method in that madness.
Also read: Weber Spirit vs Genesis
Winter Grilling Tips
1. Bundle up
During the summer, it’s easy to barbeque outdoors. Simply wear a shirt and shorts or even just a bathing suit, and you’re good to go.
Needless to say, if you try pulling that in the winter, you’ll be more than a little chilly, which is why you’ll want to bundle up.
It may seem odd wearing warm clothing or even gloves while barbequing, but for year-round BBQ chicken, it’s worth it.
2. Keep Your Grill Covered
Snow is not good for your grill. Having layers of snow sitting on top of it is not the way to keep it in good working order.This is how to keep a grill from rusting.
You, thus, want to make sure it is protected from the elements, and that means choosing a proper BBQ grill cover.
Many grill companies sell their own covers. Whether you purchase one from them or from a third party, you need to make sure that it will fit your grill.
You also need to make sure that your grill remains shut whenever you are not using it. You do not want snow and other wintry debris getting into your grill.
As long as you keep it shut and covered, the winter weather should not affect your grill, which will allow you to keep grilling away even in subzero temperatures.
Always clean your grill before covering it up.
3. Account for Slower Warm-up Times
It isn’t just that barbeques fit better with warm weather culture – they work better then as well.
Just because you are in the mood for a barbeque doesn’t mean that your barbeque is ready to comply. Cold conditions can mean your barbeque will need longer to get ready to cook.
If you are going to use your grilling in cold weather, therefore, you will have to plan on a longer warm-up time than normal.
Do not plan on grilling things with company over, as it may take far longer to complete, leaving the food delayed, your guests hungry, and you unable to socialize as you frantically try to get the grill going.
As a rule of thumb, you should plan on at least 20 to 40 minutes more warm-up time when using a grill in the winter. In addition, you should keep your grill closed so as to trap the heat inside and not let the cold air get in.
4. Cook During the Day
The days are far shorter in winter than in summer, which gives you even less time in which to get your grilling done.
Grilling on a cold winter’s night is about as antithetical to the idea of BBQ food as you can imagine, and what’s worse, it will take forever. You, thus, want to cook during the day, when the small modicum of light and heat is at its brightest and warmest.
5. Pick Easy Foods
The type of food you pick can also have a major impact on how well this winter BBQing experiment goes.
You should ideally pick foods that are easy and fast to grill. For example, pizza cooks pretty quickly, making it a decent choice for cold-weather conditions when grills take longer and the time available for cooking is shorter.
6. Cover Food Immediately
Let’s say that you have defied the odds, pulled this off, and have a piping hot freshly-barbequed Christmas entrée ready to go.
The longer you let it sit out uncovered, however, the faster it will lose all that heat, and all your efforts will have been for nothing.
You, thus, want to cover any food you barbeque immediately after you take it off the grill and keep it covered until you serve it.
Barbequing isn’t typically a cold weather pastime, but with these tips, you can heat up your winter cooking.
