Happy Memorial Day/BBQ Tips for the Inexperienced

I just wanted to take the time out to say THANK YOU to the men and women who are serving and protecting our country.  Wherever you may be, please stay safe and we all await your return back to the states.  To those who have lost loved ones in the line duty, please know that they did not die in vain and we take this time to continue to remember each of them.

Here are a couple of shots I took from the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials to commemorate this day.

On a lighter note, a few tips for the inexperienced grillers this Memorial Day:

1. First and most importantly, if you are not a griller, just leave it to the professionals.  This is not the time for experimenting.  
2. Water is not your friend when trying to put out a fire on a grill. You and your local fired department will be dealing with a bigger fire if you do.
3. Rare may be good for beef but not for poultry.  Cook the poultry slowly so that it can be cooked thoroughly, unless you just want to give your guests the gift of salmonella.
4. Just because they call it a smoker doesn't necessarily mean that your whole backyard or picnic area should be blanketed in it. There's good smoke and bad smoke. If you see your guests doing belly crawls in the backyard or masking their faces with their clothing, you'll know which one you created.
5. There's nothing wrong with a little crispy on the outside as long as it is juicy on the inside.  Food should not be cajuned all the way through.

Follow these tips and you will have a somewhat successful cookout. HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!