You may already have your flag hanging for July 4th, but have you decided what you’re firing up on the grill to celebrate the holiday?
We wanted to make sure your cookout skills were top notch, so we talked to Tyler Selhorst, Weber Grill Specialist. The avid barbecuer shared his wealth of knowledge (Did you know 80% of Americans choose to grill burgers over any other food?), and also a few must-try recipes. So take note and impress your guests as you come together for good food, fun and festivities this holiday.
1. Pick burgers that have an 80/20 protein to fat ratio. 
“The fat is a good thing—it adds flavor and makes your burger tender. The other benefit is it seals burger ingredients together.”
2. Never use lighter fluid.
“You never want to use lighter fluid for grilling. You rarely burn it off before cooking, so you’re actually infusing the food with lighter fluid flavor. It tastes awful and it’s toxic. We have chimney starters and paraffin wax cubes that work way better for starting your grill.”
3. Any food that takes longer than 20 minutes to cook, shouldn’t be grilled directly.
“Things like burgers and steaks take under 20 minutes and can be grilled right on the heat source. If something takes longer than 20 minutes, then grill it indirectly. On a gas grill, we call it the MOM method: medium, off, medium.”
4. Placing a dimple in your burger will make it cook evenly.
“The most important part of creating burgers is using your thumb to put a dimple on top of the meat. This allows the burger to keep its shape and not turn into a meatball. The grease will pool together in the middle and once you flip it, it will be dumped out into the grill.”
5. Want to change things up? Grill scallops.
“I really enjoy doing scallops. Toss them in olive oil, add your favorite seasonings—I prefer rosemary—and then place them on the grill for 1-2 minutes per side. They cook fast.”
6. Woodchips will add new flavor for the adventurous grill master.
“I really like to use woodchips. Soak woodchips for about an hour in water before grilling out. It’s a nice way to incorporate flavor into your food without adding a lot of seasonings.”
7. Number 1 cookout must-have? BBQ Sauce.
“It goes with anything—hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken—put some BBQ sauce on your meal and it will make it that much better. Weber’s BBQ sauce has no corn syrup in it, so it sticks to the food and not your grill.”
Find these tips helpful? If you don’t recall anything else, remember this: “Even if you burn your food, you can cover it with BBQ sauce and it will still taste great,” says Tyler. Check out some Weber grill recipes below. Want more? Head over to Weber Nation.
Recipes and Images © Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Used with permission.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Built from Scratch on June 29, 2015.
