Labor Day BBQ: 7 Tips for a Better Cookout

Seven fixes that keep a cookout on schedule, so you sit down and eat with your guests instead of standing at the grill all day. These tips get the food out on time, hot and safe. I put these together for Labor Day, but they work for any cook day: tailgate, birthday, Sunday dinner. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Happy Labor Day: the seven tips Tip 1: Plan the menu around your grill and count backwards from the serve time Tip 2: Separate raw foods; wash tools and hands between every item Tip 3: Two heat zones and how to shuffle Tip 4: Manageable batches: chicken first, burgers last Tip 5: Measure doneness the safe way: thermometer in every piece Tip 6: Serving is a cooking step: hold at 140°F or warmer Tip 7: Leftovers: shallow containers, 3 to 4 days, reheat to 165°F THE NUMBERS Poultry: 165°F in the thickest part of every piece. Ground beef, pork, and lamb: 160°F. Whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal: 145°F, then rest 3 minutes. That is the minimum; cook higher if you like it more done. Serve and hold hot food at 140°F or warmer, checked with a thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it is above 90°F outside) in shallow, covered containers; use within 3 to 4 days or freeze; reheat to 165°F. One note on the big cuts: 60 to 90 minutes per pound at 225 to 250°F is a planning estimate only. Actual time varies with the cut, thickness, pit temperature, weather, and wrapping. Cook to tenderness and temperature, not the clock, and build in a buffer, because a finished roast holds safely at 140°F or warmer. Never partially cook meat or poultry and finish it later. Once chicken goes on, it stays on until it reaches 165°F. FREE GUIDE: The Crowd Cookout Countdown All seven checks as a one-page run sheet for a 4 PM serve: https://www.backyardbbqr.com/guides/f... Premium guides: https://www.backyardbbqr.com/premium-... FREE GUIDES AND RESOURCES Start here: https://www.backyardbbqr.com/start-he... Free guides: https://www.backyardbbqr.com/free-gui... Newsletter: https://www.backyardbbqr.com/newslett... GEAR I USE Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/4d59PJa Grills: Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Mountain, Kamado (Big Joe 3), Kamado (Vinson grill), Shirley Fabrication smoker Some links are affiliate links. Backyard BBQ-R may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. FOLLOW BACKYARD BBQ-R Instagram:   / backyard_bbq_r   TikTok:   / backyardbbqr   Facebook:   / backyardbbqr   X: https://x.com/BackyardBBQr Keep that fire right and that plate full. I'll catch y'all next time. #BBQ #Cookout #GrillingTips #FoodSafety #BackyardBBQ