Contributed Post
Perhaps it seems a little weird to talk about barbecues in the height of winter, but is it really so strange? Christmas is the season of food. Barbecues are the key to delicious, grilled meats and other maybe-not-so-healthy delights that shouldn’t be kept exclusive to the season of summer. Does good food only taste good at certain times of the year? No. It tastes good all year round, so why deny yourself one of life’s many pleasures and avoid having a wonderful, Christmas barbecue?
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Think about it: barbecues are warm. Why would you want to be kept warmer than you already are in the height of summer? Really, when all things have been considered, barbecues make more sense in winter; on a cold, icy day, the one thing you want, more than anything, in the evening is a smoking hot plate of ribs, burgers, sausages and every imaginable delight on earth.
Summer is gone, but good riddance! The true season for barbecuing warm, delicious food is here. Switch up Christmas this year and have a multi-layered burger, or a 10-pack of ribs. There’s never enough time to do everything that you want to do during summer, but there’s no reason that you can’t squeeze in all those barbecues you wanted right now!
It’ll all run smoothly, as long as you have some warm clothes.
I’m pretty sure you have a nice fleece or a wooly jacket somewhere in that closet. You must have been planning to leave the house at some point over the next few months, so why not make it enjoyable? Of course, staying warm is important in general. Perhaps you should make sure you and your family, or friends, are gathered near to your house, so you can nip in and out if things get a little too cold out there.
Still, there’s nothing better to warm you up than a sizzling plate of delicious meats. If you were planning on leaving the house anyway, maybe to frolick in the snow or watch a fireworks display, then I really think you should try doing so with hot, barbecued food. It takes on a whole new flavour in winter and actually serves a purpose alongside being tasty. I suppose that makes it twice as good as it is during summer. You can always get a bonfire going for heat if things get too tough out there. Hot food by a roasting fire, possibly gazing upon snowy settings at the most wonderful time of the year. That sounds pretty swell to me.
You can go to town! No-holds-barred.
Unlike summer, you might be thinking that a winter barbecue has certain limits in terms of cooking potential in the icy conditions. You don’t have to stick to simple foods, though. You can be as wild as you like. Of course, if you’re still really struggling to get a ‘normal’ grill going in these icy conditions, you could always choose an unstoppable option, untouched by the wind or the cold: https://backyardville.com/best-smokers-2016/
With the beauty of the modern world, we don’t have to let nature’s brutal elements stop us from doing anything. The possibilities for your future barbecues are endless! Don’t let society tell you to have barbecues at Christmas if you want to have them all year round. Or, if you don’t want to have them all year round and you’d rather they were a ‘special occasion’, choose winter. You’ll never go back, I promise. You can even cook the Christmas turkey outside, if you want. It might take a while, but it’d be worth it.
You get an excuse to invite all the friends round and have an outdoors winter party!
Set up the Christmas dining cloth, the festive mats, the canopes (perhaps heat them up just before you serve them) and throw a real winter gathering. Get your guests to chip in with some of their own chosen food, warm up with some rich German ales and beers, and maybe tuck into some festive Christmas log or figgy pudding later; I have a feeling desserts will be kept nice and fresh outside.
On the topic of drinks, make sure you have something warm to serve up. Warmth is the key here, though the barbecued food will cover that area for the most part. Mulled wine is very festive, but if you’re all beginning to feel a little tipsy from the drinking and your 5-year-old son shouldn’t really be hitting the liquor, then a warm mug of tea can do the drink nicely on a perfect winter’s evening. If people have to drive home, make sure you’ve arranged transport or a place to stay earlier in the evening, so you can rest assured that there’ll be no panicking later on. I speak from experience.
Prepare for any eventuality.
There’d be nothing worse than all your guests turning up and the barbecue didn’t even work! As exciting and festive as this time of year may be, people won’t appreciate standing in the cold, shivering and slowly freezing as they wait for you to fiddle around with your brand new piece of gear.
Winter parties are fun, don’t get me wrong, but they’re fun if you have a way to warm up! I keep mentioning warmth, because the novelty of snow, partying and Christmas cheer wears off quite quickly as soon as people start to feel a little too chilly for a little too long. Make sure everything runs smoothly and deliver a winter barbecue if you promised a winter barbecue.
There’s always the option to head back inside.
You really have no excuse not to throw the best winter barbecue imaginable! You can all enjoy the wintery scenery whilst cooking your food; even if it isn’t snowing, you can at least get in the seasonal spirit through other means. People are what make Christmas fun and if you still don’t believe in the power of a wonderful, festive barbecue after an hour or so of trying it for yourself… Well, I suppose you could always nip back indoors and relax in the living room with your friends.
