How to Barbecue for Under $15

The temperature is rising, so it's time to turn up the heat on your summer grilling plans while keeping your wallet cool as a cucumber.

Author:
Scott Gamm
Publish date:
May 29, 2011 7:00 AM EDT

The temperature is rising, so it's time to turn up the heat on your summer grilling plans while keeping your wallet cool as a cucumber.

With the summer months fast approaching, it will soon be time to fire up the grill and start cooking. Barbecues play a huge role in our lives during the summer, and because our eating habits often eat into our wallets when the sun comes out, we’ve asked food experts to share their top tips and recipes for delicious barbecue meals that can be prepared for less than $15. So if you’re concerned that your Fourth of July barbecue will require you to take on a second job, take these experts’ advice on ways to dramatically cut the cost. Photo Credit: adactio

The first step in any barbecue is deciding on the menu. Open up your grocery store circular to see what’s on sale, and if it’s not marked down, don’t buy it! Lisa Reynolds of coupon aggregator RedPlum.com suggests taking advantage of coupons you may not have considered before. “If you find a fantastic coupon, don't dismiss it simply because the item is not on your list,” she says. “See if you can fit that item into your menu, even replacing something else that might be more expensive.” Photo Credit: dmdonahoo

One strategy that Karen Hoxmeier, founder of budget shopping website MyBargainBuddy.com recommends to save money is to think of some out of the ordinary foods to cook on the grill. Aside from hamburgers, hot dogs and steak, find meat in the grocery store that is both inexpensive and tasty when grilled. “Pork picnic roasts are very inexpensive and can feed a crowd,” she says. “It is not uncommon to see them on sale for less than $2 per pound. When barbecuing a pork roast, the trick is to marinate overnight and barbecue at a low temperature (225-240 degrees) for 1.25-2 hours per pound. Using wood chips will also give it a delicious smoky flavor. Brushing on your favorite sauce during the last 30 minutes or so will help keep it moist.” Photo Credit: D'Arcy Norman

One important way to save cash while saving the environment is to use regular plates and silverware rather than buying paper plates and plastic utensils every time you want to barbecue. And to help with the cleanup after your barbecue bash, consider using BleachSafe towels, which can be disinfected with bleach (which is important when dealing with raw meat) without damaging them. Photo Credit: TheBusyBrain

When you see meat on sale, don’t simply purchase enough for one meal. Instead, buy a large quantity and store it in the freezer to use for future barbecues. “We love to buy meat in large quantities when it is on sale and then divide it up and freeze it in the marinades so that the meat marinates as it thaws. It makes for quick and easy dinners with very little clean-up,” says Cris Goode of food blog GoodenessGracious.com. And if you’re worried that your freezer will become packed into a solid frozen block, download the FreezerView iPad app for $1.99, which allows you to keep track of what’s inside your freezer using a diagram that is similar in size to your freezer. The app will even let you know when your food is set to expire. Photo Credit: stevendepolo

What’s a steak without a delicious barbecue sauce? John Smith, author of Confessions of a Butcher, offers the following barbecue sauce recipe, which he calls the “Marine Corps Railroad Style Barbecue Sauce” – and it only costs a few dollars to make: 24-oz. bottle of ketchup1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp onion powder1 tsp salt2 tablespoons black strap molasses1 tsp apple cider vinegar2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. a couple of hearty shakes of Tabasco saucea few shakes of black pepper “If you want it a little zestier,” Smith says, “just beef up the seasonings.” Photo Credit:thebittenword.com

Of course, you can’t have a barbecue without a side dish, and don’t think you have to spend a lot of money on those, either. John Stage, founder of popular New York barbecue joint Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, suggests the following recipe for a Creole potato salad, which can be prepared for less than $15, especially since you may have most of the ingredients in your pantry already: 2 lbs. red potatoes4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped½ cup minced red onion1 cup diced celery4 cloves garlic, minced2 tsp store-bought Creole Seasoning2 tsp kosher salt1 tsp black pepper1 cup mayonnaise½ cup spicy brown mustard1 tsp brown sugar4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled for garnish (optional) To prepare, drop the potatoes in a pot of well-salted boiling water. Cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain and cut the potatoes into one-inch chunks, then throw them together in a large bowl with the eggs, onions, celery, garlic, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. In another bowl, make the dressing by whisking up the mayonnaise with the mustard and brown sugar. Pour over the potato mixture and give everything a good stir. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt and Creole seasoning as needed. If using bacon, crumble the bacon on top prior to serving. The recipe should serve six.-Scott Gamm is the founder of the personal finance website HelpSaveMyDollars.com. He has appeared on NBC’s TODAY, MSNBC, Fox Business Network, Fox News, ABC News and CBS. Follow Scott on Facebook and Twitter. Photo Credit:TheCulinaryGeek

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Your Barbecue Shouldn’t Break the Bank

With the summer months fast approaching, it will soon be time to fire up the grill and start cooking. Barbecues play a huge role in our lives during the summer, and because our eating habits often eat into our wallets when the sun comes out, we’ve asked food experts to share their top tips and recipes for delicious barbecue meals that can be prepared for less than $15. So if you’re concerned that your Fourth of July barbecue will require you to take on a second job, take these experts’ advice on ways to dramatically cut the cost. Photo Credit: adactio