Summer Cookout Sides: Some Low-Temperature Favorites
We all know the joys of summer backyard cookouts. The main components include friends, games, mosquito repellent, and - naturally - food. In order for your party to count as a cookout, of course, you'll need to grill the meat during the actual event. To simplify your hosting duties, consider preparing your sides ahead of time through good, old-fashioned low-temperature cooking methods.
Corn on the Cob
For this summer favorite, slow cooking is actually the best choice. A lower temperature roast will bring out richer flavors and lead to a more tender finished product. While most sites will recommend roasting corn at 400 degrees for ten to twelve minutes, we suggest that you drop the temperatures and extend the cooking time.
Other Vegetables
While quickly frying and searing vegetables will get them from countertop to tabletop more quickly, quick doesn't always mean more nutritious or delicious. According to food blog Bon Appetit, literally any vegetable can be slow cooked for optimum texture and flavor.
A halved head of cauliflower might take up to two and a half hours to become tender, but the result—moist, rich, deeply satisfying—is worth the wait. Thick wedges of winter squash. Whole peeled beets. Peppery radishes. All rendered slowly, quietly irresistible, waiting for nothing more than a sprinkle of finishing salt and a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter.
Baked Beans
While you always have the option of dumping a few store-bought cans of baked beans into your slow cooker in the afternoon, why not impress your friends by throwing together a simple, homemade version?
Whatever you prepare for your summer cookout, be sure to have a plan to keep your food hot and fresh from the time it's ready until it's served.
Remember that here at Thermodyne Foodservice Products, Inc., we carry a full line of food warmers for commercial, industrial, and institutional kitchens. For more information on our products, or to chat about anything else, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to serving you.
Posted in: Cooking Tips & Recipes