Hosting any successful event requires planning carefully for any possible contingency, and barbecues are one outdoor event that demands being ready for any type of weather. Whether you are hosting a formal corporate barbecue or a casual family reunion, planning ahead will ensure that no one gets sunburned and your food does not get drenched. As you get ready for your special BBQ event, use these tips to make sure everyone has a good time whether it rains or shines.
Select Your Meats Wisely
Barbecues are all about the meat, which means your guests will be looking forward to sampling your menu. On a rainy day, you may want to limit the amount of time that you are outside working with the grill. Fortunately, many delicious barbecue favorites cook quickly such as skinny sausages and lean meat. You can also grill boneless meats, such as chicken breasts, that you have pounded flat to tenderize and shorten the cooking time.
Consider Precooking Your Meat
It may seem like cheating, but lots of chefs precook meat in the oven before grilling. For example, ribs fall off the bone after slowly cooking them in the oven for a few hours before throwing them on the grill. Precooking indoors will help you avoid rushing through the cooking process due to the rain; yet giving the meat a few minutes on the grill will still give you that delicious barbecue flavor.
Serve Extra Sides
With any BBQ event, you should always plan for more than enough food. Set out some chips, dip and veggie trays, and consider requesting for your guests to bring some extra sides. Asking your guests to bring a side dish will help you ensure that there is plenty of food to go around, even if it takes a little extra time to finish with the meat. Everyone has a favorite barbecue recipe that they love to share, and good-natured debates about who makes the best potato salad or baked beans are great ways to encourage interaction among your guests.
Use Covers and Lids
While grilling, you will most likely be working in stages, which means that some dishes will finish while the meat is still cooking. Try to limit the amount of foods you leave outside until it is time to eat. This way, there will not be a mad scramble to gather up dishes if a rain shower comes along. For those dishes that do stay outside, bring covers that can help keep them dry in the event of rain while also keeping the hot sun from beating down on them and changing the temperature. Just make sure that any covers you use are waterproof. Those handmade bowl covers your grandmother sewed are pretty, but they will not hold up to a heavy rain.
Plan Indoor and Outdoor Activities
It is important to give your guests options for activities so that they can get out of the rain or relentless sun if it gets uncomfortable. In addition to the typical outdoor games such as corn hole and horseshoes, set up some comfortable seating inside. Place some board games and other conversation starters around the room, so that the guests who choose to go indoors will have something to keep them engaged. If you host your event under an awning, make sure to keep your activities close to the center of the event so that wind does not blow rain onto the fun, or choose a tent with sides that can keep out any type of inclement weather.
Be Flexible With Your Timing
Although your event will likely have a defined time for your guests to arrive, try to be flexible regarding when your BBQ event hits full swing. Often, storms pass quickly so waiting a few minutes to fire up the grill can make a big difference in how your food turns out. This is where those extra sides come in handy, since your guests will have something to stave off the hunger if you need to delay your start time for cooking.
A little preplanning can help here as well since the hottest part of the day tends to be the same during most seasons. If you know that a big storm or heat wave is coming, then consider hosting your event at a different time of the day. For large events, simply let your guests know that there will be shelter so that they don’t want to stay home out of fear that the rain will cause you to cancel your BBQ.
Set Up an Event Tent
Outdoor events always go more smoothly when there is a shelter available for guests to use as shade or to keep dry in the rain. Tent rentals can be found in a variety of sizes to fit everyone on your guest list while leaving plenty of room for mingling and activities.
Depending upon the type of BBQ event you are planning, you can also choose additional features to make your guests more comfortable such as temperature control. Having a shelter available helps prevent just about every weather-related concern along with others such as keeping insects away from your guest’s plates.
Keep Your Guests Dry
While an event tent will keep everyone comfortable for the duration of your event, you may add a few extra touches to make sure everyone gets to and from the shelter dry. Scatter a few extra umbrellas and one-size-fits all raincoats around your barbecue venue that everyone can use when traveling between their cars and the event tent. Alternatively, consider setting up a covered walkway between the parking area and your tent so that no one has to worry about a sudden gust of wind and rain. Weather-proofing your event will ensure your guests have a great time.
One of the best parts about planning a BBQ event is looking forward to spending the day outside. However, outdoor events can be as unpredictable as the weather. By planning beforehand for ways to battle the inclement weather, you can ensure that everyone on your guest list has a wonderful time whether it rains or shines on your special day.
I really like how you suggested getting a tent to provide shelter so your BBQ can continue, no matter the weather. My husband and I are planning a huge barbecue for our family reunion, and it’s going to be a big deal. There’s some uncertainty about what the weather will be like, and we don’t want rain to ruin the party. Maybe we could rent a tent or a pavilion to give us some cover.