Consumers Prefer to Stay at Home to Cook Out

For great grilled food, consumers want meals with the backyard-grill taste. Revealed in a new national poll from HPBA, two out of three (66 percent) consumers would rather stay in and grill out at home when they are in the mood for grilled meals versus eating out at a restaurant. Grillers confirm, outdoor cooking provides a quick, no-fuss, economical way to prepare a meal for family and friends.

When choosing to stay home for that delicious, straight from the grill or smoker taste, consumers are adamant about who they want in charge of grilling meals and who they don’t want at their backyard barbecues. A griller who accommodates everyone’s food preferences by serving a variety of different foods including meat, fish and vegetables, ranks as the favorite person to have at a barbecue. Beyond manning the grill, consumers say their least favorite guest to invite to a barbecue is a “Control Freak” – someone who bosses everyone around.

Click here to find out other preferred grilling chefs and not-to-invite barbecue guests.

When it comes to brushing up on grilling skills, consumers cite celebrity chefs as their go-to guru for grilling lessons. If face-to-face with a grilling icon and given the chance to ask one question about outdoor cooking, nearly one third of poll respondents (29 percent) said their burning question would be, “which spices taste best with certain foods.” Other questions consumers would “grill” their celebrity chef for include:

What is their all-time favorite recipe (22 percent)
What is a quick, no-fuss recipe (17 percent
How long to grill certain foods (17 percent)
How to keep the grill in top condition (8 percent)

Fall 2008 Consumer and Press Materials

To help consumers add the perfect zest to grilled food, BBQ Queens Judith Fertig and Karen Adler, grilling and smoking experts, and co-authors of more than 20 cookbooks including BBQ Bash: The Be-all, End-All Party Guide from Barefoot to Black Tie, share these grilling tips and tricks to spice up grilled food year-round.

From Bland to Grand. Make chicken grand by adding a sauce of aioli or flavored mayonnaise (1 cup mayonnaise, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs) dolloped on top of the grilled chicken.

Fish with Flavor. Add some zip to grilled halibut with a roasted red pepper or tomato salsa. Try pesto or gremolata (fresh chopped herbs, garlic and lemon zest) on grilled salmon.

Just the Touch. Spruce up meaty sirloin steaks with a garlic or chipotle style vinaigrette/marinade or use a compound butter, like blue cheese butter, to top lean and tender grilled filets.

Vivacious Veggies. From zucchini and squash to red and green peppers and onions, drizzle a flavored nut oil, like walnut oil, over the veggies before cooking. Sprinkle toasted walnuts or pine nuts to finish off these vegetable favorites.

The Great Potato. Whether it’s for potato skewers or wedges, add olive oil, garlic salt and pepper to potatoes before throwing on the grill – making perfect seasonings. Finish off this classic grilled potato with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.