Skip to main content

5 Killer Autumn Grilling Tips

5 killer autumn grilling tips cauldron
Grilling isn’t just for the warm summer months. In fact, autumn can be an ideal time of the year to grill. Hel-lo tailgating parties!  But if you’re anything like us, we don’t know where to begin with how to grill when the weather gets cooler. But luckily we know someone who does. We got in touch with Mike Bertelsen, the founder and president of Cowboy Cauldron Company, the maker of some awesome grills and fire pits, to tell us how to do it right so that you can have tasty steak, juicy ribs, goat and more during the fall.

 1. Don’t Turn It!!

Related Videos

Seriously. Most people who cook on grills can’t seem to let things stay in one place. They are constantly turning food over and over and over. You have to let things being cooked over fire stay long enough to really brown. This does not mean gray! It means brown. Dark brown. Maybe even black where the metal of the grill touches. Doing this lets the chemistry of cooking work for you. Resist temptation and let things cook.  South America’s most famous chef, Francis Malmann, is the world’s foremost authority on open fire cooking. His main culinary thesis is that at least one thing on any plate should be burnt. Learn from the master.

2. Serve Something Local, or Something Exotic.

Don’t get caught up in thinking that only protein gets grill treatment. Something as simple as a full head of local romaine or butter lettuce, cut in half and grilled face down, will blow people away. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and serve with a bare shaving of Parmesan cheese. And be sure to mix it up. Everybody has had steaks, dogs, & burgers. Not so with goat. Or sheep. Or octopus. Push your culinary boundaries. There is so much good food out there – you and your guests should eat some of it.

3. Get Your Guests Involved!

Serve kabobs or something similar where the guest gets to assemble and cook his/her own entrée. It gets everyone together around the fire – (preferably a Cowboy Cauldron) and sets dinner off with everyone already together, without being called to the table, which can be a bit stuffy for summer. It also lets everyone feel like they contributed to the effort, which makes everyone feel like they are on the same team – YOUR team.

4. Take It to the Streets, (or the Beach, or Somewhere Else Interesting).

Fire shouldn’t be thought of as static. It can be moved around easily. And it draws a huge amount of attention. Rather than another backyard event, go somewhere cool and set up. Your guests will feel like they are the coolest of the cool when throngs of passersby look enviously upon them – AT YOUR PARTY!!

 5. Oil It Up! (Afterwards)

Most grillers put oil on things before they put them on the grill. Big mistake. When grilling, you generally want your food to get the benefit of serious heat, which will flame up if there is oil present. Burning oil can give off-flavors to your creation. This is especially true of veggies. Cook them hard and fast, pull them off the heat, put them into a bowl, and only then toss them with oil. This also applies to finish treatments, like lemon juice. You will have all the flavor of the grill, plus the fine enhancements that you want, with none of the flare-ups or bad tastes.

For more information, visit cowboycauldron.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Celebrity chef Zac Young gave The Manual his Guinness Green Velvet Cake recipe, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day
Be the first to try this incredible Guinness Green Velvet Cake from Zac Young
green velvet cake recipe zac young

If you've spent more than even five minutes on The Food Network in the last several years, we're quite sure that there's no need to introduce you to Zac Young. Celebrated celebrity chef, TV host extraordinaire, and creator of all things ridiculously delicious, this chef's talents are well known to the world. Between his frequent appearances on well-loved cooking shows like Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Worst Cooks in America, he somehow finds the time to showcase his immense talents by gifting to the world treasures such as the PieCaken. For that culinary contribution alone, we are eternally indebted.
Young's unbelievable holiday-themed desserts are nothing short of spectacular. His original, hugely famous Thanksgiving PieCaken — one decadent dessert encompassing pumpkin pie, pecan pie, spice cake, apple pie, cinnamon buttercream, and oat crumble all at once — snowballed into something of a sweet treat phenomenon and took the world by storm back in 2015. Since then, Young has ingeniously created a PieCaken for every season, including The Winter PieCaken, The Red, White & Blueberry PieCaken, The Valentine's Day Red Velvet PieCaken, and many, many more.

In addition to all of these remarkable PieCakens, Young is still busy developing other holiday-themed desserts, such as this Guinness Green Velvet Cake, which he has shared exclusively with The Manual.

Read more
Here’s how to make a margarita, according to top bartenders
The only margarita recipes you'll ever need
margarita tequila cocktail lime strainer

The best margaritas do not grow on trees, nor do they show up in a can (although there are some tasty canned drinks these days). No, the tastiest version of the tequila classic is made fresh, with love and care and some wisdom from a couple of top bartenders.

It's a balancing act, for sure, but when it's dialed-in, the margarita is one of the best and most refreshing cocktails ever devised. The classic mix of agave spirit, lime, salt, and a touch of sweetness is great alone or with any number of dishes, especially within Mexican cuisine (the nation where the drink was born).

Read more
Pizza Hut brought back an iconic item for March Madness — but you can’t eat it
Be still our nostalgic 90s hearts with this Pizza Hut throwback
pizza hut brings back mini basketballs for march madness 06 satx 027

The 90s have been back for a while now. In fashion, in music, and even in our favorite snack foods. Everywhere you turn, there's a TikTok or YouTube video titled "You might be a 90s kid if..." Grocery store shelves can hardly stay stocked with old-school cool snacks like Waffle Crisp and Dunkaroos, and we millennials couldn't be more ecstatic about it.

Now, Pizza Hut has jumped on the nostalgic bandwagon as well. Coming in hot just after their re-release of 1990s favorite, The Big New Yorker, is another classic Pizza Hut throwback — mini basketballs. Participating restaurants will be selling their 2023 version of mini basketballs starting March 14, just in time for March Madness. The balls feature Pizza Hut's popular catchphrase, "No One Out Pizzas The Hut," in the restaurant's signature red and black color scheme. The cost of revisiting one of your favorite childhood memories will set you back just $7.

Read more