Tips for getting the most out of your tailgating

By Stephen Kember

For trouble free tailgating follow these simple tips for great fun and delicious food.

1. Plan what you're going to cook and what you're going to need well in advance. Ensure when you put things into your vehicle you put the things you need last, in first, and the things you'll need first, in last.

* Don't leave thinking about things until the last minute because you'll forget things and when you realize your mistake you won't have the kitchen in the next room;

* Don't forget tables and chairs, crockery and cutlery, condiments and sauces;

* If you're using gas make sure you've got a spare bottle;

* Don't forget to put into the car those perishable items like your meat or fish which you're keeping in the fridge till to keep fresh;

* Don't forget your grill and your charcoals or your burner and your skillets or stockpots; and,

* Don't forget trash bags for disposal of your waste after the meal.

2. Ideally the day before you're set to depart:

* The meal is going to be really important so buy really good quality ingredients because whatever you might do with the grill or with a great recipe you'll be disappointed if the quality of the food you're starting with is poor;

* If you're using fish or prawns try to buy therm fresh; avoid frozen because its convenient;

* Prepare any meats or fish that might benefit from marinating; the more you can do before hand the better;

* Prepare sauces you'll be using before hand;

* Place all the food you'll be taking into fully sealed containers ensuring that you keep raw foods for cooking completely separate from other foods;

3. Check that where you plan to visit and where you want to cook that you're allowed to use a grill or gas stove; evermore we're finding evermore constraints;

4. When you arrive:

* take time to prepare things before starting cooking;

* Ensure that your grill or stove on a level sound base;

* Prepare a fresh food and your raw food area keeping utensils separate for each area;

5. Take great care of your food hygiene when tailgating:

* Aim to keep food chilled before cooking to avoid contamination;

* Separate your uncooked raw foods from cooked foods or salads and vegetables to be eaten raw;

* Wash before starting to handle foods and wash again when you move from preparing your raw meats to the food you'll be eating fresh;

* Being out in the real world often times things can slip or you can easily get distracted; keep focused on the job in hand;

* Take great care to make sure you cook your meats thoroughly; to help its best to have a meat thermometer handy so you can see the temperature inside the meat.

6. To conclude:

* make sure that you clean up well where ever you've stopped;

* extinguish the grill fire and take great care with the ashes immersing them in water before disposing of them; and,

* get rid of your waste appropriately or take it with you.

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