9 Foods You Should Never, Ever Eat at a BBQ

A monster burger

Hamburgers aren’t the enemy, but ones the size of your head, are. If hosting your own cookout, choose a leaner ground beef mix and carefully measure out patty sizes (try OXO’s burger press, which helps you easily create perfectly portioned disks) to ensure you’re not overdoing it. “I like a 75 percent lean 25 percent fat beef mix, which delivers a lot of flavor and stays moist. If you go any lower, it can sometimes get chalky,” says Jens Dahlmann, corporate executive chef for LongHorn Steakhouse and vice president of culinary development. You can also play around with other leaner proteins, like lamb, bison, or turkey (try Jennie-O’s various ground turkey or pre-formed patty options); just be careful not to over-grill them, since the leaner the cut, the easier it is to overcook and be left with tough meat. “Beef is the king of burgers, but lamb is a better-for-you red meat and has a lot of flavor to it. Pair it with some tomato, red onion, cucumber, and a little bit of feta and it’s very simple but satisfying,” he says.

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