BBQ is a year-round event. And, as you know, it happens outside.
You've probably heard the famous BBQ quote that says "with BBQ, you know when it starts, but never when it ends." It's true. We're outside, enjoying the good weather, watching the fire, filling our nostrils with the sweet smell of smoke... Even when the weather is really nice, we're often inclined to cook "low and slow." There are even some who spend their day and/or night next to their BBQ to make sure their cooking is going well!
You, like JP and I, know that BBQ is a love story. We are with our friends, we cook and we don't see the time go by. Whether we are at home, at the campsite, at a tailgate, at the cottage, it's always the same. Nothing can spoil the beautiful moment we spend with our loved ones and our grill.
Well… almost. As I said, time flies when you’re cooking on the BBQ. So if you’re not well equipped, things can go wrong. And here, I’m not talking about being equipped in the sense of having the right BBQ, the right seasonings or the right accessories. Yes, that’s important too, but what can really “scrap” your “off” time with your BBQ is the sun.
JP and I learned this the hard way. I remember the time when, during a double BBQ competition in France, we were so focused on our cooking that we really played with fire (no pun intended). Two days under the blazing sun, too little shade… it was not our best idea. At the end, at the awards ceremony (because yes, we got a podium for our bull injected with butter, cognac and blue cheese, but that’s another story! Anyway…) on the podium, we looked like two lobsters in a BBQ competition; completely burned.
We laughed at ourselves. JP was so burned (in both senses of the word), that at dinner that evening he fell asleep on his plate!
So now, we don't take any more chances, we protect ourselves from the sun when we spend time with our BBQs, both when we are at home and in competition. We put on sunscreen, a cap and sunglasses if necessary. We will never be so careless. The sun will not get us again!
Times are changing. A few years ago, we didn't buckle up when we drove and we didn't wear helmets when we rode our bikes. We were definitely not "pro-sunscreen". Now, it's a question of long-term health. Who wants skin cancer? You have to wear sunscreen when you spend time outside, including when you're barbecuing. Summer and winter. As a dad, I make sure to protect my children from the sun when they accompany me outside.
If we want to have fun while cooking, sunscreen should be part of our "pitmaster" kit. And, while checking the internal temperature of our meats from time to time, it is also worth checking our own temperature by reapplying sunscreen every two hours. When we light our BBQ, we begin our ritual.
So, from a guy who looked like the first steak you cooked on your infrared burner, take my word for it and put a tube of cream in your BBQ kit between your tongs and your favorite dry rubs.
Look at that, there, that's the face of a guy who is fully enjoying BBQing without worrying about his skin (and clearly, you want to be that guy):
