MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND GREAT STEAK COOKOUT

Memorial Day means grilling!  Get your grill on by having a Memorial Day Great Steak cookout!  Sure you could cook burgers, but this year we can up our game. 

So let’s take our hats off to Memorial Day with a Great Steak cookout and share good stories and laughter while gathered around the table.  Some of the best memories are made while sharing a good meal at home.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May.  It became a federal holiday in 1971, but the tradition of honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military goes back to the Civil War. 

Memorial Day was born out of necessity after the Civil War.  More than 600,000 soldiers died in the conflict impacting just about every town in the country.  The people wanted to honor their dead and so began local remembrance ceremonies demonstrated by decorating the graves of the fallen.  Each town and state honored the day in their own way on “Decoration Day” typically held on 30 May.

 Arlington National Cemetery has both Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.  It was a logical choice as the location of the first national commemoration of Memorial Day on May 30, 1868.

The name “Memorial Day” gradually became more common than “Decoration Day” after World War II^, but was not declared the official name by federal law until 1967. 

On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend.

Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season or when the pools open.  Our solemn day of remembrance has turned into an extravaganza entrée into summer with a three-day weekend full of sales and grilling.   

Break Out Your Grill

We can at least celebrate the unofficial start of the summer season by pulling out our grills and cleaning off the patio.  Of course, some of us never put them away, as I touted in my post about The Perfect Steak dinner and grilling steaks all year. 

If you need a little brush up on your steak grilling skills, How to Grill the Perfect Steak Dinner will help. The post will give you tips and a steak temperature chart if you are a bit rusty.

Grilling on the patio also creates space for social distancing should you invite folks over.  Throw some lawn chairs out and we can all enjoy conversation from an easy distance.  As much as Zoom has helped in this isolation age, I am not going to use it on Memorial Day.

This year I decided to up the traditional hamburger and potato salad fare and create a celebratory Memorial Day Steak Menu to enjoy.  The beginning of summer just seems like a great thing to celebrate.  

If steak is a budget issue with friends coming over, invite everyone to bring their own steak and you provide the sides and dessert.  No need to bust the bank. 

This is about sharing a meal and conversation with good friends.  Most friends offer to bring something anyway, so let them choose what steak they want to grill and enjoy! 

Wine Recommendations for a Steak Dinner

Most folks think you need a strong cabernet sauvignon to go with steak, but who wants that on a warm almost summer day? 

You would be perfectly fine enjoying a cooled lighter pinot noir or even a rose with your steak.  Just pop the pinot noir in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving and it will have the chilled effect without loss of flavors. 

Check out Oyster Bay or Mirassou for a delicious lighter-style Pinot Noir. 

Additionally, a French-style rose would be great as they are dry with some really nice structure and fruit.  NOT sweet.  Don’t let the pink fool you.

Memorial Day Moment of Silence

One more thing about Memorial Day.  Unfortunately, a May 2000 Gallup poll revealed that only 28% of Americans knew the true meaning of Memorial Day.

The National Moment of Remembrance was born out of this lack of understanding.  It is an event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States. 

Invite Friends and Family for a Memorial Day Cookout

Where ever you are and whomever you are with, take a moment on Memorial Day to remember those who have served and died for this great nation. 

Raise your glass, raise your steak, and celebrate what we enjoy today because of all those who have served to preserve our rights.

So stack the coals, make sure your tank is full, and get ready to fire up the grill. 

Your Memorial Day Great Steak cookout awaits!

Cheers Y’all!