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See the newest grills’ high-performance cooking upgrades and smart features that will improve your next outdoor cookout.
As the weather warms up and days get longer, the backyard practically begs for more meals to be cooked and enjoyed outdoors. When planning your next gathering, remember that good memories always start with good company. But we believe a few other elements can add up to a barbecue for the books—namely, a cutting-edge grill, a meal that you can prepare together, and creative solutions for seating a crowd. Follow this recipe, and your cookouts will be the envy of the neighborhood.
First, bring the heat with a quality grill.
To feed the hungry masses at your backyard cookout, you need a grill that can handle a large volume of food. Whether you’re doing the standard burgers and hot dogs or something more sophisticated, like steaks and seafood, Monument Grills’ new Eminence 605 grill is designed to help you cook for a crowd on a spacious grilling surface. Six blade infrared burners evenly heat a 640 square-inch main cooking surface, and an upper rack affords another 220 square inches. Plus, a high-heat side burner readily sears a nice crust on steaks and burgers. Did we mention the full rotisserie kit? Altogether, that’s ample room and flexibility for grilling up enough mains and sides for a Father’s Day cookout or July 4th party with eight to 12 people to feed.
With the Eminence 605, it’s not just about the space—it’s also about intuitive design. Monitoring a grill’s temperature is key, regardless of what type of food you’re grilling. The Eminence 605 features next-level controls with its Digitemp third-generation color LED touch panel. From here, you can monitor grill temperature, keep tabs on meat probe temps, and even check your propane tank levels, so you won’t have to make a surprise run to refuel mid-barbecue.
Grilling different types of food while fulfilling entertaining duties can be a real challenge for the chef. Fortunately, the Monument Eminence 605 is built to help you juggle both. With its Bluetooth connectivity, you can check on grill and meat probe temps from your phone via the Monument app and even set up alerts for probe temperatures. There’s also burner knob LED lighting that will change to one of six colors depending on the grill’s temperature, so you can check its temp at a glance while mingling with guests.
If you have a smaller patio or are typically cooking for fewer than a dozen, consider one of the more compact options in the Eminence line instead. The Eminence 405 (in a stainless steel finish) and the Eminence 425 (in a black powder-coated finish) each feature four burners, but otherwise package the same thoughtful design and even some smart features as the 605.
Next, mix in a recipe (or two) that gets guests involved.
While hot dogs and hamburgers may still be the go-to fare for most cookouts, you can confidently take your grilling to the next level by trying more advanced dishes on the Eminence 605. Why not impress guests at your next gathering with juicy flank steak and a Southwestern-inspired side? Our favorite recipes aren’t too complicated but just special enough to wow your guests—and even provide the opportunity to make the meal a group effort.
Grilled Flank Steak
- Marinate the flank steak in a mixture of beer (1 cup), soy sauce (¼ cup), olive oil (¼ cup), Worcestershire sauce (¼ cup), brown sugar (2 tablespoons),juice from two lemons, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, paprika (1 teaspoon), dijon mustard (1 tablespoon) and sea salt (1 teaspoon). I recommend marinating the meat overnight in the refrigerator for maximum flavor infusion, but 2 hours can suffice if you’re short on time.
- Remove the flank steak from the fridge, and let it sit for 30 minutes to reach room temperature. Pat the meat dry.
- Turn on the Monument 605’s sear burner. Throw the steak on the burner on a diagonal to the grate to get those perfect sear marks. Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning it 90 degrees halfway through to achieve crisscross grill marks. Then flip and grill the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through. Use one of the 605’s meat probes to keep tabs on the steak’s internal temperature as you grill, and remove the steak when it hits 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. I like to pull it off the grill a little early, as the meat will continue to cook for a few minutes when resting.
- Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to slice it against the grain into ¼-inch thick strips to serve.
With the 605’s ample cooking surface, you can devote half the grill to your flank steak and the other to the perfect side: grilled corn salad. While you’re working the main, why not enlist your sous chef to prep a side dish?
Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Start by brushing four ears of husked corn with olive oil. Grill them over medium-high heat on the opposite side of the grill as the flank steak. Turn the corn every few minutes until all sides are lightly charred (about 10 minutes total). Allow the corn to cool, then use a sharp knife to slice the kernels from the cob into a bowl.
- Mix in garlic (3 cloves), half of a chopped red onion, a chopped red bell pepper, and chopped fresh cilantro (⅓ cup). (My family likes to spice it up by adding diced and seeded jalapeno pepper, but this is entirely optional.) Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk lime juice (2 tablespoons), Greek yogurt (¼ cup), chili powder (½ teaspoon), paprika (½ teaspoon), and salt to taste. Most recipes call for mayonnaise only, but this mix is healthier—and we think tastier, too.
- Stir this lime-yogurt dressing with the salad, then sprinkle cotija cheese (¼ cup) over the top just before serving. For extra points on presentation, serve the corn salad over the flank steak.
Find more mouth-watering recipes in the Monument Grills app, alongside the real-time temperature readings, timers, and cooking alerts.
Finish with enough chairs for a crowd.
When word gets out about your cookouts, you may find your invite list growing. Seating everyone for a large backyard cookout doesn’t have to mean heading to your local party rental company for fold-out chairs and tables. Save money and try these creative alternatives instead.
- Mix and match chairs. For a more laid-back event, take an all-chairs-on-deck approach. Enlist your camping chairs and lawn chairs to add seating. Even indoor dining chairs and benches are fair game (as long as the weather stays dry). Wood and metal options are the easiest to bring outside and wipe up if they get a little dirty. You can also borrow chairs from friends and neighbors.
- DIY tables. When you have more people than fit around your patio table, build a temporary table out of sawhorses and a sheet of plywood. Once you throw a large tablecloth over the top, your guests won’t be the wiser.
- Throw a backyard picnic. Roll out large blankets in the yard, lined with cushions for comfort. (If you go this route, we still recommend mixing in some tables and chairs for those who may not be able to sit comfortably on the ground.) But don’t forget to tailor your menu with food that’s easy to eat from a picnic blanket; sandwiches or kabobs are better than anything you’ll need to cut with a knife.
Whether you’re hosting a few close friends or an entire block party, this three-ingredient recipe makes for a successful cookout. Best of all, you’ll be able to enjoy the day thanks to the Eminence 605 smart controls and two meat probes that connect to the LED touch panel and relay information to your app. That’s more time for mingling and less time manning the grill. So go ahead and send out the invitations.