What's Your Grilling IQ?
Whose ready to get grilled?! Take our quiz to see just how much you know about BBQ'ing.
1. The first Weber grill was made from:
- (A) Scrap metal from the Ford Motor factory
- (B) Surplus military bombshells
- (C) Half a metal buoy
- (D) A discarded street lamp
2. What is the most popular hot dog topping in America?
- (A) Mustard
- (B) Ketchup
- (C) Relish
- (D) Chili
3. What French word is used to describe grid-like grill marks on food?
- (A) Trimestre
- (B) Quadrillage
- (C) Marque
- (D) Brûlée
4. What is America’s most popular grilling holiday?
- (A) Father’s Day
- (B) Memorial Day
- (C) Labor Day
- (D) Independence Day
5. How many hot dogs come in a standard pack?
- (A) 4
- (B) 8
- (C) 10
- (D) 16
6. Which president threw the first White House cookout?
- (A) Franklin D. Roosevelt
- (B) Calvin Coolidge
- (C) Jimmy Carter
- (D) Lyndon B. Johnson
7. What does the 57 on the Heinz ketchup bottle stand for?
- (A) The 57 varieties of condiments Heinz sells
- (B) The year 1957, when Heinz was founded
- (C) The 57 tomatoes used to make each bottle
- (D) The founder thought the number was lucky
Photograph by Yunhee Kim
8. What do you call a steak that’s charred on the outside and rare on the inside?
- (A) Wellington
- (B) Dry-aged
- (C) Juicy Lucy
- (D) Black-and-blue
9. What event led to the popularization of backyard grilling in America?
- (A) The invention of the gas grill
- (B) The economic boom after World War II
- (C) A meat-industry boom that made beef less expensive
- (D) The introduction of a new food pyramid in the 1950s that emphasized meat
Photograph A. by Matt Stacey
10. Which of these is not a grilling tool?
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- (D)
TRUE OR FALSE
11. Martin’s Potato Rolls get their distinct yellow color from egg yolks.
- True (T)
- False (F)
12. Cedar planks are popular for grilling salmon because a reaction with the wood helps the fish retain its pink color.
- True (T)
- False (F)
13. To test a grill’s heat with the hand method, you should place your hand as close to the grate as possible without touching the metal.
- True (T)
- False (F)
14. The dull side of foil should face out for a foil packet.
- True (T)
- False (F)
15. Oscar Mayer was a real person.
- True (T)
- False (F)
16. The length of a standard hot dog is 6 inches.
- True (T)
- False (F)
SCORE SHEET
1. (C) Creator George Stephen took half a buoy, added air vents and legs, and the original kettle grill was born.
2. (A) According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, 71% of Americans prefer it.
3. (B) The word comes from the French word quadrillé, meaning marked with squares or diamonds.
4. (D) According to a Statista report, 68% of Americans like to grill on Independence Day, followed by Memorial Day, Labor Day and Father’s Day.
5. (C) For reasons we’ll never understand, hot dogs typically come 10 to a pack, while hot dog buns come in packs of eight!
6. (D) The 36th president hosted the first cookout at the White House and served Texas-style barbecue ribs.
7. (D) As the story goes, Henry J. Heinz was making more than 60 products at the time but thought 57 was a lucky number. So he started using the slogan "57 Varieties" in his advertising.
8. (D) This particular kind of steak is also known as Pittsburgh-style.
9. (B) In the years following the war, Americans built patios and decks and began to associate outdoor cooking with recreation and relaxation.
10. (B) This is a gardening hand rake. The other tools are, in order, a chimney for starting a charcoal grill, claws for shredding meat and a jumbo fish/asparagus turner.
11. (F) The color comes from turmeric.
12. (F) The wood helps keep the fish moist and imparts subtle smoky flavor.
13. (F) You should place your hand about 5 inches over the grate. The grill is at high heat if you need to move your hand after 2 to 4 seconds; medium if it’s 5 to 7 seconds; low if it’s 8 to 10 seconds.
14. (F) Both sides (shiny and dull) perform about the same. The exception is nonstick foil — the nonstick side should touch your food.
15. (T) He was born in Bavaria in 1859 and emigrated to the US at 14, long before he started his hot dog empire.
16. (T) Standard hot dogs have been the same size since they were invented. (The foot-long was introduced in 1951.)
HOW DID YOU DO?
0 TO 5 POINTS: YOU GOT SMOKED!
Let us walk you through some burger basics.
6 TO 10 POINTS: GETTING WARMER...
Take your skills to the next level and discover a new type of grill to try by checking out our expert-provided shopping suggestions.
11 TO 16 POINTS: YOU’RE ON FIRE!
Celebrate your high score with a big-batch cocktail, like this Berry Rosé Sangria.
Credits:
Quiz questions written by Nora Horvath for Food Network Magazine.
Charred Steak Photograph by Yunhee Kim.
Chimney Starter Photograph by Matt Stacey.
Burger Photograph by Mike Garten.
Hot Dog and Chili Sauce Photograph by Ryan Dausch.
Pork Chops Photograph by Con Poulos.
Ketchup Photograph by Levi Brown.
Roosevelt, Coolidge, Carter, Johnson, Garden Rake, Mustard and Relish Photographs by Getty Images.
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