Take a trip down memory lane with this collection of outdoor cooking tips and tricks from the 1950s. Discover nostalgic techniques and recipes that will transport you back in time. Perfect for retro enthusiasts and outdoor cooking lovers alike.
As the weather warms up my husband and I like to grill once or twice every week. It’s a great way to mix up our dinners, avoid heating up the kitchen, and also means for less cleanup!
“The history of grilling begins shortly after the domestication of fire, some 500,000 years ago. The backyard ritual of grilling as we know it, though, is much more recent. Until well into the 1940s, grilling mostly happened at campsites and picnics. After World War II, as the middle class began to move to the suburbs, backyard grilling caught on, becoming all the rage by the 1950s.” – A Brief History of Grilling
It’s no surprise that with backyard grilling taking off in the 1950s you saw a lot of recipes and articles about grilling in 1950s homemaking magazines.
In looking through some summer 1950s vintage magazines I found a lot of recipes and tips for outdoor cooking. It’s such an interesting look at grilling in the 1950s and some tips and recipes still hold up today. I wanted to share some I’ve collected from different 1950s articles, I hope you enjoy them!
Vintage Outdoor Cooking Tips
While some of these ideas are really good some may also make you laugh because they are so common now. Either way, it’s a fun look at outdoor cooking 1950s style.
General Outdoor Cooking Tips
- Mill your own pepper. “Nothing like the spicy spark of fresh-ground pepper!”
- Cut a garlic clove or two in half, and toss on the coals while you are grilling steak or lamb kabobs.
- When roasting pork or ham, wait until the meat is almost done, then drop a spiral of orange or lemon peel in the fire.
- Hold up on basting those ribs (or other meat) until the last 15 minutes of cooking. That way the sauce will give a rosy brown glaze without scorching.
- Mix a marinade 25 hours ahead to mellow before adding meat. Some marinades make a good sauce to pass with meat.
- Use hickory for a smoky flavor. Wait until the charcoal burns down to a cooking fire before adding damp hickory. Soak disks or hunks for an hour in water.
Speed Up Burger Cooking
- With a burger press: spoon the meat for each burger onto a square of waxed paper, top with a second square. Now each mound of meat goes into a burger press, paper and all.
- With a bottle and can: For even-sized burgers, roll out the hamburger like pie dough (except about 1/2 inch thick) between big sheets of waxed paper. Use a light touch and use a bottle like a rolling pin. Cut out patties using a large tin can (4-inch diameter) that has the top and bottom removed.
- To keep them hot: While burgers cook, heat equal parts butter and Worcestershire sauce in a skillet (enough to cover the bottom). When first batch of patties is ready slip them into the skillet, turn once, grill next batch.
Outdoor Vintage Food Ideas
These are some great general vintage outdoor recipes, if you want more detailed vintage outdoor cooking recipes be sure to check out my post featuring retro BBQ side dishes!
Potatoes on a Stick
After washing small potatoes, add them to a long skewer. Stand them upright in a tall can of boiling water, and cook on the grill until tender.
Remove from the can and brush with oil or melted butter, season, and brown on the grill.
Modern tip: Instead of using a can just wrap potatoes in foil and cook on the grill.
Garden Buffet Salad
Make a platter of cooked, chilled green beans, marinated in French dressing and whole tomatoes. Offer a bowl of parmesan cheese for people to sprinkle on the green beans.
Roasting Ears of Corn
Turn back the husks and strip off the silk. Lay husks back in position. Line ears of corn up on grill.
Keep turning the ears for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the husks are dry and browned.
Break off the husks and enjoy! Serve with plenty of butter and salt and pepper.
Shish-Ka-Bobs
Grease skewers before spearing meat. For added flavor run it through a clove of garlic.
Modern tip: Add veggies as well and season well before cooking.
Kabob Sandwiches
Using the meat you cooked on the skewers, slide the meat off into a hollowed-out, buttered hot dog bun. Add ketchup and mustard.
Pre-Dinner Snack
Put two skewers lengthwise through a big salami for easy turning. When the meat is hot, remove it and cut it into slices on a platter.
Modern tip: Add cubed cheese and veggies to the platter.
Baked Beans and Hot Rolls
Heat beans in a small pot or large tin can. To avoid scorching stir often. Warm rolls in a large coffee can.
Lay the can on the side of the grill. Roll frequently for even heating.
Modern tip: Use a grill-safe pot for the beans and for the rolls, and wrap in foil instead of using a can. This tip also originally called for using an asbestos cooking mat. We know now that is a very bad idea but shows how much things have changed.
Chicken on the Grill
Place halved broilers (about 2-pound chickens) on the grill with the bony side down. The bones act as heat conductors and hurry the cooking. Turn the chicken other side down to finish cooking.
Hot French Bread
Slice a loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Butter cut surfaces and run two skewers through each half. Prop up on cans or breaks so the bread will toast lightly.
Modern tip: Many grills now have a rack off the heat, use this rack to heat the bread.
Easy Dessert
Fill a low basket with mixed fresh fruit. Serve it with a tray of assorted cheese and crackers.
Now you know how to have your very own 1950s bbq. Invite some friends over to enjoy the fun. You can also make some vintage cocktails to make it even more authentic.
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