Abilene Crave

With spring around the corner, it's time to dust off the grill (if you put it away, that is) and showcase your skills with an early start to one of America's favorite family pastimes - charcoal grilling. An outdoor cookout is an inexpensive way to gather family and friends for great-tasting barbecue that celebrates the start of warmer weather.

Whether it's a quick meal fired up for the family, or a big backyard cookout for the whole neighborhood, grilling gives you the flexibility to prepare delicious food that feeds a crowd without spending a fortune. Try these cash-saving tips:

• Ribs, whether beef or pork, are an inexpensive, yet popular star of any cookout. "The secret to any rib is to cook it low and slow so you get tender meat and great flavor," says Chris Lilly, owner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Ala. and six-time Memphis in May champion.
• Expensive cuts of meat tend to get a lot of attention - but you can create a great meal with a cut that costs less. Try grilling chicken wings instead of chicken breasts, or go with flank steak for a different beef option.
• Nothing says a backyard barbecue like a hot dog - try taking this staple to the next level by topping with flavorful fixings right from the charcoal grill, such as onions, peppers or a spicy corn relish.
• Hamburgers are the most popular food to hit the grill for very good reasons - everyone loves them and they are inexpensive to prepare. These days, burgers seem to be getting bigger and badder, but grilling veteran Lilly recommends keeping it simple. To achieve burger perfection, choose fresh ground beef and handle it as little as possible. That means flipping just once while cooking!
• Choosing the right charcoal is key to any cookout. This spring, Kingsford charcoal has improved its briquet formula to make it better than ever. America's top-selling charcoal now features deeper, wider and longer grooves to catch the flame more quickly and burn longer, making your bag of charcoal last longer.

For more tips, recipes and instructional videos inspired by new Kingsford briquets, visit Kingsford.com.