Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of grilling season, which means it’s time to break out the barbecue, grab an apron, and get cooking.

National Beef Month also is celebrated in May, which gives you a reason to try out new burger and steak recipes. Thanks to the work of farmers on over 18,000 beef cattle operations in Virginia, it should be easy to find the best cuts of beef for your cookout.

You can even purchase Virginia-grown beef directly from farmers using shopping tools from Virginia Beef Council and Virginia Grown.

And, because the best cookout is a safe one, remember to brush up on safe grilling practices before firing up the grill.

Hardwood-Smoked Bacon Beer Burgers

4 extra-thick slices hardwood-smoked bacon, halved
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns, split
4 slices cheddar cheese

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, then set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, beer and Worcestershire sauce, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape ground beef into four ½” thick patties. Season with salt and pepper.

Place patties on a charcoal grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. For a gas grill, preheat and then grill patties for 7-9 minutes. Grill until a meat thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the burgers registers 160°.

About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns cut-side down on the grill. Grill until lightly toasted. During the last minute of grilling, top each burger with cheese and bacon.

Source: Adapted from the National Beef Council

Smoky Strip Steaks with Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

1-2 teaspoons chipotle powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 beef strip steaks, bone-in, cut 1” thick
4 ears fresh corn, husked
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt
lime wedges (optional)

In a small bowl, combine chipotle powder, brown sugar and lime juice. Spread 2 teaspoons seasoning mixture evenly onto steaks. Spread remaining mixture onto corn.

Place corn on outer edge of charcoal grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Cover and grill for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. For a gas grill, cover and grill 15-20 minutes over medium heat.

Then, place steaks in the center of the grill. Cover and cook 9-11 minutes, turning occasionally. For a gas grill, cover and cook 9-12 minutes over medium heat. Grill until a meat thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the steaks registers 145° for medium rare or 160° for medium.

Remove corn from grill. Spread mayonnaise and sprinkle cheese evenly over corn. Season beef and corn with salt, as desired. Squeeze lime wedges over beef and corn, if desired.

Source: Virginia Beef Council