Placing a big, juicy hot dog in toasty buns makes for the perfect summer fun in San Diego …. I digress, though. This week’s column is all about barbecue.

During the summer, there’s nothing more fun than music, blended drinks and outdoor dining with friends on the patio, chatting about who spent the $330 on Cold Play tickets. The barbecue is a versatile friend to the cook and not just for carnivores. A friend grilled romaine lettuce halves on the barbecue and poured light Italian dressing over them to create the perfect starter course.

• To keep meat fresh, cook it within an hour of exposing it to room temperature.

• Before you start cooking any meat, rub the grill with oil to prevent your meat or patties from sticking.

• Tenderizing meat marinades can keep meat moist during cooking and enhance flavor. Overnight marinating is ideal for meat to absorb all the seasoning. If you don’t have the time, try to marinate the meat at least two hours before grilling.

• Baste the meat during the barbecuing process with the marinade. If you wait until the last few minutes, it could cause the meat to dry out.

• Don’t pierce the meat with a fork. You will lose its flavorful juices.

• Don’t add any salt until the meat is cooked. This prevents the meat from getting dry and tough.

• If you are using an old-fashioned charcoal barbecue, light coals about 30 minutes prior to cooking.

• When making burgers, lean ground pork tends to make for the juiciest burger patties. Dress them up with barbecue sauce or grill them plain (I prefer to add some seasoning).

• Barbecue burger patties should be cooked well done.

• Use direct heat over low to medium coals when cooking steaks and chops.

• Use tongs when turning steaks and chops.

• Cook the meat until it is slightly firm to your touch or until the meat is brown.

• There are wide varieties of cured, smoked, fully-cooked and fresh sausages available today and perfect for a barbecue.

• By brushing sauces or using a marinade on your sausages, you will get an instant gourmet flavor. It is best if you brush the sausages during the last few minutes.