To make your first summer barbecue a success, we asked Food Network hosts Pat and Gina Neely, authors of the new cookbook Down Home With the Neelys, for their best grilling tips.

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Dip Your Chips Wood chips from fruit trees add lots of flavor to your coals. Soak them in water first for extra oomph.

Keep 'Em Crisp Never grill veggies more than ten minutes so they stay crunchy.

Monitor the Meat Not sure if it's done? Stick a thermometer all the way in the thickest part: It should read at least 165°F.

Rescue a Roast Don't panic if meat is burned on the outside but not fully done inside. Put it on a baking sheet, cover with foil to keep steam in and finish indoors in a 250°F oven.

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, June 2009.