According to an Internet search: of all the ways to prepare food, backyard barbecuing is the most likely to lead to potato-sack races. Set the stage for a rematch of last summer's Russet vs. Yukon Gold showdown with today’s Groupon: for $30, you get a Backyard Barbecue Sampler from the Chop Shop in Birmingham (a $75 value).

The Chop Shop stops fast food fastly via fully prepared, homestyle-cooking eats. The Backyard Barbecue Sampler is a compiled package specifically put together for Groupon grillers. This plush parcel of meaty madness includes two choice 6-ounce steaks ($28), three 5-ounce marinated chicken breasts ($18), and three 1/3-pound all-American burgers ($15). Main meals, like superheroes and talk-show hosts, receive a boost from a well-paired sidekick. Establish culinary chemistry with the included 2 pounds of house-made mac ’n’ cheese ($8) and three large house-made potato skins ($6). In all, the sampler serves six to nine people.

The Chop Shop is to barbecue as a parachute is to skydiving: you can go without the former, but the odds of survival without it are slim. Each backyard party in a bag comes frozen for freshness. Defrost a day or two before the party and then tenderly unwrap the Chop Shop’s culinary treasure chest. Engulf the grill in a propane-, charcoal-, or nuclear-fueled inferno, and enjoy the company of friends and family as they do all the cooking. Channel the energy saved through Chop Shop’s palatable pre-prep into a no-holds-barred tackle croquet tournament post-feast.

Please call two days in advance to schedule the pick-up of your meal.

Reviews

The Metro Times named the Chop Shop the Best New Twist, and Dining in Detroit applauds its prep-kitchen option:

• With everyone working these days, there is hardly time to prepare a home-cooked meal. Though we all like to go out to eat occasionally, there is no substitute for the comfort of eating at home, enjoying family time — well, maybe the kids would rather go to Mickey D’s — with the aroma of real food, not deep-fryers, permeating the house. Jane Bonanata’s Chop Shop provides the tools. – Metro Times
• Half ready-made, half do-it-yourself, the Chop Shop in Birmingham is a destination prep kitchen at which working moms, clueless singles, overwhelmed holiday and dinner party hosts, time-constrained families and people just looking for a fresh, healthy, home-cooked meal without the stress and clean-up can stop in and prepare ready-to-go meals for themselves and their families in a fun, friendly, and stress-free environment. – D-TALES, Dining in Detroit