Tips for improving your backyard BBQ’s.
We live in a fast, frozen, preservative, and high fat food environment. By grilling, we are able to produce high quality fresh tasting meat dishes and superb grilled vegetables without adding extra fat. All of this done on one cooking surface with no pans to wash, that works for me and no hot kitchen to contend with.
Most grills can be categorized as open grills, kettles, gas or electric grills. Open Grills do not have hoods and are most often round with a single rack. They need to have a thick metal exterior and be sturdy.
Kettles can be used as a smoker, an oven, and a grill. The hood and the round base are wonderful for cooking food evenly and with an intense smoky flavor. Gas and electric Grills are heated by gas burners or electric coils. These grills heat up quickly with little or no mess. Purchase a grill that has the added smoker box for wood chips to add flavoring.
Try adding smoking or flavoring chips and fresh or dried herbs. The most common woodchips are made of hickory, apple, mesquite, cherry, and oak wood. Used in small quantities these can add a wonderful flavor to your food. Soak the wood for at least ½ hour before putting it in the smoker box. Fresh and dried herbs can also be added to the coals to lightly flavor the food. Some good herbs to use would be rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, and sage.
Open or closed? With the hood open the grill is hotter and more prone to flare-ups. Food will cook quickly and will be charred on the outside. This charring seals in the juices and leaves the inside juicy. Some foods cooked more evenly and slower with the hood closed like thicker steaks and food that produces more fat when grilled. A closed hood will reduce the amount of flare-ups, the hood acts as a snuffer to them. If the food you’re grilling tends to dry out, or if you’re using an oily marinade, use a closed hood.
Barbecue tools are an important part of grilling for your safety and comfort. The long handles keep your hands away from the heat. Buy good quality barbecue tools, you don’t want them falling apart on you while you are grilling. Some tools to consider are: A fire proof grill mitt, Tongs, a wire brush, basting brush, meat thermometer, and spray bottle to spray down the flare ups.
Make sure you start with a clean grill and oiling your grill before you start to cook will prevent sticking. Remember when cooking meat, especially poultry or pork, use a meat thermometer, it is not always easy to know if it is cooked, also will keep you from over cooking. Have a safe and fun outdoor summer.
