Kiss the kitchen goodbye and head outdoors with a spatula and a
meat thermometre! But avoid flare ups by keeping your wits about
you with these simple grilling tips.
1. Burn It Off
Before placing food on the barbecue, burn residue and food
particles off the grill from the grill by turning up the heat for
and closing the lid for ten minutes. Use a silicone brush to wipe
the grill with clean vegetable oil, this will ensure that your food
won't stick!
2. Don't Wobble
A barbecue can certainly be situated on the lawn, but it's
better to place it on solid, even ground. The barbecue will be
steadier, which means utensils and food won't fall off the ledges.
A concrete area is also easy to clean (missed pieces of meat
attract animals) and will save your lawn the damage of constant
traffic.
3. Mis en place
Have everything you need on hand when barbecuing, even if you're
not sure you'll use it. Avoid extra trips to the kitchen, during
which time your food may burn, by placing a side table next to the
barbecue and filling it with condiments, utensils, extra plates,
clothes and brushes.
4. Soak It
Marinating meat for at least twenty minutes before grilling it
is absolutely essential. This preserves and enhances flavour and
speeds along the tenderizing process. Red meat, pork and poultry
can be marinated in the fridge overnight, but fish should be soaked
for no more than 20 minutes, since marinating starts the cooking
process.
5. Foiled Again!
Some foods, such as fish and tomatoes or very tender or fatty
cuts of meat, fall apart, burn, or stick on the grill. Avoid this
by brushing foil with oil, adding the meat or vegetable and
seasoning as you desire. Seal into a package by folding at the
corners, and cook until done. In French, this is called cooking en
pappillotte -- impress barbecue guests with that snippet of
international information!
6. Beautiful Basting
Use a silicone basting brush to evenly flavour grilled foods
with barbecue sauces and glazes. To avoid cross contamination, pour
the sauce into a separate container rather than dipping the brush
directly in the jar. If the sauce or glaze contains sugar, put it
on during the last part of the grilling process. Otherwise, the
sugar will cause flare ups, burning and charring.
7. Spray It, Don't Say It!
Grease fires make food taste charred and bitter, so keep a spray
bottle filled with water on hand to tame any unwanted flare
ups.
8. Now You're Cooking with Gas!
In the market for a new barbecue? Consider choosing gas. These
babies have come a long way and are now the 'que of choice for many
grilling gurus. They're fast, easy, and provide unsurpassed heat
intensity which seals in flavour and delivers great grill
marks.
9. Clean and Mean
It's much easier to clean the barbecue when it's still warm. Use
a wire brush to remove food debris. Wire brushes are a dime a
dozen, but don't skimp. Cheap brushes will eventually shed their
wires, which can get into food and cause serious injury, especially
to children, who have smaller windpipes.
10. Bug Off!
Keep pesky bugs at bay while barbecuing by burning citronella
candles or garden torches, which look lovely and provide the
perfect ambience for backyard bashes and keep bugs off the
food.
Can't-Fail Companions
- Novices and experts will love these essential grilling
accessories:
- Digital food thermometre
- Stainless steel spatula and tongs. Keep two sets on hand, one
that is reserved for meats and poultry
- Vegetable holders and basket
- A good basting brush
- Double-pronged skewers