The Barbecue
Grilling Tip Guide
By Marcus Cox
Nothing beats the idea of gathering
friends and family on the patio for a barbecue on a nice summers evening. In
reality though, it doesn’t always go as planned. Most of us assume that a
successful barbecue consists of buying some nice cuts of meat and putting
them on the grill until they turn crispy – Yuk! By planning your evening in
advance and following these simple tips, your friends will be begging you to
host another barbecue the following weekend!
1) Cleaning the grill.
Incredibly, most people choose to overlook this simple job. Not only does it
pose an obvious health risk, it also affects the flavour of the food you are
about to cook. In addition, it also prevents excessive smoke when you next
use your barbecue. The key time to clean a barbecue grill is just after it
has been used. Wait until it has cooled down a bit, but is still warm. That
way, anything stuck to your grill will lift off easier. A good quality wire
brush from your local hardware store will remove even the most stubborn
remnants with ease. Every once in a while, give the grill a good clean with
some hot soapy water, especially if you barbecue on a regular basis. If over
time the paint starts to flake, some good quality grill safe paint will make
your barbecue grill look like new.
2) Choosing your meat.
The meat you choose is vital to the success of any barbecue. A cut of meat
with threads of fat running through will produce a juicier end product. This
is because the fat prevents the meat from drying out whilst cooking. If
however the meat has excessive fat on the outside, it needs to be trimmed
off. Leaving it on will increase the risk of the barbecue flaring up, as the
fat will drip on to the coals as the meat cooks. Try to keep your cuts of
meat to a maximum of 2 inches in depth.
3) Prepare the barbecue for cooking.
If you’re cooking on coals, arrange the coals in to a pyramid in the centre
of the barbecue, then cover the coals evenly in lighter fuel. Lightly oil
the grill, being extra careful not to over do it as this could again result
in the barbecue flaring up. Now you are ready to light the barbecue.
4) Lighting the barbecue.
Using long matches, you can now set a flame to your coals. Once they are
glowing red and covered with white ash, they are ready. This process should
take between 15-30 minutes. You now need to spread the coals evenly across
the bottom of the barbecue using some long handled barbecue tongs. If the
barbecue is large in area, you also have the option of putting more layers
of coals on one side to give you greater control of cooking temperature.
5) Cooking the meat.
Your almost there, don’t fall at the last hurdle! Lightly cover one side
with your marinade and place it face down on the grill. Allow half the
overall cooking time for each side, but before you turn the meat lightly
coat the uncooked side with some marinade. Avoid pressing down on top of the
meat or pricking the meat too much, as this will drain the meat of its
juices. This will not only cause flare-ups, but it will dry the meat out
very quickly. Using a meat thermometer to check doneness is the most
effective, safest method but if you don’t have one use a spatula or knife to
peek inside the meat. Whichever method you use, be sure to check the
thickest part of the meat first.
6) Don’t forget….
Now matter how much experience you have cooking on a barbecue, flare-ups
happen. The best way to deal with this is to keep a spray bottle near by
with some water in it. If you do get a flare up, spray the affected area
with a fine mist of water.
Now that you have everything under
control, relax and enjoy the evening. Not forgetting to clean your grill
once the barbecue has cooled down!
If you’ve enjoyed this article and would
like information on how you can receive further advice from a retired
Kentucky restaurant owner, plus free gifts worth over $100, go to:
http://www.successathome.co.uk/barbecue.html
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