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Barbeque Basics
Copyright © , Valerie Giles
There’s nothing more enjoyable
than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful
smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites.
Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand
with summertime. Whether you’re in your backyard or at you’re favorite
camping site, barbecuing is a pleasure to be enjoyed by the whole
family. Barbecuing has never been more exciting; with the endless
designs of barbecues available and the myriad of barbecue cookbooks and
cooking shows it really does take barbecuing into a whole new realm.
With recipes for everything from grilled bananas to peaches and dry rubs
for ribs, barbecues aren’t just for cooking steaks and burgers anymore.
With all the available barbecuing options it helps to know a few of the
barbecuing terms and barbecuing utensils that are used.
Firstly, barbecues come in a wide
variety of options; there are propane, natural gas and the standard
barbecues for use with charcoal. Barbecues can come with range style
one, two and four burner options along with rotisseries. There are even
barbecues that have coolers built right into the bottom! Barbecuing has
never been quite so convenient.
When you’re using your barbecue it
really helps to have the right utensils and barbeque accessories, this
will make your barbecuing experience easier and more enjoyable. Long
handled tongs, basting brushes and spatulas are quite helpful. Heavy
-duty oven mitts can also be useful. Of course you don’t want to forget
the proper wire brushes and scrubbers (crumpled foil even works well) to
remove build-up, keeping your grill racks clean.
Foods that are tender such as
fish, vegetables and some burgers can benefit from cooking in a special
grill basket (this way you aren’t loosing any of your meal into the
barbecue). There are also special racks available to be used with corn,
potatoes, ribs and meat.
An excellent barbecue accessory is
the grill wok, with this you can make you’re favorite stir fries and
vegetable dishes; the wok has small holes throughout that allow heat and
smoke to penetrate the food. Another great grill accessory is the grill
pizza tray used mostly for grilled pizza. Other grill accessories
include; (
http://www.best-bbq-online.com/grill-accessories.htm ) the grill
topper used for fish and vegetables providing an even cooking surface,
which prevents foods from falling through the grill rack; you can never
have too many skewers in assorted lengths which can be used with a
skewer rack for grilling your favorite marinated vegetables and meats;
smoker boxes for gas grills filled with soaked wood chips add a
wonderful smoked flavor to foods. Lastly foil packets are available or
simple tin foil to wrap foods, just remember that you may be sacrificing
the grill and smoke flavors when foods are wrapped tightly.
After you have the utensils and
proper grilling accessories needed for you’re barbeque experience you’ll
want to familiarize yourself on the different types of grilling
processes and terms to find the ones that work best for you and to know
exactly what has to be done. To start, basting is probably the most
familiar of barbecuing terms, a simple brushing with a seasoned liquid
adding both flavor and moisture to your food. A brochette is just French
for a kabob, or simply food cooked on a skewer. A glaze is a glossy,
flavorful coating on food as it cooks as a result of regular basting.
Three very popular methods of
barbecuing are the direct grilling, dry smoking and indirect grilling
methods. Direct grilling is probably the most popular grilling used, it
is when food is placed directly over the flame. It is a fast method
because of the intense heat and allows for browning on the outside of
foods. This process works best for food requiring short cooking times
such as burgers and steaks, you must remember to turn food over to allow
cooking on both sides. The dry smoking method is achieved by placing a
grill rack indirectly over the heat source with the barbecue lid down,
this allows the flame to burn thus creating smoke which covers the food,
giving you a smoky flavor.
Lastly the indirect grilling is a
slow process of cooking because of less heat, it is done by surrounding
a drip pan with the coals and putting the food over the pan, so the hot
air circulates around the food (similar to a convection oven). It is
wise to check with your barbecue owner manual for indirect grilling
specific to your barbecue, roasts work well with this method.
After you’ve acquired the barbecue
and all the necessary cooking utensils and accessories you’re ready for
the best part of barbecuing and that is the cooking of the food. Sauces,
marinades and rubs are popular cooking ideas when barbecuing. The sauce
can be said to define a great barbecue. Whether you use a little or a
lot is a matter of preference. A sauce often includes sugar, honey or
preserves, which can cause the sauce to burn when cooking; a suggestion
is to brush your sauce on in the last five to ten minutes of cooking.
There are a wide variety of sauces and glazes to be made ranging from
apple butter barbecue sauce to raspberry piquant sauce.
Marinades are used for soaking
your choice of meat, tofu or vegetables. (
http://www.best-bbq-online.com/marinades.htm ) The marinating both
tenderizes and permeates the food with flavor, adding flavor and
promoting crisp brown exteriors, changing an otherwise average dinner
into a great one. Marinades are virtually fool proof and can be made in
advance refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. The
three basic ingredients in a marinade are; flavorings such as herbs,
spices, sweeteners; oils which keep the food pliable and give a crispy
crust; acids such as citrus juices, wines, vinegars and yogurts used to
balance the sweetness. It is suggested to use the acids sparingly on
fish and poultry, as they will soften the flesh when used.
A virtually fat free and easy way
to add flavor to food is by using a variety of bold seasonings in a rub.
The food is rubbed with spices prior to grilling, the rub transforms
into a crunchy brown crust that seals in the juices and enhances the
flavors of the food. The spices should be generously applied coating the
entire surface of the food; the food should then be covered and put in
the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Simplicity is the key for making
rubs, salt and sugar are two of the main ingredients and the rest are up
to you.
Whatever your barbecuing specialty
might be barbecues can be both a fun and convenient way to make dinner.
Summertime needn’t be the only time of year that you’re barbecuing, if
weather allows you can barbecue all year round. The options have never
been more exciting, and the variety of foods and recipes never more
abundant.
Valerie Giles owns and operates
Best BBQ Online , a resource web site featuring bbq grills, bbq smokers,
weber gas grills, grill accessories and rotisseries, bbq recipes and
marinades and patio heaters. Everything you need for the barbequing
season.
http://www.best-bbq-online.com |
