May 18, 2012

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Outdoor Grilling Tips

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If you’re thinking of throwing a backyard barbeque, you’ll have to do some planning. The ambience of eating outside and enjoying the weather and the company of friends is something eating indoors just cannot match.  There is some prep work involved in grilling out, but with the right preparation, things will go smoothly.

Prepare your grill

If this is the first time you’ve used your grill, be sure that you’ve followed the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and curing the grilling surface.  Start with a clean grill and be sure you have plenty of fuel (charcoal or gas), and that all the lines for propane tanks are leak-free.  Position the grill in a place where curious little hands cannot reach it and where you are safe from flare-up induced fires.

Essential accessories

No matter what you’re cooking, be sure that you have everything you need handy so you are not leaving the grill unattended to get a forgotten brush or knife.  If you’re cooking meat, a meat thermometer is essential.  You should have a cutting board designated for meat only so that you don’t get bacteria in other foods, and a cooler to keep cold foods cold until they are ready to be cooked or served.  Long oven mitts are great for protecting your hands.  Tongs, a basting brush, knives, and serving dishes are important items you might forget to have handy next to the grill.

Prepare the food for cooking

Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot, and don’t forget to keep condiments cold as well. The last thing you want is mayonnaise-induced food poisoning.  Trim the fat from meats and make sure that everything you’re cooking will fit on your grilling surface.  You don’t want to spend time chopping vegetables while you’re tending to cooking.  Make sure you have done your prep work so that everything is grill-ready before you get started.

Safe cooking

Don’t leave the grill unattended:  flare ups can happen, curious children and dogs can get to the grill, and food can get burned.  Make sure that you are not cooking near pine straw or overhanging branches, and that you are following basic cooking hygiene rules (pull your hair back or wear a hat, wash your hands, and wear an apron).  Keep your meat thermometer handy to avoid undercooking meats.

While cooking

Be careful not to pierce meats while cooking them; this lets them dry out.  If you cook with a marinade, boil it after letting the meat marinate and before using it on the cooking meat so that you don’t put bacteria from raw meat on the cooking meat.

Once you’re done cooking, be sure to safely extinguish the fuel from your grill.  Above all, make sure you graciously accept the many compliments to the chef you are sure to receive!

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Comparison Shopping for Outdoor Gas Grills

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Once you have decided to purchase an outdoor gas grill, you should think about what features you want in a grill.  You don’t want to buy the wrong size grill and have your menu be limited by the cooking surface.  If you are looking for the best buy for your money, you should think carefully about which features you absolutely must have before buying.

Think about what size grill you want

Most grilling areas are listed in either square inches or square feet.  These numbers might not mean as much to you as a visual representation of the size, though, so it will help to visit a store and look at various sizes.  You don’t want to get something too large for the area you have allotted, nor do you want to get one that is too small to cook the sorts of meals you want to cook.  If you plan on cooking both an entrée and side items, a small grill won’t give you enough room.

Burners
Many gas grills come with side burners, perfect for simmering sauces, melting butter, or cooking side dishes.  The more burners on the grilling surface itself, the more flexibility you will have when it comes to cooking.  You might want to consult grilling recipes to see which call for searing, indirect heat, or direct heat so that you can determine what kinds of menus you can plan with various burner setups.

Materials

Usually, grills made of chrome are less expensive than those that are steel or iron with a porcelain coating.  Chrome rusts more easily and is harder to clean, but porcelain is easily scratched, and the cleaning is more complicated.  Cast iron grills have to be seasoned.  Think about how much time you want to invest in cleaning and maintenance, as well as what your budget is, as you compare different varieties of gas grills.

Other features

When you think about special features such as multiple levels of cooking racks, rotisserie, or smoker options, think about what you will realistically use.  If your primary use is going to be throwing some steaks on the grill after work, you might not want all the extra bells and whistles.  If you are on a budget, be sure to pay only for the features you know you will use often.

Doing your homework before purchasing will ensure that you come home with a product you will enjoy for a long time. Happy shopping!

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Barbecue Recipes: Beyond Burgers and Hot Dogs

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Cooking on your outdoor grill doesn’t mean just the usual routine of hot dogs and hamburgers.  While those old stand-bys are certainly easy, if you use a little creativity you can find ways to fix a variety of foods on your gas, electric, or charcoal grill.

Grilled fish

Fish cooked on the grill is healthy and delicious, and if you cook it in a foil packet, clean up is a breeze.  Simply put a filet in some foil along with lemon juice and fresh herbs, then seal the foil packet and place it on the grill.  Cook until the fish is done and throw out the mess.  Salmon cooked on the grill is a wonderful addition to a salad for a light, healthy meal.

Grilled vegetables

Grilling vegetables is easy, too.  Try chopping eggplant, potatoes, peppers, or any in-season vegetable and marinating them in some lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper.  Coat the grill with non-stick spray before you start cooking and then add the vegetables and cook until done.  You might want to experiment with direct or indirect heat in order to determine what works best for your grill.

You can even cook corn on the cob right on the grill.  Leave the husks on but remove the silk.  Soak the corn in water for about a half hour and then place the entire ear on the grill for 5 to 10 minutes.  Serve with butter and salt for a taste you just cannot get by boiling corn.

You can make a healthy version of the French fry right on your grill.  Use either a skillet specifically designed for grilling or an old metal baking pan sprayed with non-cook cooking spray.  Put thin strips or wedges of raw potato in the pan with your favorite seasonings and grill until they are tender.

Grilled pizza?

Pizza on the grill can be much tastier than oven-cooked pizza.  The trick is to work quickly since pizza dough on the grill will begin to get crispy right away.  Carefully place your rolled-out dough on a grill that has been coated in olive oil, and brown it on both sides.  Put on a layer of tomato sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings for a healthy twist on an old favorite.

And dessert

You can even cook dessert on your outdoor grill.  Canned sliced pineapple put on the grill until heated through makes for a light, different dessert. Sprinkle the pineapple rings with nuts, cocoanut, or other toppings and serve with frozen yogurt.

Think beyond the old stand-bys when it comes to grilling outdoors.  Break out of your grilling routine and enjoy different menus all summer long.

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Healthy Cooking on Your Outdoor Grill

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Grilled foods can be healthy foods; they are not cooked with excess fats and oils, and cooking meat on the grill can really enhance its flavor.  Before you head outside to start cooking, be sure that you are doing it in a healthy way.

Keep it clean

Before you begin grilling, make sure your grilling surface is clean.  Leftover grease is not only unhealthy, it can be dangerous if it causes the grill to flare up.  For charcoal grills, be sure that you use only a lighter fluid or starter specifically made for charcoal or that you use charcoal that does not require starter fluid.  Never use gas or kerosene.  Keep your utensils clean and use a separate cutting board for meats and vegetables so that you don’t run the risk of spreading bacteria from the meat to other dishes.

Keep it hot or cold

Nothing ruins a cookout like food poisoning. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold when using your outdoor grill.  Leave meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.  Keep condiments and side dishes cold and covered up outside.  If you have marinated meat and then want to use the marinade as a sauce, boil it for a few minutes to kill any bacteria that may remain in the sauce.  Use a meat thermometer to be certain that meat is cooked thoroughly.

Think beyond the burger

You don’t have to cook just meat on your outdoor grill.  If you do, be sure to choose healthy cuts of beef and trim the excess fat.  Choose lean hamburger and nitrite-free hot dogs for healthier cooking.  If you do cook meat, avoid charring it, since cooking meat at high temperatures can cause potentially harmful chemicals to form in the meat.  Don’t forget that you can successfully cook fish and vegetables on the grill.  Put fish and some spices in a foil packet on the grill for a healthy alternative to the hamburger.  Chopped vegetables on a skewer are delicious when cooked on the grill, and so is corn on the cob, cooked right on the grill with the husk on.

While cooking on your outdoor grill might seem like roughing it, you should follow the same food safety and nutrition rules you would in the kitchen.  It may be particularly difficult to keep things as clean as you would inside, but if you are careful, you can keep foods chilled or heated

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Outdoor Grills: Safety Issues

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There is nothing like cooking outside when summer temperatures make heating up the kitchen unbearable.  Using your outdoor grill is a great way to spend time outside, minimize clean-up inside, and entertain your guests.  However, there are two important safety issues you should keep in mind when planning your next cookout.

Fire

Any kind of cooking presents a potential fire hazard.  Grilling can be dangerous:  cooking outside, socializing with guests, and making sure you have everyone’s order can be distracting.  Watch out for children who may get too close to the grill since the outside of the grill can get very hot.  Whether using a gas, charcoal, or electric grill, be sure you have enough room around the grill so that nothing can catch fire.  Watch out for overhanging branches, awnings, and pine straw, which is highly flammable.  If you’re using a charcoal grill, use only starter fluid that is made especially for charcoal, never gasoline or kerosene (which will make your food taste terrible anyway).  Pretreated charcoal briquettes are a good alternative to starter fluid.  A dirty grill can lead to flare ups as old food catches fire, so be sure that you give the grill a good scrub before you get cooking.

Food safety

Food poisoning can be serious.  In the summer, especially, bacteria can grow quickly in food that is not kept at the appropriate temperature.  Of course you should be concerned that meat is cooked thoroughly, but don’t forget about condiments and side dishes, too.  Keep any food that you’re preparing to cook or serve chilled and covered up while it is outside or just leave it in the refrigerator until the last minute.  Make sure that you have time to thoroughly cook food without rushing the process. Don’t rely on visually checking whether meat is done:  use a meat thermometer and know the correct temperature your meat should reach.  Remember that cooking temperatures vary from beef to chicken to pork.  If you want to use a marinade as a sauce, boil it first.  Bacteria from uncooked meat can remain in the marinade, but boiling it for a few minutes will kill any lingering bacteria.  Finally, keep your utensils clean and don’t use the same cutting board for meats and vegetables.

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Should I buy a gas, electric, or charcoal grill?

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If you are thinking about buying a grill, the first question you need to answer is “Gas, electric, or charcoal?”  Once you have made that decision, you can start to figure out pricing, quality, size, and other factors that will play into your ultimate decision.  Here are some things to consider when you start thinking about your purchase.

Convenience

How are you going to be using your grill?  Do you want to be able to cook some steaks, burgers, or chicken quickly?  A gas or electric grill might be the best choice. Charcoal grills take longer than gas or electric.  If speed is not an issue, then charcoal may be a better choice.  Hardwood fires in a charcoal grill may give the best flavor, but they require more work.

Space

How much space do you have for a grill?  If you are thinking of a large charcoal grill, then you want to have enough space for it.  Don’t forget the space you will need to move around the grill and to have your other cooking implements close at hand.  Gas grills can flare up, so a covered space is not a good choice for a gas grill.  If you get a charcoal grill with an electric starter, it can be used with little open flame.  Electric grills are safest in smaller areas, but they must be near an electrical outlet.

Taste

If you want a genuine, hardwood-smoked flavor, then a gas or electric grill is not going be your best choice. Some people swear by the flavor of charcoal-cooked food, while others say they can tell no difference in food cooked on a gas grill and over charcoal.  This is a matter of personal taste, but do give some thought to this issue when weighing your options.

Cost

Generally, charcoal grills are the least expensive choice.  Gas, electric, and charcoal grills come in a variety of price ranges, though, so do some preliminary online searches for pricing as you ponder this factor.  Think about how often you will use your grill, and then decide what kind of investment you want to make.  Using a charcoal grill is more expensive per use than a gas grill, and charcoal has to be kept dry.  If you forget and leave a bag outside in the rain or humidity, you’ve wasted money.

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Storing Your Outdoor Grill

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Probably before you are ready, it will be time to store your outdoor grill until the next grilling season.  You want to be careful to clean and store your grill so that, come Spring, you will not have to replace parts due to water or other damage.

Clean it well

Grease splatters on your grill are inevitable, no matter how careful you were or how well you cleaned your grill after each use all season long.  Give your grill a good scrub before putting it away.  This means not just the grilling surface, but any surfaces where there may be grease, dirt, or dried food.  For a charcoal grill, remove and throw away all briquettes and ash.  Scrub the entire surface of the grill (including the inside of the lid) with soapy water and a stiff brush.  If you have a porcelain covered steel grill, you may want to use a cleaner specifically designed to avoid scratching.  The manufacturer may have some specific cleaning recommendations, so check those either online or in the information that came with your purchase.  However you clean the grill, be sure that you let it dry thoroughly before you put it away.

Store it appropriately

If you have a garage or storage shed, that’s the ideal place to store your grill.  Electric grills should certainly be stored out of the weather.  Storing a grill in a covered location means you can put it out of the weather and not have to worry about it.  If you are not able to store your grill in an enclosed space, use a tight-fitting grill cover.  Wind, rain, snow, and ice can cause a cover to come off, so you may want to periodically check on the tightness of the cover during the off season.  Weather can seriously damage a grill, and you want it to be ready to go when the weather warms up enough for your next outdoor barbeque.

Store it safely

Charcoal or electric grills don’t require anything special in terms of fuel safety.  Gas grills are a different story.  Unless you take good care of the propane tank, you can create a significant safety hazard.  Be certain the valve is completely turned off and then unscrew the tank from the grill.  Store the tank in a well ventilated area, which means outdoors, not in the garage or shed.

Take some extra time and care at the end of the grilling season so that you don’t have to invest extra time, energy, and money on that first perfect grilling day of the next season.

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