Grill Tips

Tips:   Never use more charcoal then you need to, start off with a small amount and add as you need. Use approximately 20 to 25 briquettes for every kilogram of meat you cooking.

Make sure there is enough ventilation when lighting the charcoal.

The closer the food rack is to the charcoal the faster the food will cook and if the heat is too intense you may burn the food.

When the charcoal turns 50% gray you can start cooking.

Keep your charcoal dry, always store in a place where it can't get wet, damp charcoal causes a lot of smoke.

Never leave grill unattended, flare ups and food burning can happen really quickly.

In cooler weather you might find you need more briquettes to get to ideal cooking temperature.

Wind can make the fire hotter. On humid days coal tends to burn slower.

Oil dripping from your meat onto charcoal can cause flare-ups.

Never use gasoline to light your charcoal. Never use lighter fluid on already lit charcoal.

These charcoal grill tips should give you peace of mind and confidence when you are grilling. Not all these charcoal grilling tips are suitable for gas grills.

Barbecue Tips - BBQ Grilling Tips

Trim meat of excess fat for healthier meals.

When cooking chicken or turkey do not use utensils that can pierce the skin as you will loose flavour.

Your grill should be clear of anything that can catch a light and cause a fire.

Always try marinate your meat before grilling, some recipes will require you to marinate the meat while you grill.

Do not put cooked food back onto the same plate as the raw food was to prevent food poisoning.

Try to grill with oven gloves to prevent burns.

Use wire hinges for cooking vegetables & fish.

Use grill brushes to brush away any left over food and oil on the grid.

Turn meat over readily to prevent burning.

Use direct heat cooking when making hot dogs or burgers.

Use in-direct heat when making whole chickens and large steaks.

On a hot day do not let food stand outside for longer then an hour especially if food is in direct sunlight.

Wash all utensils and containers before using them.

Some dishes will require you to precook the meat to ensure it gets cooked properly.

Grilling Safety Tips - Tips On Grilling

Food illnesses are caused by bacteria or viruses in the food you eat. Please follow these simple steps of precaution to ensure your families health.

Bacteria thrive in warm temperatures keeping food at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F is dangerous as bacteria multiply rapidly in warm temperatures. This is not just for charcoal grill tips, but also in your everyday lives.

Always try keeping your food in the fridge,leaving it at room temperature for longer then two hours becomes unsafe. Make sure your refrigerator is set below 40°F. Make sure your food is properly cooked, food needs to be cooked at a hot enough temperature and for a sustained period

of time. Your temperature needs to be at least 145°F or higher. Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, make sure all your utensils are not only clean but clean from bacteria. Use a cleaning liquid that will destroy bacteria and make all your utensils safe to use.

To prevent cross-contamination, bacteria can travel from one food product to the other. As we have said before never place cooked food in the same dish as you placed raw food.

Clean your utensils after every use, do not cut chicken with a knife then use it on steak without cleaning it.

Do not defrost your meat by leaving it on the counter rather use warm running water or the microwave.

Maintain cooked food above 145°F.

Keep your hot foods hot and your cold foods cold.

Put left over food in the fridge or freezer straight after you have eaten.

Do not leave food to marinate at room temperature always place it in the fridge.

Keep left over food in small containers and ensure there is space between them so it cools quickly.

Use low fat marinates.

Use alternatives to oils as much as you can like spray and cook for example.
Your first priority should always be health and safety for your family.


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Your First Charcoal Grill

Perhaps you have just moved into your first place, or you decided that you wanted to broaden your horizons and try new things. Maybe you went to a Fourth of July barbeque party and tasted the beautiful smoked flavor, and decided you wanted to try to replicate it. After doing your research, you decided that a charcoal grill is right for you. Now what?

Now that you have decided you want a charcoal grill, you have to decide what type of charcoal grill will suit your needs. Are you planning on traveling and using your charcoal grill? If so, you will need a charcoal grill that is small enough to travel with you. Smaller charcoal grills are ideal for cookouts, camping, and tail gate parties, but would not be useful if you were cooking for a larger amount of people. If you plan on feeding a larger amount of people, a larger charcoal grill will better suit your needs. If you are having issues deciding on which type you should get, you may consider getting both. Smaller charcoals grills can cost as little as $10 to $15 dollars, and will give you the ability to travel.

Charcoal grills contain hot embers and fire when it is in use. Safety should also be a major concern when you are picking out your first Charcoal grill. Look for a charcoal grill with a sturdy structure and sturdy legs. If you grill does now have sturdy legs, it’s chances of falling over is much greater. When a charcoal grill falls over, it will send the hot coals flying. Many charcoal grills also have built in safety features such as a water reservoir and smothering valves. Undoubtedly, when you are cooking with fire, accidents can happen. In the case that your grill gets out of control or become to hot, these safety features will prevent potentially dangerous fires. The fire department has much better things to do then help you cook.

One of the most noticeable features when using charcoal is the flavor of the food you cook. To cook with a charcoal grill, you must buy charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. Charcoal is a one use item, and will need to be discarded after each use. Charcoal can be picked up at your local superstore, gas station, or grocery store, and is typically pretty inexpensive. Charcoal must be light and allowed to burn until the charcoal is no longer on fire, but is red embers. The best way to get the pile to burn is by stacking it in a pyramid.

While no one likes to clean their grill, it is necessary to maintain your grill if you want it to last it’s intended lifetime. One problem you will face is the fact that Charcoal grills stay hot for a long period of time. You can remedy this situation 2 ways. First you can leave your grill open, allowing it to burn out. This method typically burns a lot of the grease off, but can potentially cause problems if you are not near your barbeque grill. You do not want to start a fire. Another way is to completely close off your grill and deny the fire oxygen. As soon as the grill is cold, or cold enough not to burn you, you will want to clean the grill. Leaving the grill dirty for any amount of time will cause the buildup to become hard, and may make it harder to remove. Use a wire brush to clean off the surface areas of your grill, and then spray cooking oil on the surface. Take the racks off and clean them with dishwashing soap. Dawn or other brands that have degreasers work best. Rinse the racks off, and replace them in the grill.

Grilling Gift Basket


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Tips for First Time Grill Owners

Grilling, or Barbequing is a true American tradition. Many Americans are finding themselves with a grill for the first time. Good experiences with your grill will surely lead to using your grill more and more.

Planning Ahead

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire. Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Another potential issue when barbequing is the weather. While you will not be able to guarantee that the weather stays nice your barbeque event, a certain amount of planning will help you avoid the days in which barbequing is just simply out of the picture. Watch the weather channel or check online for your weekly forecast. If rain or cold weather is likely on the day you were thinking about having your barbeque, it may be a good idea to wait for a better forecast.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque. 12 to 24 hours before you plan on beginning the party, make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditional sizes. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw.


Maintenance

You will need some common household items on hand when it comes
time to clean your barbeque grill.

Brass wire grill brush
Steel wool pads, preferably that contains soap already.
Mild dish soap
Sponge or dishcloth
Spray cooking oil
Dry baking soda
Aluminum foil

The first thing that should always be done to your grill is a routine brushing. Using your brass wire grill brush (or other brush suitable to your type of grill) you should brush off all the surfaces. By routinely brushing your barbeque grill, you will prevent any type of buildup. If buildup from food is left to long, it can become increasingly difficult to remove. Once you have cleaned the surfaces of your grill, then you must focus on its racks. The racks in your grill are especially important as this is where the food touches when it is cooking. You will have to use the wire brush to remove as much buildup as possible. Once you remove as much as possible, start washing the racks with dish soap. If the racks are really dirty, you may also want to use the steel wool pads. Be sure to completely rinse off all soap and residue before cooking on these racks again.

This process should be completed each and every time you cook on your barbeque grill. If these steps are not taken, you may find it increasingly difficult to clean your grill, and may find that damage will occur.

The majority of problems that arise from barbeque grills comes from lack of cleaning and maintenance. That means if you notice something does not seem quite right with your barbeque grill, chances are it can be fixed with just a simple cleaning. Even if you clean it, and still find that it is having problems, at least you saved yourself the potential embarrassment of taking it to a professional only to find out all it needed was to be cleaned.

Finally, one method of preventing problems with your barbeque grill is protecting it from the outdoors. Covers are available for grills in all shapes and sizes, so chances are, you will find one that fits your grill. If you have a cover for your barbeque grill, then all you will ever need to do is do the regular maintenance listed above.

Wading Through Various Grill Features

When looking into different grills features, you may be faced with what seems like a foreign language. How are you suppose to pick the grill that is best for you if you do not understand what you are reading? While the language used when describing grills will not get any easier to read, understanding what the majority if what it means will help you make an informed decision.

Perhaps one of the most important things you should consider is the fuel type. Charcoal grills are one of the most used types of grills. Charcoal grills utilize charcoal and lighter fluid to heat up and cook your food. Charcoal grills come in all shapes and sizes, and vary in cost. Charcoal requires you to buy charcoal and lighter fluid each time you cook with it. It must also be cleaned out each time. Charcoal grills come in small sizes, which are ideal for apartment dwellers or people with small homes. Once you have used your charcoal grill, you can clean it, and store it away. Propane grills are also useful for someone in small areas, since they can come in smaller sizes. Propane grills use propane gas to cook your food. If you want to quickly cook foods while still maintaining a grilled flavor, you may want to consider Propane grills. Natural gas grills are a little more complicated then smaller grills, so they require more room. Natural gas grills are meant to hook up directly to your home’s natural gas line, and can cook meat in record time. Smoker Grills are used when flavor is the number one priority. Smoker grills use wood to slow cook your meat. Flavor can be controlled by using different types of woods.

BTU is the measure of the amount of cooking power the barbeque grill as. Simple math will be needed in determining the amount of heat that your grill produces. Take the amount of space available for cooking (typically measured by square inch) and divide it by the total amount of BTU’s. Ideally you will want at least 95 to 100 BTU’s per square inch of cooking space. So for example, if you have a grill with 50,000 BTU’s and 450 square inches of cooking space, then you will be receiving about 111 BTU’s of cooking power per square inch. Anything less, and you may want to consider a different grill.

The next thing you will want to consider is the cooking surfaces. How much space does it have? Will you be able to cook for just yourself, or you entire family? Depending on your situation, you may want to consider a larger or smaller grill.

What about cleaning? Does your grill have anything type of features that allow you to clean it easier? Some grills offer such things as a cleaning door, which allows you to easier remove the used fuels. This is handy if you decide on a charcoal and smoker grill. Some grills have a none stick surface, which allows you to cook without food sticking, and allows for very easy cleanup.

Another feature some grills offer the ability to control different areas of your grill with different temperatures. This is typically controlled by knobs on the front, similar to an oven. This allows you to cook different types of foods at the same time. If you want to cook a whole meal on the grill, this can be possible.

Starting your grill changed drastically with each type of grill. Smokers and Charcoal burners require you to light the media, the wait for it to burn out and turn to embers before cooking. This can take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. Natural gas and propane gar grills can be started instantly, wither by lighting the burners with a lighter, or by a knob on the front, which is attached to a small hammer that slams into a crystal, causing enough spark to ignite the fuel.

BBQ Beef Short Ribs


Ingredients


  • 10 pounds short ribs of beef, 2 inches thick
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon ancho powder ( pablano pepper/chili powder)

Directions

Mix all seasoning in a large bowl. Add short ribs and coat evenly. Allow to sit for two hours before smoking. Build a hickory fire in grill on one side only. Place the beef ribs on the grill on the opposite side of the fire and close off the air so the fire goes down. Maintain a temperature of 275 degrees for 3 hours, basting with mop every 15 minutes for the last 45 minutes.

Short Rib Mop:

  • 3 tablespoons  mustard
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cup apple cider
Mix all ingredients together.

The Good One Open Range Smoker (Model 30-P)


Chris Marks and his Three Little Pigs barbecue team are one of the top teams in competition barbecue (8 time grand champion of the American Royal BBQ Competition). The Good One Open Range smoker is the smallest version of the smoker Chris takes to competitions. What makes this smoker different than other big, black smokers is the precision of air flow control. The Good One uses rotating vents called spinners that can be turned open with a very fine level of control.

With many heavy steel smokers you get a great deal of smoke leakage around the doors and connections. This smoker fits together with incredible accuracy so the air flows through the vents and not through the doors. Add to that the precision of the vents and you can shut this smoker down, put out the fire, and save your remaining charcoal for your next cook.
This unit comes standard with a 360 square inch smoking grate and similar grilling grate. You can purchase an additional smoking grate or half grate to give you as much as 720 square inches of smoking space. That is more than enough to smoke 4 full size briskets.
The nearly $1,000 price tag makes this an expensive smoker, but the durable construction, excellent cooking abilities, and efficient design make it a perfect smoker for the person who is serious about barbecue. But more than just a great smoker, this unit is amazingly versatile. You can use the fire box area for direct grilling of the smoking chamber as a roasting or baking oven. This is one cooker that really can do it all.