BBQ Tips?

[Kramer]

Got Any? Time of year again

Here's a few :

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES IN YOUR OUTDOOR OVEN - Don't underestimate the cooking potential of your barbeque - think of it as your outdoor oven. Your barbeque can grill, roast, bake and rotisserie food. Try something new on your grill - pizza, quesadillas, vegetables and even desserts are all possibilities.

ENJOY YOURSELF - Don't rush. Relax, plan ahead, take your time, have the necessary ingredients and tools available before you begin. Thaw out meat in the refrigerator the night before and marinate for up to 2 hours before grilling. Enjoy a couple of beers !
Set out your plates and cutlery and have your condiments out and ready for your meal.

GET ORGANIZED - Grilling demands you to be organized. Use your side shelves or integrated front panels to set all your ingredients, utensils, and serving platters before you begin grilling.

READY, SET, EAT! - Set your table, prepare your side dishes and make sure your family or guests are hungry and ready to eat because barbequed food is best eaten as soon as it's hot off the
grill!

DRY RUB - Rub some flavour into your food! Dry rubs enhance flavour as opposed to tenderizing. A rub is usually a mixture of fresh or dried herbs and spices, sometimes mixed with an oil, crushed garlic or mustard, which is rubbed into the surface. Recommended for meats that require only a short time for cooking. Allow meat to cook for about 1/3 to 1/2 the total time before applying any basting sauce so you don't "wash off" any of the dry rub seasonings.

DON'T SQUEEZE THE LIFE OUT OF YOUR BURGERS - Do not over-mix or compact ground beef as this will result in firm, dense and tough burgers when cooked. Turn ground beef patties with a metal spatula. Do not flatten them as this causes flavourful juices to escape, resulting in dry burgers.

CHOOSING YOUR BEEF - Select beef with a deep red colour, without any grayish or brown blotches. Look for beef that is firm to the touch. Check that the package is cold and has no holes or tears and doesn't have excessive fluid.

KEEP YOUR ROAST JUICY - When rotisserie cooking, use a spray bottle or basting brush to baste the meat or poultry as it turns on the rotisserie spit. Experiment with different liquid combinations such as soy sauce, sherry, fruit juice, chicken or beef broth.

A LITTLE FAT FOR FLAVOUR - Leave a thin layer of fat on steaks and roasts during cooking to preserve juiciness. Trim the rest of this layer off after cooking.

EXTRA FLAVOUR AND MOISTURE - When rotisserie cooking, place a heavy duty disposable foil drip pan with herbs, apple juice, beer or wine on your cooking medium directly beneath the area of the grid where you will be cooking to catch any drippings and to infuse the meat with added flavour and moisture.
PRE-COOK NO MORE - Instead of precooking foods such as ribs, chicken legs or sausages, start them on the main cooking grid to sear in the juices and get the grill lines and then move them up to the warming rack to ensure the meat will be thoroughly cooked.

CHECK THE WATER CONTENT OF YOUR FOOD - When planning your meal, remember that the higher the water content, the faster the cooking time. Tomatoes have a high water content, so they cook very quickly and should be put on a warming rack for no more than 5 minutes, whereas potatoes have a low water content and usually take longer to cook than the meat. Keep this in mind when putting an assortment of meat & vegetables on shish kebob skewers.

BREAD ANYONE? - Make bread in your grill! Your hi-top lids works best for this. Bread cooks faster, sometimes twice as fast, in the BBQ as compared to the oven so keep a close eye on breads when you are baking.

CHECKING FISH FOR DONENESS - There is great variability between types of fish. Fish will turn from translucent to opaque during cooking. When done, a toothpick inserted in the thickest portion should meet no resistance and come out clean when removed.

KNEED SOME DOUGH - Grill tortillas and pizza crusts quickly and easily by using frozen bread dough. Roll out into thin circles and place on a preheated grill. For tortillas, remove while they are still pliable. For pizzas, let them get a little stiff, top with pizza sauce, cheese, etc. and put back on the grill until the cheese is melted.

COOK ME TENDER - Do not overcook the meat to make it "falling off the bone" tender. While overcooking will definitely make it come off the bone easier, it also dries it out. Try marinating your meat to make it more tender.

SPRINKLE IN A LITTLE FLAVOUR - Salt enhances some flavours while inhibiting others. It tends to lessen the bitter taste and smoothes out harsh tastes so that flavours blend more harmoniously. Don't add salt to your meat until just before putting it on the grill. Salt can leech out the moisture, turning your meat dry and tough.

MARINATE YOUR MEAT - Marinades flavourize, moisturize and tenderize. Choose flavourful, spicy, fragrant, or aromatic ingredients like fresh or dried herbs or spices, dried chili peppers, onions, shallots, garlic, and ginger. A tenderizing marinade must contain an acidic ingredient such as citrus juice, yogurt, buttermilk, wine, vinegar or fresh papaya, ginger, or pineapple.

GIVE YOUR MEAT A RINSE - Before putting your meat on the grill, gently rinse the meat, poultry or fish and pat dry to remove any odors or materials that may be on the surface of the meat due to handling. This will also allow the meat to accept the desired seasonings and create better browning.

THE KEY TO PERFECT KEBABS - The key to well cooked kebabs is to cut your meat into even-sized pieces and use flat bladed skewers to help keep food from twisting as you turn it and enabling you to cook it from all sides.

YOUR VEGETABLES NEVER TASTED THIS GOOD - Eggplant, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, asparagus, potatoes and many other great vegetables can be safely and flavourfully prepared on the backyard grill. Lightly coat the cut up vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with your favourite herbs and spices.

TOO TOUGH - Tender seafood and poultry can get tough or mushy if left in a tenderizing marinade for longer than half an hour.

ADD A LITTLE PAT FOR FLAVOUR - For the times when you want to keep it real simple: place a pat of garlic or herb butter on your steak after each side has been turned and is still very hot.

TRIM THE FAT - By trimming the excess fat off your meat prior to putting it on the grill, you will reduce the amount of drippings created, which will help diminish flare-ups as well as burned and charred meat.

NO POKING OR STABBING ALLOWED - Poking and stabbing the meat will cause the loss of juices that keep your meat moist and tender. Use long handled tongs to turn food rather than piercing it with a fork.

SAVE THE SWEET SAUCE FOR LAST - When grilling meat apply sweet basting sauces made with sugar, honey or syrup during the last few minutes of grilling to prevent burning. Savory sauces, such as mustard and teriyaki can be applied throughout the grilling process.

THE FINISHING TOUCH - To make perfect cheeseburgers, add the cheese only during the last few minutes of grilling.