Insider's Guide to Successful Barbecue Cooking on a Gas Grill - Part One, Methods

 

Grilling is grilling, Right? Er, no, wrong! In order to get the most out of your gas grill, you need to be master of the different techniques. The trouble is that the instructions that come with the grill seldom tutor you in the real arts of grilling so here is the Grilling Coach's advice on outdoor cookery methods ...

Indirect Method

The indirect method works much the same way as a convection oven. You operate one burner and place the food over the other. The operating burner provides the heat, surrounding and cooking the food on the other side of the grill allowing you to cook slowly without the food coming in contact with the flames.

Since the heat is circulating, it is not necessary to turn the food. All preheating and cooking is done with the lid down.

Surface Broiling with Lid Raised

This method of broiling exposes only the bottom side of the meat or food to cooking temperatures. It is the slowest method of cooking on a gas grill and is, therefore, suitable only for foods that cook quickly.

Surface Broiling with Lid Lowered or Closed

Foods cook more quickly when the lid is lowered because heat is confined in the grill and both the top and bottom surfaces of the food are exposed to cooking temperatures.

You will also get smokier flavor when you cook with the lid lowered, as there is more flaming and more smoke. Be careful not to overcook the food, though. When broiling steaks or hamburgers, use a High setting to sear the surface. This will help keep the meat inside moist and juicy without overcooking the center of the meat.

Roasting or Baking

You can make your gas grill an oven by closing the cover. Using burner adjustments and the heat indicator, you can control the temperature inside the grill and use it to bake, roast, or barbecue an incredible variety of foods.

Rotisserie Broiling

Rotisserie broiling has several advantages. The meat browns and cooks evenly on all surfaces and does not require constant attention. Whole turkeys, chickens, hams, and large roasts can be barbecued with delicious results. Exact degrees of doneness can be easily determined by the use of a meat thermometer.

Insert the spit rod lengthwise through the center of the meat, balancing it carefully. Secure with holding forks. Roll the spit in the palms of your hands to see if it is balanced. If the weight is not evenly distributed, the spit rod will stop turning once the heavier side of the meat rotates to the down side.

Flare-ups

Reasonable amounts of flaming and smoking are desired in broiling or cooking most kinds of meat because that is what produces the barbecue flavor, the essence of outdoor cooking. Of course, too much will cause burning and charring of the meat and should be avoided.

To reduce or eliminate flare-ups:

Trim surplus fat off meat or fowl before cooking.

Purchase lean cuts of meat and ground chuck or round for hamburgers.

Avoid pre-basted turkeys, as they are filled with oil and need careful watching for excessive flare-ups.

Cook with grids at top level and, if necessary, burner at lower setting.

Have a squirt bottle of apple juice handy to douse minor flare-ups. Use baking soda for grease fires.

Flaming can be controlled, in some cases, by adjusting the lid slightly open.

Smoking

Covered grills give wonderful added smoke flavor to meat, poultry, and fish. Smoking woods are available in chips or chunks. Chunks burn longer than chips and are better for foods with longer cooking times. Soak wood chips and chunks in water for about one hour before using. Use a handful or two of chips or two or three chunks at a time placing them evenly over the lava rocks, being careful not to smother the fire. The more wood used, the stronger the flavor.

Do not use wood that has been commercially treated with chemicals. Softwoods such as pine are not recommended, as they give the food a bitter flavor.

HICKORY has a definite "smoked" flavor -- robust and western.

MESQUITE has a lighter "smoked" flavor -- more southern in taste.

APPLE AND CHERRY WOODS have a more delicate flavor and are excellent with poultry.

NUT WOODS have a milder smoke flavor.

GRAPEVINE CUTTINGS have a subtle sweet flavor.

For additional flavoring, throw some garlic cloves, fresh or dried herbs, or fruit rinds on the rocks.

Cooking Times

A cooking time chart is not an exact guide for cooking with a gas grill because you will be cooking outdoors where temperatures and wind can influence the rate of cooking. Different grills, size of the meat, and how often the lid is raised also have an effect on the cooking times.

There is no better way to ensure good cooking results than careful attention to the food on the grill. If you are cooking thick cuts of meat or whole fowl, a meat thermometer is your best insurance of exact cooking results, but be careful as some meat thermometers, left in while cooking, can give false readings. Your best guide is your own experience in the use of your gas grill. You will soon become an expert in gauging the amount of time needed to cook various foods and meats to the desired degree of doneness.

High Setting (Approximately 550°F/290°C)

Use this setting for searing steaks and chops, for a fast warm-up or for burning food residue from the grills after you are finished cooking. You seldom use this setting for extended cooking.

Medium Setting (Approximately 450°F/230°C)

Use this setting for most grilling, roasting and baking as well as for hamburgers and vegetables.

Low Setting (Approximately 350°F/180°C)

Use this setting for rotisserie cooking and smoking. (Given temperatures will vary with the outside temperature and the amount of wind.)

Cleaning

Once you are finished cooking, burn off any food residue by setting the control to High, closing the lid and heating for 5 to 10 minutes or until the smoking stops. After turning the heat off, use a long-handled wire brush to clean the grills. Protect your hands with oven mitts. You do not have to clean your barbecue after every use, but if you wish to give it an occasional scrubbing, use a mild solution of soap and water and rinse thoroughly. Never use a commercial oven cleaner.

For a more thorough cleaning of the grill and briquettes, place a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down, on top of the cooking grill. Leave gaps on the sides of the grill open so you are covering only three-quarters of the cooking surface. Ignite the grill with the burners on High, close the lid and let heat for 10 minutes. Turn all burners off and let cool. Remove the foil.

In part 2 the Grilling Coach deals with preventive maintenance and safety.

Want the best barbecue tips and advice? Want to impress friends and family with your grilling skills? Then visit the Grilling Coach now.

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Guarantee Successful Barbecue Sauces - Insider's Guide to the Right Tools

Preparation is the key to running a successful grill party. Buy good quality fresh foods and take plenty of care when preparing sauces and marinades as they add a great deal of flavor. For preparing your sauces, you will need to have a set of good quality kitchen tools to do the job properly. Tools are not the be all and end all but they can make a difference to your cooking.

Food Processor

This versatile appliance works faster than a blender. With most processors, you can add ingredients while the machine is running. Try the same thing in a blender and have fun doing lots of cleaning up!

Saucepans

Most kitchenware experts recommend the use of either heavy-duty enamel or stainless steel pans in several sizes with lids. Avoid using aluminum, which will react adversely to highly acidic content of tomatoes, mustards, fruits, and vinegars. Cheap, thin metal pans are notorious for having hot spots, which scorch food or heat unevenly.

Knives

The best quality steel knife you can purchase is the hot-dropped, forged, and ice-hardened carbon steel variety. This type of knife holds its sharpness extremely well. If a carbon steel knife is too expensive for your budget, a well-made stainless steel knife is your next best choice. Purchase plastic guards to protect the blades. A steel for sharpening knives is also a very good investment. Have your knives routinely sharpened twice a year by a local cutlery store.

Cutting Board

A cutting board is essential. There has been a lot of discussion in the food safety industry lately about wood versus polyethylene boards. Some people now recommend wood over plastic. Wood boards should be routinely sanded and oiled.

Poly boards are easier to maintain and clean than the wooden ones. In fact, many cook offs require that the contestants only use poly boards for cutting their meats. Should your poly board become stained by tomato paste or paprika, place it in a sink or tub filled with hot water and a capful of bleach, let it sit for a few minutes; rinse it off carefully, and it will look as good as new.

Other Kitchen Tools

You'll also wind up using plastic measuring spoons, glass or plastic measuring cups, a food mill, strainer, colander, sieve, slotted spoons (preferably food-grade plastic), grater, ginger grater, citrus zester, garlic press, pastry brushes, various sizes of nylon whisks, spatulas, and a sauce mop. These items are relatively inexpensive and may be purchased at most stores. There are also a number of mail-order catalogs that feature a wide assortment of gourmet kitchen tools and items.

Want the best barbecue tips and advice? Want to impress friends and family with your barbecue grilling recipes? Then visit the Grilling Coach now.

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Barbecue Skills Masterclass - Using Direct and Indirect Heat Properly

 

Foods are cooked on the grill with either direct or indirect heat. Once you master these techniques, you can grill almost any kind of meat, poultry, or fish, plus an amazing array of vegetables, appetizers, and baked items.

DIRECT HEAT

Food cooks in minutes when placed directly over high heat because the intense temperature browns the outside, concentrating the flavors in a caramelized crust while cooking the inside by heat conduction. The high heat produces foods with a smoky flavor.
Direct grilling is best suited to foods that are tender, small or thin, and cook quickly -- in less than 20 minutes -- such as steaks, burgers, kabobs, hot dogs, boneless poultry, fish, and most vegetables.

Direct grilling can be done with the cover up or down. When the grill cover is closed the grill begins to mimic an oven and reflected heat, as well as the heat from the fire cooks the foods. The closed cover lowers the temperature inside the grill by decreasing the oxygen supply to the fire allowing larger foods, such as roasts and bone-in poultry to cook more slowly. It also imparts a smoky flavor.

To set up a gas grill preheat it with the lid closed and then adjust the gas flow settings to the desired heat level.

Electric grills also make use of direct heat, though they generally can't reach as high a temperature as gas or charcoal grills. The good news is that indoor electric grills allow you to enjoy grilled boneless chicken, vegetables, seafood, and hamburgers year-round no matter how much snow is on the ground.

INDIRECT HEAT

Cooking by indirect heat means placing the food adjacent to, rather than directly over the fire. The grill cover must be down. The setup is similar to a horizontal smoker, though cooking takes place in the same chamber as the fire, the temperature is generally higher and wood chips are not required. Indirect grilling is the best of both worlds -- great flavor and tenderness that results from slower cooking. In terms of timing and temperature control it's more forgiving and easier than direct grilling because food cooks evenly without having to be turned.

Indirect grilling enables you to roast large or fatty cuts of meat without burning them to a crisp. It is definitely the choice for cooking whole birds, ribs, brisket, large roasts, whole fish, and whole vegetables such as squash, onions, potatoes, or corn on the cob.

However, for indirect grilling, resist lifting the cover to peek inside. Uncovering the grill allows heat to escape and can add as much as 15 minutes to the grilling time every time the lid is lifted. Let the foods grill for the minimum time specified in the recipe before checking how cooked they are. When cooking indirectly, it's best to use a thermometer to test whether meat and poultry is cooked sufficiently.

Indirect grilling on a gas grill takes less preparation. Light the grill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Turn the setting to high and let the grill preheat for 10 to 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat on one burner to medium or medium-high and turn the other burner off to set up two heat zones. Place the drip pan directly on the lava rocks, ceramic briquettes, or flavorizer bars on the burner that's turned off. Adjust the gas flow to the burner that's on to maintain the desired temperature inside the firebox. Place the food on the grill rack directly over the drip pan.

The drip pan collects the fat drippings from the foods to minimize flare-ups. It also can be used to hold water or other liquid such as juices, beer, or wine to create steam and help add flavor during prolonged cooking. Some gas grills have built-in drip pans. If yours doesn't, use a disposable, foil roasting pan or make your own using heavy-duty foil.

So with these insiders tips and advice fresh in your mind, get out there and GRILL!!

Want the best barbecue tips and advice? Want to impress friends and family with your unique grilling recipes? Then visit the Grilling Coach right now.

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Smokin Barbecue

 

Love the taste of barbecued ribs right off the smoker? How would you like to make them yourself?

Smoking meat is really not too terribly difficult, especially if you use the correct equipment. And the first - numero uno - needed piece of equipment is the smoker.

A smoker differs from a conventional backyard BBQ grill in several ways. Your typical Weber on the patio is used to cook food fast, and at a very high temperature. With a smoker, you cook food at a much lower temperature for a longer period of time, ribs will typically take 6 hours as an example.

Also, with a smoker, you may have a pan of water between the meat and the fire. The water tends to hold the smoker at a constant temperature, and also moistens the meat, making it very tender.

A typical grill will use propane or charcoal as fuel, and a smoker may use the same as well. Seasoned veterans though will use hardwood to smoke their food. As the wood burns, it gives off a distinct smoke depending on the type of wood used. The smoke is infused in the meat giving it a unmatchable flavor. Just make sure to use hardwoods. Softwoods such as pine will actually render the meat inedible.

Good brands of smokers to look for are Brinkmann, Traeger - which uses wood pellets, and Bradley. All these companies make models for the backyard bbq'er, not just commercial models.

So there you have it. The best way to achieve superstar status in the backyard BBQ world is to get yourself a smoker and start cooking up fantastic food for your friends and family!

John G Phillips owns and operates http://www.bbqsmokergrills.com
Barbecue Smoker Grills

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