WAYS OF BARBECUE COOKING:

Shopping For Barbecue Ovens Online - By: Corrie Duana

Pizzas, cakes, and pastries are not the only things that you can do in an oven. Barbecues too can be included in the list. In fact, a number of barbecue lovers these days are cooking their barbecues in an oven, knowing that there’s nothing better and safer than grilling meats in a barbecue oven.

With such kind of recognition, more manufacturers of barbecue equipments and accessories are now producing barbecue ovens. These items are even distributed throughout the world. And, thousands of those who have recognized that ovens can be used for grilling and barbecuing have purchased these items without rejections.

Now, if you also happen to be one of those who love barbecue and wish to have a barbecue oven that can satisfy your barbecuing needs, then this page is certainly right for you. As I’ve said, barbecue ovens are manufactured and distributed throughout the world nowadays, and with the massive production of such items, finding the right barbecue oven can then be puzzling for every person looking for it. So to help you find the right barbecue ovens to choose from, I have stressed below some of the most marketed and widely known barbecue ovens online. Consider the following for one of them might be the best option for you to take:

Fogazzo Barbecue Ovens at Fogazzo.com

The Fogazzo barbecue ovens are generally designed for easy installation. They were built with the use of common construction materials and methods. Because of this, the installation of the barbecue ovens of the Fogazzo team can be done in just a matter of minutes with the use of a combination of materials like brick veneers, ceramic tiles, and light gauge, concrete, etc. The ovens also feature a steel oven door with handle, a flue or hood combination, thermal heat blankets, and casting that are made from high thermal resistance materials. What’s more, a complete installation guide comes along with a warranty on all of the components. If you want to know more about the Fogazzo barbecue ovens, then feel free to visit their site online.

Bubba’s Outdoor Barbecue Ovens at FinesGasAppliance.com

Bubba’s outdoor ovens are marketed online these days in a number of models. These ovens come with a patented wood chip tray that is designed for a fantastic real wood flavor. And, since they come in different models, the features do vary. But generally, some of the Bubba’s barbecue ovens have cast iron burners, stainless steel cooking surface, a variable temperature capability from 220-425 degrees, and are fueled by propane gas. They also come with a lifetime guarantee, as claimed.

Backyard Barbecue Ovens by LineaVZ.it

Linea VZ now offers a selection of barbecue ovens that are built to be efficient and satisfy any space and style requirement of every barbecue lover. The ovens are made available in sixteen models and are said to be perfect for grilling and barbecuing. They are also designed for outdoor living. And, as expected from a functional barbecue item, the ovens are guaranteed to last for years.

If you want to know more about the barbecue ovens mentioned above and the companies behind them, then simply go online and check for their availability. As simple as that!


Please check out ArticleMash.com for useful tips and info about Food and Drink and Cooking Tips.

....................................................................................
Charcoal Barbecue Grill: What Are They - By: Corrie Duana

The grill is the most important equipment for barbecuing. It is consist of a cooking surface that is typically made of porcelain-covered metal grid, or parallel metal bars that are placed over a fuel source that is capable of generating intense heat, which makes anything you cook tender.

The grill comes in different types. They even come in different sizes and style. Because of this difference, choosing the best grill can then be puzzling, especially if you don’t know what sets the different types different. But, instead of delving much into the different types of grill, it is worth noting that many people consider the charcoal barbecue grill. Well, if you are also thinking for buying it, there are a lot of things you must know first before you decide on it.

The charcoal barbecue grill is in the first place the least expensive and widely available option. It is composed of a grill that can vary in style as there are some that are very simple, while others appear to be sophisticated. Although they vary in style, the charcoal barbecue grill is highly identified by its three main components: the cooking surface, the charcoal container, and the grill support.

There is a common version of charcoal barbecue grill, and that is the one that employ a round, shallow container that is typically mounted on a metal tripod. Also, a round cooking grill is included which typically rests on top of the container. However, the charcoal barbecue grills of today are more complex than that. Many of those that are marketed throughout the world feature a hood that covers the grill and the extra tiered cooking surfaces. There are also others that feature more than this. But, no matter how complicated their components, the basics of charcoal barbecue grills remain the same.

The charcoal barbecue grill is hard to set up. Because of this, you may find them not readily available for quick cooking set up. So if what you want fast, readily available equipment for your barbecue session, then this is obviously not the right option for you to consider. Aside from that, the charcoal barbecue grill creates only a fair amount of smoke when it is initially lit, but just like the other types of grill, it is also subject to flare up. With this condition, it is important for every barbecue cook to consider the area that he or she is going to cook in. It is worth noting that with this type of grilling, controlling the heat can be difficult.

In terms of clean up and maintenance, many of those who have used the charcoal type of barbecue grill have noted that cleaning up can be messy at times. You still need to scratch the dirt inside and out of it to fully consider it as clean enough to use.

Well today, a new version of the charcoal barbecue grill is emerging to be one of the most favorable choices available – the one that comes complete as a pack and is composed of a strong foil container with a metal mesh on top. This version also comes with some charcoal contained inside, and they are easily lit and ready to cook. Truly, this is the convenient version of the standard charcoal barbecue grill, but this too has its own disadvantage – it is disposable, so it can only be used once.


Please check out ArticleMash.com for useful tips and info about Food and Drink and Cooking Tips.

.....................................................................................
Tips on How to Prepare a Barbecue Brisket - By: Corrie Duana

Are you a barbecue lover? Love barbecue brisket? Want to try it at home? The barbecue brisket is actually one of the most well-known and most-favored specialties in Texas. Almost every barbecue restaurant in the state prepares and serves it knowing the Texans love to eat it.

The barbecue brisket is just easy to prepare if you are armed with the right equipments and the right method of cooking. Before you can have it, you must know first that like any masterpiece on earth, you need to have the raw materials for you to successfully make your brisket. You need then the right cut of meat, a great wood for smoke, and of course the right techniques.

Once you have it all, it is necessary for you to note that a good barbecue brisket is the one that is cooked low and slow, with a good amount of smoke and a delicate, tasty sauce. The smoke can actually be eliminated if you wish, but for the brisket to be considered as barbecue, smoke is needed.

So to prepare and make a barbecue brisket, you need a smoker. Smoker comes in a number of models and types these days, but the type is actually not a big deal. The decision of what type of smoker you use for the brisket is up to you. Make sure, however, that what you have considered is within your budget. Aside from this, it is important for you to make sure that you know the equipment you use and you are capable enough to maintain a steady temperature for as much as ten to fifteen minutes. Yes, that is what needed for the initial preparation.

If you already have the brisket, you need to get the smoker ready. Lit it and raise the temperature from about 200 to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the barbecue brisket in that temperature, and expect to have it cooked for about one and a half hours per pound. With this idea, it is wise to do the math ahead of time so you have idea exactly as to how long the cooking will take. Remember not to under or overcook the barbecue brisket as that won’t satisfy you and your peers.

Once you’ve got the smoker ready, place the barbecue brisket in the center of the cooking grate with the fat side up. If in case you are employing a water smoker, you have the chance to leave it fat side up even for the whole period. But, make sure not to dry it out. Also baste it every hour to keep the surface of your barbecue brisket moist. You can also wrap it with a foil to maintain the ideal moisture. This technique can also add a smoke flavor to what you have prepared.

So the preparation for a barbecue brisket appears to be simple as that. All you need to keep in mind is to take the time to prepare it. Don’t rush as that will only ruin your entire plan. Don’t think about time, and just do what should be done. In the end, you’ll be surprised to have cooked the flavorful and most delicious meal in your life.


Please check out ArticleMash.com for useful tips and info about Food and Drink and Cooking Tips.

..................................................................................
How To Grill Chicken For An Explosion Of Flavor! - By: Anthony Robert

What is the best way to grill chicken? What is the best grilled chicken temperature? And how long to grill chicken is long enough? This is one of the most common grilling questions.

How long to grill chicken depends on a few things... the cut of the chicken, whether it is a whole chicken or maybe just legs and quarters, perhaps it is boneless breast, and how well done you like it. Some people like their chicken falling off the bone, and some like it DRY as a bone! So how many minutes to cook it is up to you and your desired outcome. Generally a good rule of thumb is to grill chicken no less than 30 minutes, turning several times for even cooking.

First things first though… Are you grilling on a charcoal or a gas grill? Are you grilling pieces or a whole bird? Are you grilling or just 'cooking' on the grill? Because today, you can boil, braise AND grill on most grills. So these things will make a difference with your time and preparation.
I'd like to cover "the how to cook chicken on a grill" part first. This will work for chicken breasts, leg quarters, wings or even entire chickens. Chicken leg quarters are more cost effective and can be substituted for chicken breast in any recipe. Chicken leg quarters have a higher fat content that will give you a juicy and flavorful choice for the grill.

Steps for grilling Perfect Chicken

1. Marinate or Rub. The best way to grill chicken is with a marinade. Wash the meat first. With cuts of chicken, rub it with some good seasonings to taste (I like garlic salt, and pepper) and then marinate it with Italian Dressing. Or if you don't have that, then just use garlic, a small amount of vinegar, olive oil and some onion for your own home made marinade. Let it marinate for about an hour. If you choose a rub, Brush each piece with olive oil and season with your favorite rub or seasoning salt and pepper.

2. Prep the grill. Make sure it is clean by taking a wire grill brush and cleaning the racks. Take Pam grilling spray or a good dose of olive oil and rub it on the grill racks BEFORE you light the grill. Be careful though… Don't apply oil to the open flame. Oil is flammable and too much will give you an out of control fire that you may not want!

3. Prepare the Grill. For Chicken, only heat one side of a gas grill or push coals to one side if you are using a charcoal grill. This is called indirect heating.

4. Preheat the grill to medium high heat which is 325-350 degrees. Grills cranked to high will easily reach 450 degrees. Chicken parts render off a lot of fat during cooking, too much heat will result in lots of fire.

5. Time to Cook on your already heated grill. Place the chicken directly over the heat and grill with the lid open for about 3 minutes per side.

6. Move the chicken to the away from the heat source to the other side of the grill. With the lid down, cook the chicken about 40-45 minutes for breasts and quarters, 30-35 minutes for legs and thighs. The best way to tell is with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the piece. Although the normal temperature for grilled chicken to be 'done' is 165 degrees, 170 will ensure the chicken does not have any of that slight pink color that most people are hesitant to eat.

7. Add BBQ sauce or glaze during the last 10 minutes and let it set while you prepare your table to serve.

8. Bon Appétit!

................................................................................
Celebrate the 4th of July - Barbeque in Style - By: remicallens

The 4th of July should be more than just an outdoor party or activity, boom it up for America. Let’s start the morning by raising the American flag; it is Independence Day. This is the day the Declaration of Independence laid the foundation for the US Constitution and nailed down the fundamental principles of freedom we still uphold to this day. Show all friends and neighbors your allegiance to the United States of America.

Two hundred and thirty three years have passed since the United States declared its independence from Britain and from anyone else who threatens our beloved freedom. It is not just that one year, 1776, that we are celebrating; it is for every year since that date which we maintain our freedom. So lets’ celebrate with picnics, barbeques, and family gatherings.

As you are entertaining your guests on this precious day, enlighten them with some fun trivia about the Fourth of July. Did you know that only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776? They were John Hancock and Charles Thomson. The state of Massachusetts was the first to recognize this day as a Holiday in 1781 and the US congress waited until 1941 to declare it a holiday. The government sure does move slowly. The first anniversary was celebrated with fireworks and parades. Today, most states outlaw fireworks and you need a permit to organize a parade, but we can still have our barbeque.
It’s time to spruce up grill and prepare for the day ahead. Soon the guests will be arriving. Items not needed nor wanted are balloons that only get caught in the trees or fancy paper stuff all around your yard creating a cheap atmosphere; instead we need the true and distinctive look of America at its best. It does not have to expensive to impress your guests. It is the quality and thought provoking medium of your decorations that will empress. What you’re looking for is items of class and functionality that will set you apart from the rest.

What I have in mind is a functional decoration depicting the United States in its inception. This is, of course, coasters and coaster holders richly engraved with scenes from the Revolutionary War, the Old North Church, and of course, the Old North Bridge. Paul Revere’s Ride is always a hit. These coasters can be designed with engraved pictures of early Americana and include saying such as “One if by Land, Two if by Sea” or “The Red Coates are coming.” Everyone knows what that means. Then you can sit back and relax as the conversations begin from the first guest to the last.

Any old drab coaster will not be very impressive. I prefer to use cork coasters. They are light weight, slip resistant, absorbent and easy to clean. If you wish to spend a little more money and really get lavish; the black marble coaster will really catch the eye of the most unscrupulous observer. Let’s not stop at the coaster itself. It’s the picture and words will grab the attention.
The picture must clear and crisp. I find that laser engraved pictures can produce dramatic results. The image is burned into the cork or marble surface and will not rub off or wear off and can be very detailed. Then the words come into play. Choose an Independence Day getting phrase such as “The Old North Church,” or “Paul Revere’s Ride,” or even “Independence Day - 2009.” Whatever phrase you choose, the wording should complement the picture.

In conclusion, the theme on your coaster must match the theme of your party. This is true not only for the fourth of July, but for all celebrations. If you are having a fund raiser for breast cancer, you would choose the appropriate logos and sayings attributed to the cause. Religious gatherings are great; include biblical pictures or quote different Psalms. If you are having relatives over for an outdoor barbeque, funny pictures of hotdogs or chips on the run might work. Once you start thinking, the possibilities are endless and rewarding.

The author’s website has examples of just such coasters and coaster holders. Take a look at the true beauty of these coasters and let your mind start to wander.
.....................................................................................
The art of barbequing - By: Millard Hiner

Barbequing methods have risen to a higher level in recent years with the revived interest in genuine wood fired cooking. In place of using the customary briquette or gas fired grill we are finding much more satisfaction cooking over wood such as cherry, alder, apple, mesquite or whatever good cooking hardwood is available near where we live. Bread has been baked in wood ovens made out of masonry, stone or steel and that is the secret to thick crunchy crust. Most bakers have known that wood fired cooking is and always has been the solution to many cooking secrets. It is no wonder that every chateau in France has a wood cooking system. The flavor, the smoke, and the heat is unrivaled and those of us who love cooking continue to search for a way that will take us back to that excellence.

For years, in the South, a tradition of luscious smoked meats from Texas beef to Carolina's pork has been a part of Americana. Could there be a way of combining the essence of smoking with qualities that would allow us to cook bread in the same system? It is indeed the wood fired pizza oven. Not only can we have the cooking process outdoors on those warm summer evenings, but we can enjoy pizza in a gourmet fashion, the way we like it, with the crust of Italy and flavor that takes us and our guests to an experience of the old country. And when we want to cook our favorite meat we can do it slowly with a thick smoke surrounding it forming itself into a savory offering for our guests as we work our way through a memorable dinner reminiscent of a night on the Loire River in the midst of France.

Outdoor pizza ovens are now available in several different forms for advocates of old world cooking. The customary wood fired pizza oven is often built into an outdoor deck or patio system as a gathering place and conversation piece around which great food can be enjoyed in an casual setting. This system, because of the need for fairly sophisticated masonry work, can be expensive and many times the average food lover cannot afford such a system. The other choice is a steel, free standing wood fired pizza oven like ours which requires no special masonry work or installment and can be used right from the box.

Using old fashioned convection styled heating, one simply builds a fire in the firebox and waits for the oven to heat to temperature. All the controls of a wood stove are provided with the unit to control and encourage the fire so that it lights easily and heats to temperature safely and trouble free. When the oven has reached the correct cooking temperature it can be used to roast meat, bake pizza, bake bread, and anything imaginable. Our outdoor pizza oven has a method to divert the smoke from the flavored wood to the oven to enhance the taste. Other times, such as bread baking time, the wood smoke can be channeled out the chimney and not affect the delicate essence of the product. Not only does it make real wood cooking available to the average person but it provides a very attractive addition to your deck or patio as you entertain.

Outdoor pizza ovens bring back the enjoyment of the process of cooking with wood. Having your own outdoor pizza oven on a beautiful summer evening, in your own intimate setting, good friends or family, and of course, good food can make a memorable and delicious experience you and your guests will long remember.
.....................................................................................
The Fun and Exciting Ways of Barbecue Cooking - By: Corrie Duana

How do you like the taste of barbecue or even the smell of barbecue? If you have tasted any, you will surely love it. Barbecue is not new, in fact, barbecue cooking is one of the popular methods of cooking. Not to mention the fun which barbecue cooking brings, especially if you are having a family or friends gathering in your backyard, perhaps. Barbecue cooking is also among the favorite outdoor cooking activities of people anywhere in the world. There is nothing like the smell of meat on an outdoor grill.

If you have not experienced barbecue cooking yourself, but have tasted the great taste of barbecue, why not giving it a try. Eating the food that you have exerted effort in cooking is worth everything. Barbecuing foods are not the only long time source of cooking foods in the U.S., but also a way for individuals to set up and get together in their backyards and fairgrounds to enjoy the beauty that summer has to offer. Most people take advantage of the warmer weather to do barbecue cooking for a party. Whether you grill ribs, steaks, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, and other meats to barbecue on charcoal or gas grills, these barbecued products would lavishly shared by everybody.

In barbecue cooking, it is very important to use the right equipment, tools, and ingredients to have the best result for your barbecues. Since sauce plays a major part in enjoying your barbecue recipe, it should be carefully chosen to suit the taste of different people; therefore you should have variety of sauces. Many barbecue enthusiasts top their barbecues with different sauces and marinades, outdoor furniture, and use various barbecue accessories to add up to their barbecue cooking, making the whole experience and ambiance perfect!

For first timers in barbecue industry, it may seem a little too difficult, but it’s the price you’ll have to pay for the fun of barbecue cooking. Before you can start without making so much damage, you will need barbecue tips to guide you through the whole process. You can visit www.barcecuen.com for barbecue related tips and recipes that you can use. If you find your first time experience less exciting from what you have expected, that’s normal. Once you’ll get used to it, you will no longer tire yourself from dining to barbecue restaurants that serve you barbecues that won’t satisfy your cravings.

Barbecue cooking doesn’t take a lot of sweat to do, in fact, it is fun. If you are already good in barbecue cooking and you know the secrets on how to do it perfectly, you can host a barbecue party if you want to. During the weekends meet with your family and friends in your backyard for a simple barbecue get-together and show them off your expertise in barbecue cooking.

Find insightful and useful information about Cooking Tips or Low Carb at ArticleMash.com.

................................................................................
How to Find an Amazing Indoor Grill Online at a One Stop Shop Catalog - By: Chris Robertson

If you love grilling foods but don't want the hassle of using an outdoor grill several times a week, then an indoor grill might be the perfect cooking solution for you. Indoor grills provide the same mouth-watering tastes of grilling but without having to light up a gas grill or buy coals for a fire! Indoor grilling also promotes good health by eliminating much of the excess fat in foods. And the good news is now you can easily purchase a quality indoor grill for your kitchen at an affordable price by shopping online at a one stop shop catalog.

Indoor grills work wonderfully if you live in an apartment or don't own an outdoor grill. They're also great for grilling indoors during cold weather or on rainy days. You can grill burgers, barbecue chicken or pork, or even grill juicy steaks easily using an indoor grill.

Types and Brands of Indoor Grills

At a one stop shop catalog online, you'll find many brands and types of grills. Grills come in various shapes and sizes to fit your family's cooking needs as well as the space available on your counter top. There are "contact" indoor grills, which allow you to cook by laying a lid directly on the food. George Foreman grills are of this sort, and these can cook the food quickly from the top and bottom of the food simultaneously. Contact grills are also great to use as a sandwich press. These grills are angled in such a way as to allow grease to run off into a pan.

Another type of indoor grill is an open grill, which sits on a bin and has a pan below to catch grease drippings from meat. An open grill often provides space and/or a separate lid for grilling vegetables. Also, these are usually larger than contact grills so they're great for a large family or if you plan to grill for guests often.

A few popular brands include George Foreman, Black & Decker, Hamilton Beach, Toastmaster, Krups, and VillaWare. While browsing a one stop shop catalog online for grills, compare the pricing, size, and features of grills.

Even one particular brand name can have many different styles to choose from. For example, the George Foreman grill comes in several styles and sizes. The Next Grilleration indoor grill features interchangeable plates for various cooking needs, temperature control, a tilt feature, and a floating hinge for thicker foods. It has about 84 square inches of cooking surface. Another George Foreman grill called The Champ is a grill and bun warmer in one and grills two burgers or other meats while warming the buns. It's a small grill for one or two people with only 39 square inches of cooking surface. Another George Foreman indoor grill you might find at an online one stop shop catalog is the much larger Indoor/Outdoor grill with 240 square inches of cooking surface.

There are many choices to help you grill those perfect burgers, steaks, chops, or chicken breasts. You can enjoy an indoor picnic or barbecue right from the comfort of your own kitchen - no need to set up picnic tables! Indoor grills make great gifts for the holidays or birthdays, and they're perfect for camping if you have access to electricity.

When shopping online, you'll find many other great gift items at affordable prices such as cookware, shop vacs, blenders, Rubbermaid products, kitchen appliances, Aerobeds, coffeemakers, dog houses, unique fans, and more. Discover the indoor grill that's right for you by checking out all the available grills at an online one stop shop catalog today.
.................................................................................
Delicious barbeque, unique taste and method used to get just the right barbecue - By: Gimmy leo

Since the Stone Age, man has been perfecting the art of cooking using a direct flame. If you were to ask someone about the history of barbecue, you would most likely get a response similar to the statement above. However, that would not be quite right, as there is a fundamental difference between simply cooking with a flame and having a barbecue. If you do not add some sauce, to the direct flame method, you are grilling, not having a barbecue. To truly barbecue is to baste and slow cook meat 5 or 6 hours at a low temperature (around 200 degrees), over wood or charcoal.

Today when you think of going to a barbecue, you may conjure up the idea of a hamburger or steak, so big and juicy, it melts in your mouth. Alternatively, perhaps a hot dog grilled to perfection with all the toppings. The phrase barbecue has evolved to mean either the meat served or the social event where the meat served
has been specially prepared to represent a Barbecue taste. Regardless of which area of the US you choose as your favorite for barbecue, the barbecue is an American Tradition, handed down from generation to generation. There is no chance the barbecue party will lose its appeal anytime soon.

While there is no question that the barbecue is an American delicacy, there are many different theories as to where its origins lie. The state of Texas, Virginia, the Carolinas, or Georgia, each area has its own definition and history of
Barbecue. It may well be that each area has its own rightful claim to the barbecue history as each uses different methods and sauces to make their own unique barbecue.

And there would be no BBQ without a Texas barbecue sauce, which is thick and sweet with a rich tomato flavour. Texas sauce also uses a dry-rub mixture of seasonings, which is applied to the beef, and then the meat is hung over the BBQ to slow cook.

The southeast barbecue sauce is a thinner sauce, with more of a vinegary taste. Their meat of choice is likely to be pork. The method used here is to use a pit or enclosure to concentrate the cooking heat and smoke around the meat whilst it is being prepared.

Almost every family has their own unique taste and method used to get just the right barbecue. At your next barbecue, if you want to rev up the conversation between barbecue connoisseurs, just casually ask, Do you know the difference between barbecue and grilling? Or, where did the barbecue originate? Of course, it may depend upon the number of drinks you have served as to the answers you get. But the responses are sure to be varied and interesting.
...................................................................................
Pit Barbeque - The Orginal Barbeque - By: R Eddings

For many barbeque lovers there is nothing better than the pit barbeque. Grilled meats and cuts cooked in giant smokers can be nice but a chunk of pork or beef that?s spent the last twelve to fourteen hours cooking in seasoning and its own juices just can not be beat.

The pit was indeed the original barbeque. Before the Civil War in the United States pork in the form of whole hogs was cooked in pits widely across the South. In Texas and the American West similarly cooked sides of beef were the tradition.

The idea of the pit is simple. A hole is dug in the ground big enough accommodate the meat and a large amount of coals. The hole is then lined with stones or bricks which serve to even out the spread of the heat as well as to radiate their own heat creating an evenly cooked peeve of meat.

The pit is then filled with wood and logs which are burnt down to hot glowing coals. It takes quite a lot of coals to properly cook in a pit so this can be an all day project. Today many pit barbequers opt for charcoal.

The meat must be wrapped in a protective package to keep it from becoming hopelessly scorched. Everything from banana leaves to burlap sacks and chicken wire have been used to accomplish this. Actually almost anything can be used that can be wetted or comes with its own moisture as in the case of the leaves and will provide adequate protection for the meat.

Next the meat is placed directly on the coals, covered to trap the heat and keep out oxygen and left for twelve or more hours, usually overnight. Like the wrapping, the covering can be pretty much anything that will affectively carry out the two tasks mentioned above. Dirt works particularly well but creates a messy situation later when the meat has to be dug out from the hot coals.

Nothing beats the meat from a well-done pit barbeque.

....................................................................................

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Web www.articlerich.com


Article Directory Home Copy Article Email To Friends Publisher Guidelines
Home | Food & beverage | Barbecue





....................................................................................




Barbecue Sauce - A BBQ Essential - By: Peter Finch

With the summers arrival, backyards are filled with fired up barbecue grill and barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce is nothing but a liquid flavoring sauce or condiment which may be thick or watery. As the name implies, it has been created to accompany barbecued foods.

Though it can be taken along with any food, it is usually topped over cooked meat or used during barbecuing, grilling, or baking. Traditionally it has been a favored sauce for ribs and chicken. In some occasions, it may be used for dipping items like fries, and sometimes replaces tomato sauce in barbecue-style pizzas.

Barbecue sauce enhances the flavor of any kind of meat, whether barbecued on an open grill outdoors or cooked in the oven. It can also be used in all kinds of recipes or as a condiment for burgers and sandwiches.

Barbecue sauces may contain sour, sweet, or spicy ingredients or be of a particular flavor alone. The ingredients may vary, but some items like tomato paste, vinegar, spices, and sweeteners are common. These variations are often due to regional traditions and recipes.

A good barbecue sauce can serve a host of functions in the kitchen. Different geographical areas have their particular style of preparing barbecue sauces and the taste varies accordingly. For example, vinegar and mustard-based barbecue sauces are popular in the southern United States, while ketchup and corn syrup-based sauce are common in Asian countries.

Mexican salsa can also be used as a base for barbecue sauces. In China, hoi sin sauce serves as a base ingredient in the many recipes of the Chinese barbecue sauces. A simple blend of tomato sauce and worcestershire sauce makes up a barbecue sauce in Australia.

Barbecue sauces are sometimes sweet and spicy, as it is in St. Louis, which is prepared generally with tomatoes and vinegar. It is not as sweet and thick as in Kansas City. Varieties of sauces are sold in the market from fruity to brown sauce.

Making barbeque sauces are quite simple though some may take a long time to prepare. A quick and simple sauce can be made by combining primary flavors with some dipping and basting. There are also other recipes that take a lot of time and produce a complex layering of flavors. The flavors may be complex, but it is not necessary for the procedure to be complex.

Homemade sauces can be prepared according to ones own taste and flavor. Also, homemade sauces are much lower in sodium than the commercial ones. It can be made in advance, in large quantities also. Once prepared, they can be placed in a glass jar or heat-proof plastic container and are covered and refrigerated for up to a month.

Or the sauce can be frozen in small quantities for up to a year, and can be defrosted as and when needed in a microwave or in a saucepan over the stove. Slow open grilling and simmering is the usual way of preparing Barbecue Sauces but some best sauces can stand up to direct cooking for 10 minutes but not more than that.

Barbecue sauces date back to some hundreds of years and have are now regarded as a BBQ essential.


.....................................................................................
Built In Barbecue - Main Attraction In The Backyard - By: Peter Finch

Barbecue usually refers to a method of cooking meat or chicken. In this method the meat or chicken will be heated and smoked by gases of fire. The term barbecue may refer to either the apparatus used for cooking or the foodstuff which is cooked by this method.

There are different methods of preparing the barbecue by using different fuels. Barbeque is normally cooked in an outdoor environment. The heat and smoke for cooking barbecue is generated by using the smoke from charcoal or wood.

The barbecue can be built in the house itself. While constructing it in the house it may be constructed out side the house near the back door of the kitchen. A built in Barbecue adds value and beauty to the back yard. It should be noted that the materials used for construction should be non-combustible. This may include brick, stone, concrete etc.

The hollow shell can be constructed of galvanized steel with a sheathing of non combustible material. The backer board can be built with cement. The finish can be done by using acrylic stucco, or natural/cultured stone or brick. The materials like granite or slate when used for countertop will be easy to install and requires less or no maintenance while tiles are not so.

Cooking areas should be kept away from the structures which are likely to be flammable. If it is installed in a windy area, barbecue should be faced in a direction opposite to that from the origin of wind. Or the wind block can also be used for preventing the wind blow.

The grill can be placed off-centre in the island in order to give room for keeping the food which is ready to grill. Burners can also be installed in the side of the barbecue with a serving area beyond that if needed. The barbecue grill counter can be of height 36 inches.

The door should be large enough which facilitates the technician to get inside and handle the regular activities. The materials should be selected in such a way that it should withstand the local weather. Some types will have other accessories like bar refrigerators, coolers, bar sinks and beer taps.

For these to function it necessitates the electrical and plumbing facility. This helps a lot in reducing the unnecessary running to and fro kitchen and yard. Shelves can also be built along with the barbecue counters which helps in extra kitchen storage. All things required for cooking can be stored here.

The construction of the built in barbecue island has to be done by a licensed contractor. The construction of the structure requires gas permit and building permit. The grills selected should be approved ones.

Lines made of iron or stainless steel should be used for supplying the within the island and to the appliance. The fuels used may be natural gas or propane. Rubber hoses which are flexible should not be used inside the island for supplying the fuel. The service of the fuel to the island should be concealed and should be in accordance with the code.

....................................................................................
Barbecue Cooking - Old And Fun Way To Cook Meat - By: Peter Finch

Barbecue is mans oldest method of cooking food. It began with some pre-historic men and women who wandered up on the remains of some animals which was a victim of wildfire. It was better than raw meat. That is how cooking in a barbecue evolved.

Today, the art of barbecuing has evolved into three basic methods. The most popular method of cooking food in a barbecue is grilling. In the next method, the food is dry cooked by the heat of the smoke. The last method involves cooking food in a fire of coal, wood, propane gas or any other similar gas, usually with the sauce applied.

Barbecue is usually cooked in an outdoor environment. Without using any of barbecue appliances, barbecue can be prepared by making a pit in the ground to contain the fire and using a grate, grill or a platform of sticks that holds the meat or other food that is being prepared. A suitable cover will be enough to contain the smoke and heat. This is a slow method of cooking, but it retains the natural, flavorful juice that keeps the meat moist and tender.

Barbecuing can be done at a higher temperature also. But be sure not to burn the outside of the meat. Meat of any sort gets really tough when it is overcooked. When smoking meat for an hour or so at high temperature, wrap the meat tightly in a foil, to reduce the cooking time. Whatever the temperature used, a basting sauce also known as mop sauce or finishing sauce, should be applied to the meat in the last fifteen to thirty minutes of cooking.

The mop sauce is applied to the meat with a brush or small rag mop at intervals during the cooking process. A good indicator to apply mop is when the meat begins to appear dry on the surface. Mop sauce with non-tomato and non-sugar should be used because tomato and sugar will make the meat bitter.

Barbecuing any meat is at the discretion of the individual cook. The place where one lives has a lot to do with the meat in favor. In Texas, the meat of choice is brisket. It is boneless and usually very fatty which imparts that delicious flavor.

Basic mop sauce for barbecue is very easy to prepare. One pint of water, half lime juice, salt and butter will make up a mop sauce. Keeping this as base, one can prepare ones own mop sauce by adding onion, garlic and other favorite spices of their choice.

Apart from preparing non-vegetarian food, vegetarian foods can also be prepared. Vegetarians can also enjoy barbecues. Vegetarians can cook some of the shop-bought veggie burgers or sausages.

Barbecue cooking can be healthier and safer when the meat is seared or slow-cooked at a low temperature. If the temperature is very high, carcinogens are more likely to be formed in the meats. Consuming this will lead to cancer.

When smoke hits the bare meat, proteins are transformed into benzopyrenes, which are carcinogens. If the meat is well coated with barbecue sauce before barbecuing, it will protect the outer layer of meat from changing in character. So learn barbecue cooking the right way and stay healthy.

.....................................................................................
Barbecue Charcoal - Cook Low, Slow And Yum Food - By: Peter Finch

The most popular fuel for backyard grilling is charcoal. Charcoal is made by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. The original method of making charcoal was to set fire to a pile of wood and then cover it with dirt and allowing it to simmer.

Todays grilling fuel is processed charcoal briquettes. These little moulded pieces of fuel are made with wood and a clay binder. Many purists dislike artificial binder charcoal. Pure wood charcoal is also available. It comes in chunks rather being moulded into briquettes.

The great thing in cooking in barbecue charcoal is cooking low and slow. The meat cooked in barbecue charcoal is so tender that it falls apart and the taste drives people crazy. The secret is that one should keep a close eye on the fire and have some patience.

Barbecue aficionados prefer charcoal over gas (propane) for the authentic flavor that coal provides. Barbecuing with charcoal is the best way for cooking burgers, steak, chicken or anything over open fire. It adds flavor to the dish.

Careful attention should be paid while lighting the coals. There are a number of ways to start the fire. A charcoal chimney starter is a traditional method for getting a consistent heat from the coals.

Another common method is to soak the charcoal with aliphatic petroleum solvent or pretreated briquettes and light them in a pyramid formation.

The most popular method is to stack the charcoal in a neat pile and saturate it with charcoal lighting fluid, allowing it to settle for a couple of minutes and then applying the match. Charcoal lighting fluid is naphtha, a fairly clean burning fuel. It has a petroleum taste when burnt.

Another method is to use an electric iron to heat the coals. There are electrical charcoal lighting devices, with containers that stack charcoal on top of a sheet of crumpled newspaper and use the newspaper to start the coals glowing. A small propane torch can also be used to fire the coals. Whatever the methods may be, still one can enjoy the smoky taste afforded by the hot coals.

After the coals are ashed, they can be spread around the perimeter of the grill with the meat placed in the center for indirect cooking, or piled together for direct cooking. Water-soaked wood chips of mesquite, cherry, hickory or fruit trees can be added to the coals for flavor. In wood barbecuing, the temperature of the grill is controlled by the amount and distribution of coal within the grill and through careful venting.

Charcoal is inexpensive to buy and is more convenient to use in portable barbecues that can be carried along in any holiday excursions.

Barbecue charcoal grills can be problematic in two ways. First, the charcoal can produce hydrocarbons and tiny soot particles that pollute the air which can aggravate heart and lung problems. Second, when the fat from the meat drips onto the charcoal, polycyclic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines form which are carcinogenic compounds that produce cancer.

It is safer to buy charcoals certified by the Rainforest Alliances SmartWood program which are 100 percent oak hardwood that are sustainably harvested and contains no coal, oil, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products. Get the best charcoal and make your charcoal grilling fun.

.....................................................................................
Guaranteed Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Barbecue Recipe - By: The Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man

In my house it’s always down to me to cook the Thanksgiving turkey and I now use the barbecue smoker. For many years I’ve read loads of recipe books searching for menu ideas and everyone says something different about how long to cook the turkey for and my biggest complaint is that most of the voices of authority for traditional cooking out there always overdo the poultry (maybe for safety reasons) and the breast is dry.

So if you’ve searched like me for a guaranteed recipe then try indirect cooking on a barbecue smoker. If a direct barbecue grill is however your thing then you’ll be better going for turkey smoker grill recipes but choose some sliced breast.

Indirect cooking is to all intents and purposes a slow roasting process and slow roasting guarantees a tender result, couple that with cooking over a water bath and you’re well on the way to a moist Thanksgiving turkey to boot. I guess it’s pretty logical when you think about it because the definition of indirect cooking is where the heat is passed over the turkey as opposed to a barbecue grill where the turkey is seared directly over the charcoal grill.

My recommendation is always to keep the seasoning to the basics, be generous with the salt and pepper and have some oil & butter mix on hand to start the basting process. Melt 100g / 4 oz of butter in a pot and add a tablespoon of oil – this baste will give all the flavour of the butter without burning it. If you want to go the whole hog, part the skin from the flesh by gently sliding your hand up from the neck and smear some butter up there but if you fancy trying this, do be gentle so that you don’t break the skin. Go for a relatively small bird around 9 – 12 lbs (5 or 6kg), season and baste and then place breast side up on the BBQ smoker.

You may be able to get away with a large kettle barbecue but you’ll have to be pretty good at keeping the charcoal away from the turkey and you may need to place some foil to protect the sides of the turkey. The best solution is an offset smoker or a kamado barbecue such as a Big Green Egg that has a plate setter accessory to guarantee indirect cooking, and after that is just a matter of medium coals, indirect heat and a drip tray in the bottom with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover and baste every 30 minutes or so with the butter / oil mix and 3½ hours later you should have the perfect Thanksgiving barbecue turkey.

Having said that most cookbooks overdo turkey, the best test for me is not how long it’s been cooked but a skewer test for clear running juice in the breast and legs or a thermometer and look for an internal temperature of 165 °F. If it’s not quite ready just give it another 30 minutes and try again.

....................................................................................
The Key Ingredients To The Perfect Barbecue - By: Percy Troughton

It’s that time of year again, and you want to create the perfect backyard barbecue that will be the talk of the neighborhood. The perfect backyard celebration begins with a little advance planning and preparation. You want your guests to have a great time and want to come back for the next one! If this is your first outdoor entertainment venture, there is lots of good advice on planning the perfect backyard barbecue online, including everything you ever wanted to know about barbecue grills, grilling accessories, backyard fire pits, outdoor kitchens, building your own, great barbecue recipes and entertaining menus; just about anything and everything you need to host the best barbecues. Take your time and plan well, because poor planning will be the death of the party! So where do you start, you ask?

Begin planning your perfect backyard barbecue with these tips from the DIY Network at www.diynetwork.com. Make a list of the guests you would like to invite and put together a tasty menu with selections that will appeal to everyone. The next thing is to choose a theme for your backyard barbecue and select decorations and party invitations. Do your shopping well ahead of time and make sure your grill is ready to go with plenty of propane or charcoal. You don’t want to be sending someone to the store in the middle of the festivities! Do your shopping the day before the party and get everything you will need for the party. You may also want to purchase an extra cooler or two to keep drinks ready and available for your guests. When you get home with your groceries, place your selected cuts of meat, trimmed of fat, into re-sealable plastic bags and cover with marinate, then place bags in the refrigerator and continue to turn every few hours.

You’re almost there! On the day of the barbecue you’ll want to call your guests to confirm the time and the directions to your home. Decorate the patio area and set up volleyball or badminton net, chairs, tables, coolers, and a receptacle for trash. Small mosquito lamps or citronella candles near seating areas and tiki torches throughout the yard will keep the insects away and out of your guests’ food. To keep you from running back and forth to the kitchen while dinner is burning on the grill, prepare cooking ingredients in convenient storage containers and set them near the grill when you begin cooking. Finish any last minute preparations and greet your guests with a smile. Try to keep everyone engaged and having a good time, and by all means let them help if they’d like! Now sit back and enjoy your backyard barbecue and everyone who has come to share it with you!

....................................................................................
How To Have The Perfect Barbecue - By: The Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man

I'm never more delighted than when I get invited to a barbecue cookout at a friends house, not only because it's my way of cooking but also because it's a great opportunity to have a chin wag and a glass of pop with people that I maybe only get to see once or twice a year.

I'm really fortunate to be part of a great bunch of lads, one group from my school days and another set from university and everyone gets on really well together. We all live at opposite ends of the country so it's difficult to keep the contact and a barbecue cookout in the summer sure helps. It keeps all the kids outdoors as well which saves on the clearing up!

Friends for over twenty years, barbecue parties every summer yet still no one can cook a decent grill. I'm delighted to attend but as I turn up my eyes suddenly dilate with horror seeing chicken wings dowsed in flames and worst of all, one of my friends expecting me to eat them!

It's probably no wonder that as soon as I turn up I wrestle the tongs off him and get the whole food rack far away from the grill for a good 15 minutes and let everything settle down.

The flames arrive because the coals are not ready, fat starts to drip and up it goes! The more flames, the more fat and the more fat, the more flames. Food black on the outside, raw on the inside. Have you been there? Well here are my recommendations so that you never have to go there again.

Whether it's a charcoal or gas barbecue grill it's all about patience and the preparation of the coals. In a gas grill, the flames heat up the lava bricks and it's the bricks that radiate the heat to cook the food so the simple tips for gas:-
1. Give it time and gas on full whack to get the coals up to temperature.
2. When the coals are hot and you're ready to cook, turn the gas down just to maintain the temperature in the coals and keep them well away from the food.

Despite me saying be patient, gas is still wonderfully quick and convenient to have a barbecue but never should it be instant.

For charcoal barbecue grills there's a certain knack to preparing the fire:-
1. Pile up the charcoal to get it all burning at the same pace
2. Coals are ready when they are white (not black)
3. Before cooking, spread the coals out and don't worry, they will still give off heat.
4. Start off with the food rack on its maximum height and bring it down gradually.
5. If you're cooking on a kettle, remember to reduce the aperture of the bottom draft.

Not only does it take patience to get the perfect BBQ but it also takes time and experience some of my friends clearly haven't mastered it after 20 years! So please don't give up, it really is worth the effort when you get it right.

One final tip whilst you're in training - put your food in a barbecue rack. If you do get some flames you can lift large quantities of food simultaneously off the grill without too much hassle.

So now you have the "Barbecue Smoker Recipes" for success enjoy your BBQ this summer!

.....................................................................................
Outdoor Cooking And Social Networking - By: The Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man

The first food that I ever wanted to barbecue was a chicken on the rotisserie and I've never really stopped to wonder why. I guess it's down to the boy with a new toy thinking in that the rotisserie spit came in the pack with the grill and a rotisserie makes to cooking process more animated. In hindsight not only is it visually appealing but it's not very labour intensive so leaving plenty of time for an aperitif!

Maybe I did one too many on the aperitifs because it has to be said that my skills as an outdoor chef were certainly in need of a little refinement. I tried to light my grill with paper and wood which sent ash all over the chicken. I didn't balance the chicken very well on the spit so one side cooked before the other. I made all the mistakes in the book.

Getting that first taste of barbecue smoke was still fantastic and even after my first disastrous attempt with spit roasted BBQ chicken I was (and still am) hooked on outdoor cooking.

I gradually and tentatively progressed onto sausages and burgers learning as I went that the fat off the food causes the smoke but also can cause the flames. Even to this day I cannot understand why charcoal BBQ grill manufacturers don't make the grill height sufficient to stop flames lapping up at the first spit of the fat. On my own barbecue that was the best I could find I've had to make some modifications.

For greater variety I then invested in a copy of Ainsley's Barbecue Bible and this took me to higher levels even to the point where people were starting to look at what I was cooking and asking how I'd done it. If they were lucky they even got to taste it!

Anyway, barbecuing has become a way of life for me, with more books and now the advent of the internet there are so many more free barbecue recipes and easy smoker recipes readily available. Social networking though is still my favourite way to learn and by that I'm referring to talking with fellow enthusiasts and not necessarily over the web.

I tried barbecue competition events and whilst there was a great sense of occasion and lot's of fun, it was a little too competitive and recipes kept as closely guarded secrets. So where can you go to meet like minded people? Where can you find more barbecues, smokers and outdoor grills in one place and people sharing and having fun?

At a sports event!

Being a petrol head my chosen event was Les 24 Heures Du Mans (that's the Le Mans 24 Hour Endurance race to you and me) in France. Not only is there a mix of barbecue enthusiasts and pyromaniacs they come from all over the world so where else is there such a wealth of knowledge, experience and above all a sense of fun?

Camping by a race track with cars flying past at 150+mph, what could be better? OK so it might not appeal to everyone but the sentiment is still clear. It doesn't have to be as exotic as Le Mans, I found a similar atmosphere with a completely different crowd down at Twickenham for the rugby cup final, everyone hell bent on having a good time, enjoying the food, the event and the other people there. The event isn't important, it's the occasion and the people that make it what it is.

So in my book social networking is the answer for new ways to barbecue. For free barbecue recipes, get down to you local sports stadium and have a wander around before the ball game and the inspiration for your next menu ideas will be right in front of your eyes. This is my idea of social networking!

Bon Appetite!

.....................................................................................
Essential Tips For The Perfect BBQ Cookout - By: The Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man

It's the start of August and the summer holidays are approaching. My children are already packing the RV, we're not even going for another two weeks but I can't dampen their spirits.

I've still got another 11 days (and counting) at work so I can't afford to let myself go yet but just as I see the excitement in the kids eyes I know that I'll be the same once I get the portable grill out of the garage.

I love to camp in Europe not just because of the freedom to go anywhere but also because of the myriad of interesting people that I meet on the way. Walk around the campsite anytime after 1.00pm and you'll start to see the smoke rising as the families gather for a lunchtime cookout. Provided I prefix my introduction with a polite Bon Appetite or Buen Provecho I can usually get a quick nosey to see what's cooking and how they're doing it and the best bit of course is when the complement is reciprocated and they come over to see what I'm cooking.

There have been many a time when these friendly exchanges become more competitive and a small portion of whatever has been cooked is brought over to my pitch for sampling. Of course I have to reciprocate! Neither party can speak the other's lingo so the international language of Europe is once again food and barbecue food to boot.

What better way to pick up some free smoker recipes than wandering around the campsite? It's also amazing to see just how simple some of the flavourings are.

In Italy for example, meat (generally beef or lamb) seasoned well with salt and pepper cooked on the grill until pink and then served up with a traditional balsamic vinaigrette and lemons.

The meat should only be seasoned on one side and don't be tempted to turn it too frequently. You want the meat to cook at a good temperature to mobilize the natural sugars and if you turn it too frequently the meat simply doesn't get up to temperature. Likewise the seasoning protects the meat so again one side not seasoned will get up to a higher temperature and so bring out more of the natural flavour.

For the balsamic vinaigrette it's just 4 parts extra virgin olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar, give it a good stir (to create and emulsion) and drizzle over the sliced meat. It's so simple but so effective.

Another example of simple traditional food that's great for the barbecue grill is Greek style. Diced lamb or pork in a marinade bowl with olive oil, the juice of one lemon and a sprinkling of dried oregano, leave it for an hour and then thread onto skewers. Ten minutes on the grill and serve in a pita bread with salad and tzaziki.

For the Tzaziki:
· 1 medium cucumber peeled and finely chopped
· 225ml or ½ pint yoghurt
· 2 cloves crushed garlic
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 teaspoon vinegar
· ½ teaspoon salt

Just stir all the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavours come together.

Simple flavours, fresh meats and that's all there is to it. The European camping tour really has produced some fantastic BBQ Smoker Recipes and I hope that this year will be no exception.

.....................................................................................
Choosing The Right Barbecue Covers - By: Harry Henderson

Barbecue, like apple pie, is an all-American favorite. Enjoyed since the 1950's, thoughts of backyard barbecues bring back memories of fresh cut summer grass, Dad's juicy burgers, and Mom's delicious potato salad and fruity punch, of friends and family sitting around the picnic table, munching on savory hot dogs, fresh and juicy from that beautiful grill that sat there faithfully, year after year.

That fresh summery taste of grilled food didn't just happen on its own. Dad had to take good care of that grill, cleaned after each use, with the barbecue cover tucking in the barbecue for the evening, keeping out harsh elements and insects looking for a new home. Putting that cover on was a smart decision. Without it, the knobs on it might be accidentally turned. With these lessons in mind, Dad probably would recommend that you use a grill cover too.

The two main purposes of barbecue covers are protection of the grill and safety. Barbecue grills can cost as much as, or sometimes more, than a regular indoor stove. There's no price on safety.

When shopping for barbecue covers, don't skimp on quality. Look for barbecue covers made of sturdy, waterproof material which fits the size of your grill and is heavy enough to provide protection from heat and cold.

As for protection, grills often have an attractive, super shiny finish in them. Scratches on the enamel finish can be avoided with a good quality cover. Use the cover whenever the barbecue is not in use. Overhead flying feathered friends may deposit droppings on your barbecue while you're not looking, an unattractive start when you're getting ready to cook up a big juicy burger!

Barbecue covers are an important safety measure. Children are especially playful during the summer and curius year around. They may be enticed by knobs and controls, accidentally turning on the barbecue. This can cause propane leaks and fire hazards. When not in use, a grill with a cover helps deter these mishaps.

After summer is over, and the barbecue retires to its humble spot behind the house, it shouldn't be left bare. During the off-season, while the barbecue hibernates, waiting for its next assignment, insects tend to nest in this little abode. After summer, wasps have a habit of nesting inside, providing a shock for the owner when he opens it up next year. Barbecue covers also prevent insects from crawling into and dying in your grill, so it will be just as clean as the last time you used it.

Be sure barbecue covers are flame retardant, so in the event that the grill was inadvertantly left on, your barbecue cover might save your life by smothering out the fire. This is no excuse for leaving the propane on. Even with a barbecue cover, proper safety measures should always be taken.

.....................................................................................
The Joys of Barbecuing - By: Grant Taylor

There’s nothing like a good barbecue for catching up with family and friends in a relaxed and casual manner. Choosing the correct barbecue for your needs can be a daunting task with so many different types and brands on the marketplace.

There is some confusion about the difference between grilling and barbecuing. Grilling is a high heat cooking method whereas barbecuing is uses a long slow smouldering heat to cook the food. This slow heat generates smoke if using charcoal or wood which gives the food that distinctive smoky flavor. This type of cooking is most suitable for large cuts of meat and traditionally the barbecue was associated with the poorer classes unable to afford the more expensive cuts of meat.

Many people enjoy the flavor of smoked foods. Smoking is the process of barbecue and gives the food that wonderful and distinctive flavor. It is possible to purchase a very inexpensive barbecue smoker if you want to get started.

Built in barbecues are particularly popular in the United States as a hot trend in home design. You may go for simple barbecue and outdoor setting or go to the full extreme of including refrigerators, sinks and countertops - a real outdoor room with an outdoor cooking area.

When cooking the barbecue, there are various ways to add flavor to the meat. You could use a rub which is a combination of spices which forms a flavorsome crust on the surface of the meat as it cooks. A rub is essentially a dry form of marinade.

A marinade is a combination of oil, acid and seasonings. The acid helps to break down the surface tissue of the meat and the seasonings add flavor. It is important not to marinate your food too long or the acid will break the tissue of the meat down to the point where it can become mushy.

The other way to add flavor to barbecue food is via sauces. Many say that a barbecue is not really a barbecue without the barbecue sauce. Many recipes have been passed down families for generations and different geographical areas have sauces common to their areas such as Texas famous for their thin sauce comprising a tomato base with molasses and Worcestershire sauce.

Before purchasing a barbecue, it is important to look at the style of food you enjoy along with the way that you like to entertain.

.....................................................................................
Cooking Tips For Outdoor Chefs - By: Bob Alexander

Outdoor cooking isn’t for everyone. It takes a person who is willing to put his reputation as a grilling superstar on the line each time he lights a gas grill or tosses a match onto a flammable pile of charcoal. that the people he feeds will appreciate the food he has cooked. Each time he (or she) steps out of his home into his back yard, armed with copper brush, tongs and forks; he faces a challenge to beat his best individual performance on the backyard grill.

Most of the outdoor chefs I’ve run across are men. It seems that women had rather stay in the kitchen. I think it is just a ploy to get the men out of the house for a while. The ladies give them the idea that cooking on the grill is almost important as breathing, especially if it’s done by him! That will get the guy outside with his chest puffed up, carrying a can of charcoal starter and a match.

First rule! If you’re using charcoal and you’re using a liquid lighter, know what you are dousing on those briquettes! It is really not the volume of the whoooomp that determines whether your coals will burn consistently. Never use gasoline, lacquer thinner, lantern fluid or any of those things that will blow you out of your shoes. Stick with charcoal lighter.

One big tip! Never use kerosene to start your charcoal! No matter how long you let your charcoal burn, no matter how much more briquettes on the coals, your rib eyes will have that subtle aroma and taste of kerosene. Your grill will smell like a piece of construction equipment. It’s best to stay with prescribed fuels that don’t stink.

There are other methods to ignite your charcoal. Use the chimney type device where you put the charcoal in an inverted cone and push a couple of sheets of newspaper in the bottom. Put a match to the paper in the bottom and the draft of the “chimney” will make the coals burn. I have never been able to keep that apparatus around the house for more than a summer due to rust, being stepped on or having the neighbors’ borrow it.

There is also the electric heating iron category of charcoal starters. Just plug it into an outlet, let it get red hot and stick it under the charcoal. It doesn’t take long to get a pile of charcoal glowing and shimmering with heat. You don’t have to worry about the whooomp either! The heating iron works well but it’s just not the same as seeing flames shoot as high as your house. You only get that with a liquid lighter that you’re not supposed to use in the first place.

Let’s talk about charcoal grills versus gas grills. I use both in my back yard barbequing. Cooking with gas is almost like cooking on the gas stove in the kitchen. Boring! Maybe that’s why I prefer charcoal. It’s just manlier to battle the flames and rescue a steak just in the nick of time, from being overly cooked. That’s the way outdoor cooking is supposed to be; a man conquering the elements!

Really, cooking on a gas grill is a nice and comfortable way to grill steaks, chickens, burgers, chops and vegetables. One of the areas in which the gas grills are deficient is smoking meat. As far as I know, you just can’t do that with today’s grills. You have to have a smoker. I prefer charcoal smokers of course, but I’ve had excellent results with electric smokers also.

Smokers, both electric and charcoal, are set up pretty much in the same way. The ones that I use are tall round ones that have a trap door opening on the side so you can add charcoal or water in the water bowl. There are other kinds of course and you can find them at a hardware store or outdoor market place. The costs are going to range from roughly $75 to $500 depending on the one you choose. I think most of them are good, but you can usually get just as much satisfaction from a cheap one instead of the high priced smokers. Of course there is the prestige of getting one of those sleek, black ones with the chrome smoke pipes. Gives you sort of a chill just to think of owning one of those, doesn’t it?

Meat smoked on an electric grill is great if you have some wood smoke flavor to make it tasty. I know you can buy little cans of wood chips to add some character to your cooking. Simply pour a little water in the can, set the can on the lava rocks in the bottom of the smoker, and when starts to simmer, you have hickory, cherry or pecan steam permeating your Boston butt! This is the city folks’ way of making barbeque.

Another big tip! If you’ve left the electric smoker outside uncovered, check to make sure the lava rocks are dry. If it has rained since your last cookout, chances are that the bottom of the smoker is covered in water. If so, don’t plug in the heating iron! It’s not a wise move because you will blow the iron up! Drain the water out of the base first, let the lava rocks dry, then have a safe barbeque.

My personal favorite is the charcoal smoker. It’s really not hard to use, though a lot of people seem to think it’s some kind of a miracle that the meat I smoke tastes so good. Some even think there is a secret to my success when I cook a pork loin or Boston butts and wind up with some of the most delicious barbeque you have ever tasted. Some folks even think there is a secret ingredient that I haven’t shared with anyone!

I usually smoke three or four Boston butts at a time. It’s easy. First I load the coal pan with charcoal, and then use a charcoal lighter fluid to start the coals. You could use one of the instant light charcoals if you wish, but just make sure than when you add charcoal, you use the regular briquettes or your meat will taste funny.

After the coals are lit and the flames have died, fill up the metal water bowl with about a quart of water. This helps keep the meat moist. Next lay the meat on the two racks of the smoker. I salt and pepper the meat liberally, and then put the lid back on the smoker and I’m finished for about an hour.

For three Boston butts, I usually let them cook for about 12 hours, adding charcoal and hickory chunks to the hot coals about every hour and a half. Some chefs soak the hickory in water for thirty minutes or so before adding them to the coals. I prefer to lay the wood chunks on the live coals. The dry wood smoking and burning will give you a mild taste of hickory, not the smell and taste of a burning barn! When the meat reaches 180 degrees on the meat the thermometer, take it off and tear it apart with forks. This way separates the pork easily. You can add barbeque sauce at this time or serve it on the table.

There is one ingredient so unique, so necessary to cooking good barbeque. It’s PATIENCE! From the moment you light the fire until you take the meat off the grill, allow yourself allow yourself enough time to do the job properly. Most people don’t do that. We are a society of instant gratification. If we want something, we want it now! That just won’t work when you’re trying for the best tasting barbeque you can cook.

....................................................................................
Burned On The Barbee - By: Bob Alexander

When winter’s chill is gone in most parts of this country, it’s time to get the old bar-b-que grill dusted off after a long stay in the garage or barn; where ever you have had it stored since last summer’s cook out. If you left it outside in the weather all winter, like many of us have done, you just have to sweep off the spider webs and old leaves, throw out the old charcoal from last year and you’re ready to start cooking. Well almost!

Think that is all there is to getting ready to throw a slab of meat on glowing coals? Think again! Every “master griller” knows there are 12 steps that anyone attempting the perfect cookout has to follow in order to have the results expected of a grilling superstar!
You gotta have a plan! Nothing great has ever been accomplished without some kind of a plan! I like to have everything in order before I start, getting all my ducks in a row as it were. Outdoor grilling can be an awesome experience but you have to get it right the first time, because you only get one chance to become a backyard legend, known far and wide as “the master griller”

The beginnings of any wonderful weekend grill fest starts with a quick look at The Weather Channel. You have to know what the weather will be for the weekend. It’s best to consult weather experts on such an important matter a couple of days before the big event. It wouldn’t do to put in the time on strategic planning, then assembling the ingredients of a perfect cookout, only to be forced inside at the last minute by a steady rain. Us, who have survived many battles fighting the rain on Saturday afternoons, think of such things as this! The more you read this article and become familiar with the rules of the road us “master grillers” live by, then you too can become a “master griller”!

Next you have to decide just who will be invited and how many there will be at your cook out. This is a critical part of the planning exercise. The number of people attending dictates whether you will have steaks, pork chops or chicken! It would cost a small fortune to provide enough steaks for twenty people. Odds are there would be someone in the crowd that you didn’t really like, anyway, so why would you feed this person a sizzling, delicious and scrumptious steak? Bar-b-qued chicken is the answer. Chicken is cheap!

Hamburger meat is cheap also! Either chicken or a lot of burgers will satisfy a lot of people. There is no need to spend a lot of money on meat for someone you don’t really like. Either one of these meat ideas will satisfy a crowd without breaking the budget.
Basically what it comes down to is this: Do you like the people in your party enough to buy at least twenty choice rib eye steaks or would it be better to have a lot of hamburger meat, a box chicken quarters or a few pork chops to throw on the coals. Whatever you decide, this is one of the first steps in planning for the backyard cookout.
After the difficult decision of deciding on the meat that the occasion deserves, you can then decide how much to buy at the market. Not many people now-a- days have enough meat in their freezer to supply a cook out without having to go to the market.

IMPORTANT! Before you get too far along in the planning, it’s wise to decide on the appropriate time to serve beverages. Adult beverages should be left in the cooler until after the flames have died. Bar-b-cuing to us folks in the south is held in high regard, whether you’re cooking for a crowd of twenty or for just a few friends over on a Saturday evening. The festivities should never be interrupted by the sound of fire engines. I’ve heard that sound before at one of my cook outs and it’s not pretty!

You’ve selected the meat and now you have to determine how much you’re going to buy. This is not really an easy thing to do. If you buy too little, your guests will think you’re a cheap skate. If you buy too much and have a lot left over, they will think you’re throwing money away and you’re just showing off.

Remember when you’re a “master griller” the old rule of one steak or one pork chop per person goes right out the window. The food you prepare is so good that it would almost be criminal to restrict each person to just one pork chop or one piece of steak!
Of course the amount of meat you buy depends on the number of people invited to your cook out. A rule of thumb I use is to multiply the number of people times one and a half if it’s chicken. If it’s pork chops or steaks, I multiply the number of people time one and a third. Sometimes there are leftovers. If such a thing actually happens, that’s great. Almost anything off the grill tastes great the next day, unless it’s smoked sea urchin, but then no one in their right mind would serve smoked sea urchin in the first place. Yeech!

While there are many kinds of grills to choose from, I prefer to use the old fashioned charcoal type. I get a sense of history every time I smell the smoke emanating from burning charcoal. Maybe this was how they did it back in the old west when cowboys huddled around the campfire after a hard day on the range punching cows. The cook, who had cool nicknames like “cookie” or “biscuit” would divvy out steaks, biscuits and scalding black coffee to the cowhands. Those were the good old days.

Hamburgers: I like to keep my burgers simple. I usually sprinkle a little salt, pepper and finely ground garlic on the meat about an hour before I start cooking. Although that’s exotic enough for me, some folks like to stuff them with all kinds of things such as onions, peppers and even cheese. I’m old fashioned. I think cheese should remain on the top of the burgers where they belong. Burgers can be cooked to all degrees of readiness, however, I like mine cooked well with just a hint of pink in the middle.
Pepper and salt to taste. (Try using garlic salt on the burgers instead of regular salt. It adds a little character to the meat.)
The rest is equally simple. If you want to get fancy, just cut little chunks or slices of whatever you want to stuff in the middle of the burger and stuff it! Just remember that whatever you choose, it has to be something that cooks in a hurry. Because it doesn’t take long to cook burgers, you want to be sure that whatever you have crammed in that burger is also cooked. If it’s not cooked well on the inside, you can get some funny looks from your guests, not to mention the threat of a law suit due to food poisoning. Cook each side 5-7 minutes over a medium high heat.

Chicken: For me, a good hot marinade on the chicken I cook on the grill is a must. Some folks however like it mild, so I always have some of both sauces ready to use after the cooking is ¾ done. You can make your own sauce or buy it at the store. The hotter marinades you usually have to make yourself. I know you can’t please everyone but your friends will continue to come over for a free meal if you don’t sear their esophagus with a fiery chicken leg hot off the grill! Give them a choice!
Cooking chicken over a charcoal grill is not difficult. The fire can’t be extra hot because flames from the fat dropping onto the coals will burn your chicken to a crisp. Better to keep the fire at medium heat and add charcoal as you go along to maintain the proper temperature.
When a meat thermometer is stuck between the joints of a leg quarter reads 160 degrees, it’s time to take the chicken off the grill. When the leg pulls easily away from the thigh, I say it’s done. That’s the lazy way of doing things.

Pork Chops: You can do many things with pork chops. Lemon pepper, Cajun spices or just plain salt and pepper or some of the marinades you can use to season pork chops. With red souses or great to use if you wait until the meat is almost done. If you don’t mop the sauce onto the meat at the proper time, the chops will burn charcoal black because of the sugar in those sauces.
You can stuff them! You can grill them! You can smoke them! Anyway you cook a pork chop on the grill is good! Simply cook them on each side for about 6 minutes each until they are done. Larger chops should be cooked a little longer.

Steaks: It’s easy to mess up a good steak by cooking it too much. Don’t do that! A good sprinkle of garlic salt, a little pepper and you’re off to the races. Throw the steaks on the grill and cook them one side for about two minutes them flip them, sealing in the juices, making the meat more tender and delicious. Depending on how thick the steaks are, cook them five to six minutes on one side. Leave them on longer if you want them well done.

Every cookout can be an adventure, but when you become a “master griller” every day you spend outdoors with your grill or smoker is a vacation day!

.....................................................................................