Category: BBQ Recipes

Choosing The Perfect Outdoor Grill

Because of its versatility, the fun it would give to you and your family, the exquisite flavors it would give to different types of food and the many memories you could have with one; it is no wonder that the outdoor grill has already become an essential part of the American backyard. So if you are planning on getting your own, you must be aware that you will have to look at a lot of things before buying to make sure you end up with one that you would really enjoy.

The most common disappointment for people who would buy outdoor grills is that the grill is either too large, too small, too much features or too little features. This is because they do not plan carefully before they buy it so they end up with one that they are not satisfied with. When buying outdoor grills, you must consider that you have a whole lot of options and this would require you to plan a lot for you to end up with the perfect grill for you and your family.

Plan Carefully

Weeks before planning to buy an outdoor grill, you should already have solid plans or ideas of what you would need to buy. When doing this, take note of how large or small you want your grill to be, what features you need and if there are any other objects that you would want your grill to have. Taking a look at the available options you have on the market might also give you more ideas as to what you would really need.

Take note that outdoor grills are definitely not cheap and would cost a little more expensive than other outdoor house appliances. Consider that the main factors that would affect price are the brand name, the features and the size. With this, think of what you want and what you can afford and try to look for a good balance in between. You are sure to be delighted with what you will have if you plan carefully.

The Grills Size

The bigger a grill is, the more it can cook in less time. That is the main advantage of having larger grills however, if you have a small family and dont really use the barbecue that often then you might not really need a big one. If it is for family use, try to go for the smaller ones. These grills are made specifically for that purpose and would effectively and efficiently do that job.

If you have backyard parties often and invite friends to your place every once in a while then you should definitely go for the bigger ones. These would really do a lot in less time plus these are most likely decked with features that would cook the food easier and make it taste much better. Take note that size is one of the key factors you should consider when grilling.

Features

Along with the improvement of technology, the classic grill has become more than a metal box that makes barbecues. Some outdoor grills now would come complete with 4 burners, a smoker, steamer and many other fancy features. While these are undoubtedly amusing, take note of what you just need. These are also a major influence to price so you must be extra sure that you really need it.

With careful planning, buying outdoor grills with the right features should not be too difficult for you.

Accessories For Grilling Outdoors

Grilling has always given a lot of us gustatory pleasures with the magical flavors you can produce with it. While the basic grill would already allow you to do a lot of things, just imagine what more things you can do when you add accessories to your grill. A griddle for example would allow you to cook eggs, bacon and ham on the grill and it is much easier to pick them up or turn them with the use of tongs. A grilling basket is also perfect for cooking whole fish and would make it taste much better.

With these new innovations for grilling, you are sure to have more memorable moments on the grill with a whole lot of new things you can do. Everything from grilling itself to cleaning and preparing the grill is now much easier to do with the help of outdoor grilling accessories. So to give you some tips, here are some accessories you might want to know more about.

Accessories For Preparing

Preparing the food for grilling is now much easier with the help of some accessories. If you like smoking on the grill, you would of course have to chop your own wood chips probably with an axe. You wont have to do this now since an accessory made up of stainless steel could do this job for you faster and much safer while still allowing you to enjoy it. Even when soaking it, accessories are still available to do the job much easier and much more convenient.

Skewers, no matter what it would contain have never failed to please many of us especially when on the grill. Fortunately, we can now enjoy them more since they have more to offer. Skewers are now customized depending on what type of food you put on it. There are some customized for marshmallows, kebabs, and seafood.

Grill Cleaning Accessories

People would traditionally clean their grills with ordinary household materials; this could not only clean it thoroughly but could also damage the grill itself. To avoid having such, accessories are available for grill owners not only to clean their grill thoroughly and easily but also for them to keep it undamaged. There are brushes available that are specially made to clean the grill effectively and some cleaning fluids to match that purpose.

These outdoor grilling accessories are so in need that they would sometimes come in complete sets if you look for them in your favorite grill store. They are also very basic since every grill owner would want the best and easiest way to have their gill cleaned. With these accessories available widely, you can now clean your grills much easier.

Grilling Accessories

The biggest concern for grilling accessories would be that of grilling itself. People who are into grilling would of course be concerned with accessories that would make their food taste best. To match this demand, there are now several types of grill racks all custom made specifically for the types of food to be grilled. These designs allow the food to cook faster and taste much better.

And to improve the taste further, seasoned wood planks are available, not as firewood but for you to put the meat in between when you are grilling. With all these accessories, grilling outdoors is sure to be much better.

What To Have When Grilling Outdoors

Nice Cuts Of Meat

Outdoor grilling would never be complete without some nice cuts of prime rib, baby back ribs or other nice cuts of meat that everyone would look for when out on a grill. This is because meat has become a basic when it comes to outdoor grilling and it is no doubt that when it comes to grilling, some of the best tasting and most enjoyable food are meat.

There are many ways of having meat in a grill with the most common having them directly grilled on top of a fire. If this is done right, then the meat will be juicy and tender. Other ways of cooking meat would involve roasting which is commonly done for ribs and smoking of which involves having chips of seasoned wood burnt to have the pleasant aroma and flavor infused into the meat.

Some Poultry

Although poultry is quite notorious for being tough to cook especially for big ones such as turkey is still on of the favorite and must have items on the grill. Grilling poultry does not only make it taste much better but is also considered by many as a healthier way of having it. Grilled lean cuts of turkey, duck and chicken have always been safe for those who are calorie-conscious and as well as anyone else who loves grilled food.

The key to having good poultry on the meat is to ensure that they are cooked tenderly with the entire flavor sealed inside and having it cooked well at the same time. Poultry, unlike meat should be cooked well and not show any traces of blood however, it is quite difficult to have it this way since most of the time, the outside would show that the meat is cooked well but when you look inside, there are still traces of blood. To avoid this, prick one side of the chicken and take note of the juices that would come out. With this, you should be able to tell if it is cooked well.

Lots Of Seafood

For those who could not have too much meat even on the grill can have a much better option, and that is what we call seafood. Seafood does not have too much of those unwanted substances you can find in meat but at the same time, you will still enjoy your time at the grill with the many flavors it has. Some favorite seafood are fish, squid, shellfish and crustaceans.

Seafood are best when served together. Think about having grilled salmon, smoked oysters and as well as grilled soft shell crabs. They go well with other items as well such as vegetables and meat. Just see to it that it is not overcooked since being so, it would be tasteless and tough. Cooking it right however would make it an instant favorite for everyone who would be having it.

Grilled Vegetables

Most of us might not be aware of it but some vegetables are really nice when grilled. The better thing about it is that they are really easy to cook and really tasted good with the flavor that the grill gives them.

To add a twist to all the other items we usually have when grilling outdoors, it would be nice to have some fresh peppers, zucchinis, eggplant and asparagus that are marinated in vinegar, oil and spices and grilled to perfection. Vegetables are very easy to grill, cook easily and go well with virtually every other item on the grill.

Ways To Enjoy Grilling Outdoors

While most of us probably grew up with having outdoor grills every thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and whatever occasion there is, we cannot deny that it brings us a lot of joy even if we would still do it up to now. However, there are many ways of which we could make grilling outdoors more enjoyable and the good thing about it is that you dont really need an occasion to do it, all you would need is a grill and the company of some people.

While the food produced by grilling is undeniably enjoyable, the memories we have with it are just as enjoyable as the food we get from the grill. Just think about the many memories most of us grew up with that we can associate easily to grilling outdoors. So to make your grilling experiences more memorable, here are some ways to enjoy grilling outdoors.

Enjoy Grilling With The Company Of People

Whether these are your friends, family or your special someone it is definitely more enjoyable to have outdoor grilling sessions with people whom you would like to spend quality time with just like how you used to do when celebrating occasions while growing up. Dont wait for an occasion, just give your folks a call and invite them over for a barbecue. This gives you a good opportunity to bond with them as well as enjoy each others presence.

The focus of grilling for recreation is not only for the quality of food you produce but from the laughter, the memories and every pleasure that you can derive from the presence of people you like. Grilling just becomes better if you are with people you love.

Not To Forget The Food

When it comes to outdoor grilling, what we would usually think of could be the nice barbecue our parents cook for us during special occasions along with veggies and fish. However, since you are in control now you can do much more than that. Try to experiment with other items on the grill, bring out your inner chef and make every barbecue worth the time and effort youve spent. After all, you will also be enjoying this.

While typical sauces used for grills were mostly tomato based sauces, nowadays people use all sorts of pleasant bases for sauces such as yogurt, strawberries, oranges, apples, honey and even mustard. These might seem quite odd at first but these are sure to make very pleasant tastes in the grill. So the next time you have an outdoor grill, try to make some yourself.

Other Ways To Enjoy

Grilling outdoors becomes more enjoyable with the help of drinks. Try to mix up nice drinks, punches or juices for the kids the next time you grill outdoors. Also when grilling, try to give it a good variety which means not only grilled food but nice salads, sandwiches and fruits to perfectly compliment the gustatory pleasures offered by the grill. Just try not to put in too much, try to make sure that items on the grill are still the main attraction there.

It is also very important when grilling outdoors to have a good weather. A nice warm and sunny weather is perfect for having grills. This sets a nice ambiance and a good mood to everyone thus making the occasion more enjoyable.

Ways Of Grilling Outdoors

Classic Grilling

Classic direct-grilling is the most famous and the most traditional way of having things done in a grill. For us who have been into grilling for sometime already, we already know the process. This of which is typically have the items ready and toss them directly on top of the grills surface while occasionally turning them every once on a while. However, you should also be aware that there are a lot more processes of which your grill can do and this is just one of them.

Outdoor grilling is now not only grilling but other methods such as searing, broiling and smoking which would produce a lot of very delectable dishes. But even with that, outdoor grilling is still a very good way of having things in an outdoor grill. So much that it has become the essential part of it. So to educate you further about the other methods, here are good descriptions on how to do them.

Searing

Searing has become more popular in the grill than it was before especially for meats and other items of which you want to keep the flavor in. This is because searing has the outer part cooked first while still having the inner part with all the juices uncooked and have all the flavors sealed in. Doing this is quite simple, first you have to set the grill on high fire and while the meat is still raw and ready to be tossed on top of the grill, quickly put it on top of the high fire.

However, you have to be careful with this as not to cause the surface to get overcooked and break. This is most commonly done with steaks of which would produce what we know as rare, medium-rare, medium well and well done. This is also used in a lot of different items but is more popularly done on meats.

Roasting

Another method of having things cooked in the grill is roasting. The main goal of roasting is to have items continuously bathing in their own juices while being cooked causing them to taste more like themselves. Ideal items to be roasted include duck, beef, pork and ham. To do this, place an aluminum foil pan on top of the grills surface while having the items cook on top of it. Juices will later on drip on the aluminum foil pan, these of which you will use to soak the items in and use it later for gravy.

For added flavor, you can add flavorings to the aluminum foil pan such as lemon juice, herbs, garlic and whatever you can add to create more flavors. When roasting, remember that it is still like grilling and you will still have to turn the items on its sides while cooking it. The vapor produced by the juices also seep deeper if you turn the items on its sides occasionally.

Smoking

Another popular method of cooking meats and fish on the grill is by smoking. This method produces a tastes that is pleasantly different from all other since the items here will be flavored by the smoke from chips of wood that are also seasoned with spices. These chips of wood that are seasoned are most likely already available at your leading gourmet shops.

In doing this, have them placed by the fire so that they would burn along and produce smoke. The smoke then will make the items taste good.