Category: General Food Recipes

Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes

As humans, we all make mistakes. It is human nature to do so, and cannot be prevented each and every time. When it comes to barbequing, this rule is no different. We often make mistakes that we do not even realize until we taste our food, or something potentially dangerous happens.

Some mistakes just mean that the food you cook is not going to taste very good, while others could potentially mean a trip to the hospital, or a visit from your claims representative on your home insurance policy. No matter the severity of the mistake, you should do your best to try to avoid them whenever possible.

Cooking Mistakes

You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave.

Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate you had it on when it was raw. This could cause the spread of many unwanted illnesses.

Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. Alternatively, attempting to not use lighter fluid may cause a lot of frustration due to the fact that charcoal can be difficult if not impossible to light without lighter fluid.

Never poke you meat while it is cooking. Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbeque grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your grill, which will make cleanup harder.

Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid to many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly.

While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

Dangerous Mistakes

Never, under any circumstance, should you leave a grill alone when it is in use. Grilling does have fire involved, and accidents can happen. Fire spreads quickly, so being aware of your grill could mean the difference between a small fire that is quickly extinguished, and a visit from the fire department.

Never place a hot grill against a wall, even if the fire is already completely out. A hot grill can heat up an exterior wall to the point of combustion. Also, do not put the grill cover back on until you are sure that the grill is completely cool.

You grill should be cleaned after each and every use, no exceptions. While no one likes cleaning the grill, it is essential for the life and safety of your grill. If you allow your grill to sit dirty, not only are you causing a potential fire and health hazard, but you are ultimately making it harder on yourself when it does come time to clean your grill.

Different Types of Barbeque Grills

Summer is here, which means that it is time to begin grilling and preparing awesome barbeque parties. The only problem is, you have not bought your barbeque grill yet. When purchasing your first grill, you will find that you have a large array of options available to you. It may seem overwhelming at first due to the almost endless amount of possibilities and options available. The best way to decide on what type of grill is right for you is by educating yourself about them.

Cost

Barbeque grills can range from extremely cheap to very expensive depending on the type and features available on it.

If you are looking for a cheaper grill, then you should probably consider a charcoal grill. While larger charcoal grills are available, smaller grills can be purchased for as little as $10 to $15 at your local department store. Fancier, large charcoal grills can be purchased for about $60 to $75. Charcoal requires purchasing charcoal and lighter fluid each time you, so you must remember this when considering the cost.

Propane grills are slightly more expensive, starting around $100 dollars.

A smoker grill is slightly more expensive then a propane grill at about $130 each.

Natural gas grills on the higher end of cost. The mechanical part of this grill make it larger and more complex. The Natural gas grills are meant to be hooked up to your home line. Typically these types of grills start at about $300.

Multiple fuel grills are the most expensive at about $450 and up. Multiple fuel grills allow you to grill using one or a combination of fuels.

Ease of Use

The easiest grill to use is by far the natural gas grill. Natural gas grills are designed to hook directly into your homes natural gas line, eliminating the need to provide the fuel source. Natural gas grills are also one of the easiest grills to clean since you do not have to worry about cleaning out the charcoal or wood.

The next in line would be the propane grills, as they have similar features of the natural gas grills. The only issue keeping Propane grills from being equal to natural gas grills is the fact that you must provide the propane somehow. This usually means hauling and handling propane tanks.

The hardest grills to use are charcoal and smoker grills. Both types of grills require additional purchases of supplies, and then requires extra cleaning once grilling is complete.

Flavor

If you are concerned with flavor, you first choice should be a charcoal or smoker grill. Both of these grills allow you to replicate a true smoked flavor. Smokers are especially nice because you can also control the flavor by changing the type of wood or wood chips you use. This is good if you are wanting to slow cook your meat.

If you are wanting to cook something a little quicker, you may want to stick with the charcoal grill. A Charcoal grill will cook quickly if you want it too, and it will still provide a good smoked taste.

Space

Finally, the space you have available should be a consideration. When you grill is not in use, you must have a proper place to store it. Charcoal and Propane grills are ideal for smaller areas such as apartments and city homes. If you have a large amount of space available, then you may want to consider the larger options.

Barbeque Maintenance Tips

When purchasing your barbeque grill, think of it as an investment rather then just another item for your outdoor entertainment. You should expect this item to become a large part of your outdoor activities for many years to come. But like any other investments, proper maintenance and care is needed to ensure that your barbeque grill will work for you for many years to come. While some maintenance and cleaning is specific to the type of barbeque grill your own (gas, electric, charcoal or smoke barbecue grill), the majority of maintenance that should be carried on does not change from grill to grill.

Step 1- Gathering The Necessary Items

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

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

Step 2- Brushing Your Grill Off

The first thing that should always be done to your grill is a routine brushing. Using your brass wire grill brush (or other brush suitable to your type of grill) you should brush off all the surfaces. By routinely brushing your barbeque grill, you will prevent any type of buildup. If buildup from food is left to long, it can become increasingly difficult to remove.

Step 3- Spray Cooking Oil

Once you are sure that your grill is free of all buildup and debris, and that your grill is completely cooled off, you will want to spray it down with a light layer of cooking oil. Spraying it down with cooking oil will prevent your barbeque grill from rusting. It is especially important to make sure your barbeque grill is completely cold, as spraying cooking oil on a hot surface may cause the oil to heat up and ignite, which could be potentially dangerous to you and your barbeque grill.

Step 4- Use Baking Soda and Aluminum Foil on Your Grill

Baking soda is a very nice cleaning and polishing agent. Once you have removed any extra debris and buildup, lightly scrubbing your barbeque grill with baking soda will give it that extra shine, similar to the day that you brought it home from the store. This can also be used on handles and knobs to remove any extra buildup that cannot be taken off with a wire brush.

Aluminum foil can also be used to keep your grill looking nice. Gently rub the aluminum foil on your grill, and you will notice that it removes grim and buildup.

Step 5- Clean Your Racks

The racks in your grill are especially important as this is where the food touches when it is cooking. You will have to use the wire brush to remove as much buildup as possible. Once you remove as much as possible, start washing the racks with dish soap. If the racks are really dirty, you may also want to use the steel wool pads. Be sure to completely rinse off all soap and residue before cooking on these racks again.

Step 6- Preventing Problems

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

The History of Fishing

The next time you drop a line in the water off the side of a boat equipped with the latest sonar devices, dig into the cooler beside your feet for a favourite beverage and kick your feet up to enjoy a relaxing day of fishing.

Fishing is one of the oldest activities known to man. Archaeologists have found ancient dumps of shell and bone, cave paintings depicting fishing and even hooks made from bone. There is even a theory that states we might be closer to the fish we try and catch than we think. The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis contends that human beings spent a time living by and catching their food from the shallows of lakes and oceans. The controversial theory contends years of living that helped us to look different from the apes and chimpanzees thought by some to be our ancestors because of this time evolving by water.

The ancient river Nile was an anglers paradise. The Egyptians relied on fresh and dried fish as a staple in their diets, and the various methods they used have been well represented in many ancient representations from their lives. Although they had some tools like nets, baskets and even hooks and lines, the fish caught were often clubbed to death. Perch, catfish and eels were among the most important catches in the Egyptian times.

The other bed of civilization, Greece, did not share Egypts love of fishing. Still, there is a depiction on a wine cup from 500 BC that shows a boy kneeling over a stream with a live capture net in the water below him. Its unclear why the boy was fishing however, since the device is clearly for live capture. There is also evidence the Romans fished with nets and tridents off the sides of boats. One of their most famous Gods, Neptune, is depicted usually with a fishing trident. There are references to fishing in the Bible, too.

Perhaps the most recognizable tool for fishing is the hook. No one knows for certain, but its quite probable prehistoric man was using some form of a hook over 40,000 years ago. Experts have had some problems pinning down exact dates since they know most of the materials used back then were most likely wood and not very durable. British Isle anglers catch fish with hooks made from the hawthorn bush, right up to the present day. Although Stone Age man had the tools necessary for making bone hooks, it is hard for scientists to get exact dates since bone does not define its age well. The oldest known hooks have turned up in Czechoslovakia, but others have turned up in Egypt and Palestine. The Palestinian hooks are believed to be over 9,000 years old, proving that fishing has been around for a very long time indeed.

Indians on Easter Island made their hooks from a gruesome material. Since human sacrifices were abundant in the area for some time, the natives made their fish hooks out of the most plentiful material around human bone. Fish hooks made of human bone were the norm there until missionaries arrived at the turn of the last century. In addition to hooks made of stone, bone or wood, ancient man often combined material to make composite hooks with barbs that kept the bait on.

Teach Your Kids to Fish

You know your kids love to try new things. They have been blessed with the same adventurous spirit that you have. After a long, cold winter, they are tired of the indoors. But you are not sure what you can do with them that they have not yet tried. Boating and fishing offer you a great way to spend time with your children and to create memories that will last a lifetime. You can do several things that will allow you to make the most of your time together.

No matter how young or old your children are, involve them in everything that you do as you embark on your fishing journey. Your kids want to feel needed and this is the perfect opportunity for them to help you. There is no better way to instill a sense of accomplishment in your kids than to allow them to help you with “grown-up” jobs. Depending on how old they are, assign them certain small things for which they are responsible. Some of these include ensuring that everyone has a personal floatation device and letting them coil a line. Your children will walk away at the end of the day with a renewed sense of confidence in their ability to help Mom and Dad.

Keep your children busy while you are fishing. They prefer to stay active. Plan your fishing outing accordingly. Include exciting water activities such as snorkeling, tubing, or looking for various wildlife. Of course, showing them the basics of fishing will forever keep them and you busy! There are enough details involved in the sport of fishing that you will need to take your kids on multiple trips before they are fluent in the language of the angler.

You have an excellent opportunity to teach your kids while fishing on a boat. You have the ability to teach them new skills that they use long after you have caught your last fish. Merely being on the water allows you to teach kids new things about their environment. You can also teach them about boating, fishing, and safety skills. Try to incorporate these teachings into fun, intriguing activities.

Introduce them to new and exciting things as they are ready. For example, create a game that teaches nautical terminology. Focus on words like port, starboard, or bow. You should build upon this knowledge. After they know these terms, help your children learn the best way to safely drive a fishing boat or cast a fishing line. Always be an observant teacher. The combination of boating and fishing allows for an enormous amount of learning.

This type of hands-on learning lasts a long time. Your children will benefit in many ways. They will discover things that help them become better fishers and boatmen. Participating in an activity that is thousands of years old teaches them about tradition. They will eventually be able to teach their kids all that you have taught them. This includes many of the elements of responsibility that come with helping adults achieve a goal.

Your children will have unlimited amounts of fun as they encounter new settings, new climates, and new wildlife. Most importantly, fishing and boating with your children will give you the chance to spend quality time with them. This is worth more than all of the fun had and the lessons learned.