Tag: Ambiance

Tips For Outdoor Grilling

The Outdoor Grill

There is no better way to cook food than to have it in an outdoor grill. The healthy ambiance of being outdoors also compliments perfectly the great quality of food you would produce when grilling outdoors. While most people think that outdoor grilling is only for barbecues, they are not aware of the many things you can do with outdoor grills, some of those are baking, roasting, searing, steaming and smoking. Cooking it in a grill is not only more fun but also has a distinct grill flavor.

Even if you might not see it, your outdoor grill can do more things than your kitchen oven, you just need to know some techniques and some great recipes that you can cook outdoors. So to help you get more stuff done at your outdoor grill, here are some methods of cooking that you can do and how to do each right.

Classic Grilling

Grilling outdoors would never be complete without some foods that are classically cooked directly on the grill. Direct grilling is best for cooking steaks, chops, sausages, fish fillets, kabobs and chicken cuts. Not only does grilling these items make it easier for them to cook but grilling them directly would also give them a very pleasant flavor that only a grill could produce.

As for whole fish, chicken, turkey or ribs, you can use another grilling method which is known as indirect grilling. This method involves having only one side of the grill lit and placing the items on the other side of the burner that is not lit. Another way of indirect grilling would involve having an aluminum foil placed on the center to regulate the temperature, moisture and adding a different flavor to the items to be cooked. You can also place spices, lemon juice and other flavorings to enhance the flavor of items on the grill.

Roasting On The Grill

There are two main methods of roasting that you can do on the grill. The first is pan roasting; this involves having an aluminum foil pan on top of the grills surface and having meats such as ham, ducklings or large cuts of meat. This method allows the meat to be cooked by its own broth which would drip to the pan while cooking and would turn into vapor during the process. For added flavor, you can add spices, wine, lemon juice and other flavorings to enhance it.

The second method of roasting on the grill is called spit-roasting. This method is best used for poultry, meat and lamb and is known to give these meats taste more like themselves. The process is similar to pan roasting, except you have the item rotate over the heat having it constantly soaked in its own juices. The juices gathered here can later be collected and can be used as gravy.

Smoking

When grilling outdoors, fishes, meats, turkeys, whole chicken and game tastes really great if smoked. Of all methods of grilling, smoking is known to have the most distinct and pleasant flavor and it is quite easy to do. The process of smoking involves the use of firewood, this if which would give that smoky flavor to the items to be grilled. To prepare it, have the wood soaked overnight in water.

After doing so, place them in aluminum foil and prick a few holes on the side. Place holes facing upwards along briquettes and you are ready to get smoking.

Safety Tips For Grilling

Grilling Outdoors

When grilling, there is no better place to do it rather than outdoors. The lovely food that is produced when grilling is complimented by the wonderful ambiance of simply being outdoors. However, grilling outdoors is not completely safe as it could pose some hazards to safety in fact, there are already some serious cases attributed to outdoor grilling, structure fires and outdoor fires are also some serious cases that is why in grilling, safety is an important issue.

So to make your grilling experiences much better and much safer, here are some important tips you should consider the next time you go out to go grilling. Always remember that the pleasures you get from any experience is not worth your life.

Check Your Grill

If you are using a gas grill, always check for leaks every time before you start grilling. Leaks can also catch fire from the grill top and could cause very serious cases so make sure there are exactly no leaks. When doing this, make sure not to use a lighter to see where the leaks are. Take note that lighters are only to be used to start charcoal-type grills and never on gas grills especially when testing for leaks. This would save you from a lot of danger if you follow this.

Also make sure that your grill is standing stable and not shaky and does not show any likeliness of toppling over. The fire on the grill top can cause a lot of dangers if the grill topples over. When grilling, also make sure that fire extinguishers and first aid is always ready, you will never know what could happen during a barbecue so you should better off be safe and get ready.

Check The Area

Make sure that your outdoor grilling area is safe and by this, you will have to take a few measures. Mark the grilling area as a no play zone for your kids and only allow them to get near only if the grill has completely cooled down. Also make sure that pets are away from the grill at all times. Since it is an outdoor grill, the name itself already explains where it should only be used. It should only be outdoors at all times and never indoors.

The grilling area should also be away from objects that could catch fire and spread it easily such as the house itself, bushes, trees and shrubs. Make sure that the grill is about 10 feet away from any of those. The grill should be isolated and ideally should stand alone away from everything else in the backyard. Electric cords and outlets should also be away from the grill, having these exposed to heat can have them explode or cause fire.

Other Guidelines

When grilling, never leave it alone while the fire is still burning. Even if a long process would not have you on the food, you should still make sure that you are carefully watching the grill at all times. Also make sure that you use long utensils when grilling, not only are you more versatile while on the grill with them but you are also safer from burns you can get from the grill. Make sure you also watch what you wear.

Shirts or aprons with tails, frills and are hanging can catch fire. As much as you want to enjoy grilling, you would also want to be safe. The guidelines provided should be of great help to you.