Tag: Barbecue

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.

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.

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.

Safety Guidelines For Outdoor Grilling

The Importance Of Safety

We have to be always safe when we are grilling outdoors. It might by quite unlikely but a lot of serious injuries, deaths, structure fires and even outdoor fires have been caused just because some people do not follow or are concerned about outdoor grilling safety, these of which are quite very basic and are very easy to follow. Considering what disasters grilling could cause, we must be more aware of safety tips when it comes to grilling outdoors.

You must first be aware that grilling involves the use of a lot of fire and you should know what fire can do. You should also be aware of the safety guidelines for your grill which is most likely already provided in the manual, make sure to read it even before using it. Being safe in the grill will not only help prevent injuries but would also make grilling more enjoyable for you and the whole family.

The Grilling Area

The outdoor grilling area should be designated for the barbecue alone and not anything else. Make sure you set aside a safe place for it, that it should away from everything that could catch fire easily such as the house itself, paper materials, laundry, herbs, bushes and shrubs. Also make sure that the kids and the pets stay away from the grill until it has cooled off completely. Make the grilling area a no play zone especially when you are grilling.

Also make sure that the grill is away from all outlets or wires as these can react in a violent manner when exposed to extreme heat. Take note that it is an outdoor grill and it should only be used outdoors and never indoors. Aside from the smoke being inside your house and polluting everything inside, having it indoors would also impose a lot of potential dangers of which you would of course want to avoid. Following outdoor grilling safety requisites are very important so make sure to take them seriously.

The Grill Itself

Every time you start a grill, you always have to check it for things that might cause accidents. Before starting a fire, make sure that there are no leaks in the gas tank if you are using a gas-powered grill. You can check this by just looking at it, do not ever try to test leaks by the use of a match as this can ignite the whole thing and could make the tank explode. Make sure that you only start the fire if you have checked the grill thoroughly.

Also make sure the grill is standing stable. Check the legs and make sure that they are not too shaky and are standing firmly on the ground. Having the grill toppling over while the fire is one can cause a lot of serious cases so you have to make sure that you follow this guideline carefully. Also double check for items that could catch fire near the grill and make sure that the area is completely safe. Only start grilling if everything seems safe.

Other Safety Guidelines

For outdoor grilling safety, you must not leave the grill turned on at all times. Make sure that you are focused on grilling and not do anything else when doing so. Also make sure that you have a fire extinguisher and a first aid kid always ready. You will never know what happens so you have to be ready just in case something happens.

The grill is a fun and a good opportunity for you to share with your family so you should always make sure that everything is safe when you are grilling outdoors.

Outdoor Grilling Methods

More To The Grill

Before anything else, you should be aware that your outdoor grill is not limited only to direct grilling. Your outdoor grill can do so much more than just that, it could even be more versatile than your kitchen. While the classic method of direct grilling can already please most of us, just think about the other things that it could do. Other outdoor grilling techniques include searing, indirect grilling and smoking which turns ordinary meat into a tasting pleasure with a distinct flavor.

Different outdoor grilling techniques are to be used depending on what types of items you are to grill, for example; direct grilling is best for large cuts of beef and sausages, smoking on the other hand is best for whole fish and meats too. With experience, you will later develop a taste of what goes where in the grill enabling you to be an expert on it.

Have A Clean Grill

Even before starting out, you have to be sure that your grill is clean. The worst thing that could happen in a grill is to have a beautiful slice of prime rib and to later have it taste like grilled salmon. In cleaning the grill, make sure that you do it right after cooking and while the grill is still hot. In doing this, use a wire brush and scrub off all remaining residue that is left on the grill, these residue are what causes unpleasant flavoring if you dont clean your grill well.

More to that, these residues can also fall into the grill and can later cause a flare-up, this of which we would like to avoid. While your grill is clean, you would also want to prevent residue from sticking to it as much as possible. To do this, spray the surface of your grill with vegetable oil every time before you grill. This is even more important if you are using sugar based sauces like the common ones people use to coat ribs and barbecue.

Get Your Grill Hot

When grilling, it is also very important that your grill is hot before you place the items on top of it. For most of us especially for those who own gas-powered grills, we put the items in right after we start the fire. This is wrong as we have to wait around 15-30 minutes of having the fire turned on before putting the items to be grilled in while having all the items and cooking tools you will be needing standing by.

Also be aware that the surface of your grill is not equally hot on all sides. There are some sides that are hotter than others and some that are a bit cooler than others. Being good on the grill, you should know where these sides are and use them to your advantage. The most common grilling technique used here is indirect grilling of which you would need to know where the cooler side is.

Having Ingredients Ready

Even before you start grilling; it is very important that your ingredients are already prepared and ready to be tossed on top of the grill. For steaks, you might want to cut of excess fat and have it seasoned with some salt and pepper. As for chicken, since it is quite difficult to have it grilled, you can pre-cook it in the microwave oven. This will lessen cooking time and as well as make it easier for you to have your chicken brown.

Vegetables on the other hand should already be cleaned and cut for the grill. After all these, you are ready to get grilling.