1. Grilling Tips
• Direct Method and Indirect Method
2. How to Put out a Grease Fire
3. Determining when a steak is done
4. Cut Meat Across the Grain
5. Adding BBQ Sauce
6. Most Fruits are delicious when grilled
7. Smoking Basics

1. Grilling Tips
When using your grill keep the lid down. Lifting the allows heat to escape increasing total cooking time. A closed lid also reduces the chance of flare-ups. Open lid only when turning or checking food for doneness.

Trim excess fat from steaks and chops, leaving only a scant 1/4-inch of fat, which is sufficient to flavour the meat. Less fat is a virtual guarantee against flare-ups and makes cleanup easier.

Keep a lid on it! Most barbecues are designed to cook foods with the lid down. Keeping the lid on allows heat to circulate, cooking food evenly and without flare-ups. Every time you lift/open the lid, you add extra cooking time and allow heat to escape.

Take the guesswork out of grilling. Use a meat thermometer and a timer that lets you know when it's time to take food off the grill. Checking meats for internal temperatures is the best way to determine when food is properly cooked or when done is about to become overdone.

Use the right utensils. Long-handled tools and long barbecue mitts can protect you from the heat. Never use a fork except to lift fully cooked foods from the grill. Use tongs or Spatulas to turn the food(forks pierce food and flavourful juices are lost).

It's a good idea to follow recipes carefully at least the first time you try them, to learn how a food should be grilled, how it should taste, etc. Then, if you want, you can customize the dish to your own unique tastes.

2. How To put out a Grease Fire
Grease fires are stubborn and often difficult to put out. Never attempt to extinguish a grease fire with water, instead spread salt or baking soda over the flames. The fire will soon go out.

3. Determining when a steak is done
Determine when a steak is done, by comparing the firmness of the fleshy part of the hand at the base of the thumb to the flesh of the steak.

- Take the left forefinger and just touch it to the tip of the left thumb. Don't exert any pressure, the lightest touch is correct.
- Take the right forefinger and poke the fleshy part of the hand at the base of the left thumb.

The feeling you get is the feeling of a rare steak. Now touch the steak. For medium use the second finger of your left hand to touch the fleshy part of the thumb. For well done use the third finger of your left hand. Voila... perfectly done steaks every time!

4. Cut Meat Across the Grain
When less tender cuts of meat are used, cut it into strips. Stretch the meat to determine which way the grain runs, then cut across the grain.

When grilling rack of lamb, cover the bones with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.

5. Adding BBQ Sauce
Barbecue sauces containing tomato or sugar will burn quickly apply only during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.

Remember that your barbecue can work as an outdoor oven. Using low temperatures and the higher warming rack, proceed with any baking recipe for pies, cakes or crisps. This is especially handy during those unforeseen power-outages when your guests arrival is imminent!

6. Most Fruits are delicious when grilled
Firmer fruits can be brushed with a little vegetable oil and barbecued directly on the cooking grids until golden brown. Others can be cooked in a foil pouch with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon added.

Either way the fruit flavors will be intensified. Serve with your favorite ice cream.

7. Smoking Basics
Hungry for great smoked flavour? Here's what you need to know to get started

Woods: Start by soaking wood chips in water for at least one hour; Shake all excess water off woods before adding them to your fire or smoker box.

Water: Water adds moisture to the smoking process so meats come out flavourful and tender. If you're using a traditional smoker with a water pan, try adding barbecue sauce, marinades, wine, beer, fruit juices, or herbs and spices to the water pan for additional flavour. Be sure to keep the water pan full. For large roasts and turkeys, you may have to add water to the pan a couple of times throughout grilling. Check the water pan when you add charcoal-a watering can makes replenishing easy. (Note: When smoking cheese, add ice to the water pan so the cheese doesn't melt above it.) You can use a water pan with charcoal and gas grills, too.

Food: Place food in the center of the cooking grate above the water pan (if you are using one). Remember that smoke and heat escape every time you peek into the grill, so add 15 minutes to cooking time for each peek (more if you are smoking in cold weather). Boneless meats, such as beef brisket and pork shoulder, will shrink considerably during smoke-cooking, unless they have a heavy layering of fat. Simply cut off the fat before serving. (Note: Consider cooking your menu up to two days before serving. The smoke flavour becomes richer after a day or two in the refrigerator. That's why smoked foods make great leftovers.)

 

Gas Barbecue: A smoker accessory such as a tube or tray makes it easy to turn your barbecue grill into a hot smoker. Before preheating your grill, simply fill the water pan on the smoker attachment with hot tap water and place presoaked wood chips in the other compartment, in a foil pan directly on the Flavour System over the lit burner. You can use a separate pan for water to catch grease drippings ect. Begin cooking after preheating and when grill is fully smoking.