March 2nd, 2009
Everything becomes a lot easier once you have the right tools. Even a bad griller can have better results with the right tools. If you thought that your grill was the only tool you needed then think again. BBQ tools are important to help you start the whole process. Having juicy succulent meat needs to start before it even hits the grill.
To achieve BBQ perfection you need the right BBQ tools to prepare your meat in advance. Good preparation makes your meat taste great and it also makes the whole process go a lot easier and faster. You spend less time slaving over the grill and more time relaxing.
Basting and Tenderizing
BBQ tools include good basting brushes and meat tenderizers. If you plan on grilling steak then you will need a good meat tenderizer to prepare your meat. Besides the old school meat hammer there are other types of meat tenderizers available that require less effort on your part.
Use a good meat tenderizer that will create ‘heat channels’ throughout the meat by making uniform punctures. This will give you quicker cooking times and meat that is tender and flavorful.
Basting brushes are invaluable BBQ tools to keep meat moist. A good basting brush will allow you to evenly coat meat quickly while it is grilling. As anyone who has grilled before knows, without regular basting meat becomes dry quickly and even worse can burn. Keep your meat safe by buying a good basting brush.
Keeping it Together
Your arsenal of BBQ tools should also include some great skewers. Find some non-stick skewers that you can use during your next barbeque and you will find that things go along a lot easier. Not only are they handy for grilling smaller chunks of meat but also they are also very versatile BBQ tools.
Skewers can be sued to make kebabs, grill vegetables or fruit and even hold chicken into place. A lot of space is wasted when you are grilling smaller pieces of meat at a barbeque. So save space by using skewers and optimizing the heat for more meat. Skewers sometimes come in fork shapes and are great for making more kebabs than traditional skewers would.
Clean Up
After the party’s over you need to clean up. Cleaning a grill seems like a lot of hard work after a long day out in the sun. Make your life easier with a good scrubber. If you are worried about ruining your nails use a holder that will hold a scrubber in place while you clean your grill.
Tags: barbeques, Bbq, Bbq equipment, Bbq Tools, gas bbq
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March 2nd, 2009
Have you been wondering why some barbecues taste really good while others don’t? The secret of a good BBQ recipe is actually in the marinade and quality of the pork. Know this, even if you have a very good BBQ recipe but your meat is not of high quality and the ingredients that you use in your marinades are not really good, your barbeque will not really taste so delicious. Always remember that a good BBQ recipe is just your guide and if you do not have the right ingredients to go with your BBQ recipe, you cannot really hope to cook a good barbeque.
Preparing Your Marinades
There are many BBQ recipes that include good marinades. Check your BBQ recipe and find out if it offers some good marinades. If your BBQ recipe does not include good marinades, find some recipes for marinade online or simply concoct one on your own. Making marinades is not really so difficult if you know the basic ingredients that you need to use. On other hand, you are not really so keep on making your own marinades; you can just drop by at your favorite grocery store and buy one of those bottled marinades. Yes, those bottled marinades are not exactly as good as homemade marinades but they are really very convenient to use.
Now, if you insist on making your own marinades, you need to have the right ingredients. A good marinade is made up of several ingredients and it is always it a liquid form. Common ingredients for marinades are oil, acid and spices. The acid in the marinade is used to break down the meat and make it tender. There are a number of acids that you can use to tenderize the meat. Some these acid based liquids are vinegar, wine, beer, milk and some fruit juices. If you want to use fruit juice as your acid base, try some pineapple juice or orange juice.
The oil in the marinade keeps the meat from drying out during grilling. Peanut oil, vegetable oil, corn oil and olive oil are commonly used for marinades. No, you should never use butter or bacon drippings in your marinade. These types of oil coagulate when cold. To give your barbecue a distinctive taste, add spices into your marinade. For instance, if you want to add some Mexican hot and spicy tinge into your barbecue add some pepper into your BBQ recipe.
Tags: barbeques, bbq marinades, bbq recipes, gas bbq
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March 2nd, 2009
The main event of any BBQ is definitely meat. This doesn’t mean however that you have to limit yourself to grilling meat when summer rolls around. Plus, some of your guests may be vegetarian or do not eat red meat.
For these people and to add some variety to your BBQ menu you can prepare delicious side dishes that will only take a little prep time beforehand and can be cooked on your grill. Just make sure that you have some aluminum foil on hand to do your cooking and you’ll be fine.
Wild Rice Pilaf
You can make something as elegant sounding as a pilaf at your next BBQ. The first step is to cook a cup of fresh mushrooms over medium-high heat with a little butter or olive oil for about five minutes. This step should be done in a saucepan and can be done the night before.
Bring out a foil pan, something that measures about 8×12 inches. Put your mushrooms in this pan; add two cups of boiling water. Next put in a quarter cup of dry white wine, it’s important you use a white wine. Next add a half-cup of brown rice, and a half-cup of wild rice. If you don’t have wild rice you can use all brown rice or half brown and half white rice.
Now chop up half an onion, half a yellow pepper and two ripe tomatoes. Add this to your foil pan. Now add a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of pepper and about a half teaspoon of cumin. Stir everything together and then cover it with a piece of aluminum foil and seal it tightly.
The next part involves your BBQ grill. Place your covered foil pan in the middle of the grill, after half and hour open the pan and give it a good stir. Reseal again and leave for another half hour. Your pilaf might be done earlier if your fire is very hot so keep checking on it. You want the rice to be tender not crisp.
Simple Dessert
A simple dessert that you can make at a BBQ is grilled pineapple chunks. This is a healthy dessert but it tastes wonderful and takes so little effort. Simply cut a pineapple into chunks or rings, though chunks are better for grilling on your BBQ grill, and place until you see light char marks. Take it off your grill and sprinkle with brown sugar. It’s delicious and fuss free.
Tags: barbeques, Bbq, Bbq Cooking, bbq recipes, gas bbq
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