Barbecue Food Cooking Tips

Barbecue Food Cooking Tips

Once you have bought all that wonderful food for your barbecue and found a great recipe to cook it with, many of us search for alternative and fresh ways to improve it.

Whether it is by preparing the food differently, or using better tools to do the job, every little bit helps on the big day! You will impress your friends with your new found knowledge by browsing the Barbecue Party archives and putting to use some of the great tips and ideas we have.

If you have any tips of your own that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you so just send us an email!

BBQ Steak Tips
		Barbecue steak is often "king of the hill" at most barbecues though can get a little boring. Let us show you how to make our beloved steak taste greater than ever!

BBQ Chicken Tips
		Barbecue chicken has always been a firm favourite of ours, and we never get bored with it. Crispy skin, skinless, shredded, it's good all ways! Here are some tasty ideas ..

BBQ Fish Tips
		Barbecue fish has become more popular in recent years and is one of the most cooked foods at beach parties for obvious reasons. These tips will give you ideas to improve it even more!

BBQ Lamb Tips
		Barbecue lamb when spiced is simply to die for. It brings back memories of Moroccan sunsets. Well we can't guarantee that, but we can show you plenty of mouth-watering (and healthy) ways to cook it!

Barbecue basics to get you started

Take a few simple precautions before firing up your barbecue this summer. This few simple tips will help you get the most out of it.

1. Clean your barbecue thoroughly.
2. Check your propane cylinder and gas lines for leaks.
3. Once you're done, put your barbecue in a convenient and safe location
4. Make sure you have all your accessories:

A meat thermometer, a must for big cuts of meat
Long mitts to protect your hands
A spray bottle
Tongs
A good basting brush
A set of bowls for your sauces and condiments
A serving dish to hold meat once it's cooked
A roll of aluminum foil. You can use it to keep thinner cuts of meat and sections exposed to higher heat from cooking too fast or to cover bones that have a tendency to dry out and catch fire
A cutting board and good knives
Don't use a long fork. Pricking meat allows the juices to escape and dries the meat

Before you begin:

Some simple steps before you start cooking:

Make sure your meat is at room temperature (take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes beforehand to ensure it cooks evenly), especially big cuts, which are very cold inside.

Trim meat of fat and drain it well.

Make sure your barbecue grills are clean and preheat them for ten minutes to prevent meat from sticking.

Follow basic rules of hygiene (wear a hat, wash your hands, and protect the food from insects with a food cover).

You may season meat so long as you cook it immediately. (Salt draws out juices and tends to dry meat out.)

While you're Barbecuing:

If you don't have a marinade or sauce to baste your meat, keep a 50/50 mix of lemon juice and olive oil handy. This simple blend is ideal for keeping your meat, fish and vegetables moist and enhancing flavor.

Poultry should be cooked at medium heat and served well done. Pork, veal, and rabbit should be cooked slowly and are at their best when served slightly pink.

Thin cuts of meat should be seared and should also finish cooking at high temperature.
Use a thermometer when cooking large cuts of meat. (If you don't have one, get one today-it's a must!)

The grill must be clean and lightly oiled prior to use.
Last but not least, never prick meat to check if it's done.

Handy Hints:

To find out if your barbecue is hot enough, place your hand just above the grill, palm downwards, and count the number of seconds you can keep it there.

5 seconds - low
4 seconds - medium
2 seconds - high

To check how much gas is left in your cylinder, pour a cup of boiling water over the top. Condensation will form around the circumference of the tank, allowing you to estimate the level of gas remaining.

When barbecuing fish, try placing lemon slices on your aluminum foil before wrapping the fish. This prevents the fish from sticking to the foil and adds a delicious lemony flavor that's lovely with salmon.

If you're a bread lover, you can buy prebaked frozen bread.

Simply, cut it in two, garnish it with onion wedges and a bit of butter and sprinkle it with a little celery salt. Put it on the grill for around seven minutes at medium heat for tasty and wonderfully crusty bread!

Barbecue Cooking Tips Articles

Barbecue Accessories - "A workman is only as good as his tools", is a common and widely known phrase, and it certainly applies to the type of barbecue accessoryies that are used. Our guide at Barbecue Party will show you a highly varied and comprehensive selection of barbecue equipment to suit all needs and budgets.

Barbecue Grills - At the end of the day, the best barbecue food comes from a good barbecue. Take a look at our barbecue grills section and find out what barbecue grills will suit your needs best. You can even build your own barbecue grill if you want to!

Barbecue Furniture - Comfort for you and your guests at a barbecue is determined by the barbecue furniture (and weather!!) that you use. The choice in furniture is quite varied, so it is a good idea to make sure you know what is available and where you can get it.