We are coming into grilling season. There is no better time for a barbeque than when the sun is shining, and the weather is heating up. We all want that good-tasting grilled food but we’re not all grill masters. The barbeque can be an intimidating contraption. If you are yet to decide on which grill to purchase this season, check out our review comparison of Weber Spirit vs Genesis Grill. Here are five top tips to give barbeque beginners the confidence of grill masters.
Preheat
Start how you mean to go on. The first step is to preheat your grill just like you would an oven. Take 15 to 25 minutes to let your grill heat up. Once your grill is hot you will get the satisfying searing sound when you place food on to cook. Barbequed food is supposed to be cooked at high temperatures so enjoy the searing instead of being scared of it. Plus, high temperatures will kill bacteria on the grill before you put food on it.
Preclean
After preheating, give your grill a clean. Debris will be removed more easily when the grill is hot so cleaning before and after use but when still hot is the perfect time to keep your barbeque in good condition. The best tool for cleaning a grill is a long-handled wire brush. If you don’t have this available, use aluminum foil scrunched up into a ball and held in tongs to scrape any leftovers off the grill.
Marinate
Good barbequed food needs flavor. Flavor needs time. Make sure meat has been sitting it’s in sauce or spices for at least a few hours if not overnight. This will give you the best result when barbequing. It can help to cover any vegetables in olive oil before grilling. This prevents them from burning, sticking or drying out.
Temperature Check
No one wants your barbequing session to end in food poisoning so making sure the meat is fully cooked is essential. When testing how cooked your food is, pick out the largest piece of each type of meat. You can cut into these pieces to check the color of the meat to gather whether it is fully cooked. A more accurate method is to use a food thermometer. This will measure the internal temperature of the meat to make sure it has reached the appropriate level for eating. It’s always better to check instead of taking risks.
Safety First
When using a grill, there’s always the possibility of the fire flaring up. Water isn’t always the best solution to calming the flames. This isn’t just because there could be comedy sketch style accidents where in a panic you chuck a fire starter liquid over the barbeque instead of water, fanning the flames. Simple putting the lid of the grill down is the best way to suffocate the flames and avoid any accidents or burnt food.
With these top tips, you should be ready to get your grill on this summer season.