Safety Tips
To prevent flame flare-ups on the
grill, trim excess fat from steaks and chops, leaving only a scant 1/4-inch of
fat. This is sufficient to flavor the meat and makes cleanup easier, too.
Keep a lid on it! Keeping
the lid on the grill allows heat to circulate, cooking food evenly and without
flare-ups. Every time you lift/open the lid, you add extra cooking time
If a flare-up should occur, turn
all burners to OFF and move food to another area of the cooking grate. Any flames
will quickly subside. Then, light the grill again. NEVER USE WATER TO
EXTINGUISH FLAMES ON A GAS GRILL.
Always keep the bottom tray and
grease catch pan of your gas grill clean and free of debris. This not only
prevents dangerous grease fires, it deters visits from unwanted critters. A sprinkle of red pepper is another safe
way to discourage animals.
Use the right utensils.
Long-handled tools and long barbecue mitts protect you from the heat.
Take the guesswork out of
grilling. Use a thermometer and a timer that lets you know when the food is
fully cooked and when it's time to take it off the grill.
When you're using a recipe,
remember that cooking times in charts and recipes are approximate and based on
70°F (20°C) weather with little or no wind. Cooking times for meat, poultry,
and fish have been tested with the foods at refrigerator temperature. Allow
more cooking time on cold or windy days, or at higher altitudes, and less in
extremely hot weather.
Cooking Tips
Warm your favorite bar-b-que sauce
before slathering it on your ribs. Cold sauce makes for cold food.
When dry coating a piece of meat,
make sure to cover it thoroughly. You want it to look like a sandy beach.
Use hardwood chunks, chips or
briquettes whether using a gas or charcoal grill to give food a smoky flavor.
Use forks only to lift fully cooked foods from the grill and tongs or turners
to turn them over -- forks pierce food and flavorful 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.
Let food sit before serving. A few
minutes for small cuts and up to 15 minutes for larger steaks and roasts.
