Josh Dusick


The spring and summer months are a great time to pull the old grill out of the garage, dust it off and start planning some delicious barbecue dishes.Most of us know how to make basic grilled foods like burgers, hot dogs, steaks and sausages. These are generally cooked by the most basic form of grill cooking, direct heat cooking. Direct heat grilling means that the food is directly over your heat source (hot coals or gas burners) and cooks from this direct heat. Direct heat is perfect for smaller food items that you want to quickly sear the outside, producing that beautiful browned caramelization on the surface, while sealing in the juicy freshness of the inside. It is the ideal cooking style for steak which is nice and browned on the outside yet pink and juicy on the inside.However, what many grilling neophytes don’t know is that direct heat is not the only way to cook on a barbecue! Another important style of cooking is indirect heat grilling. Indirect heat relies on a heat source which is not directly next to or beneath the grilling food, but is rather separated by some distance. With the lid closed on your barbecue, this gentler form of heat cooks the food by convection of ambient heat in the hot air and smoke within your grill, rather than by direct radiant heat from the coals. This is similar to the way food cooks in your oven when roasting, except without the wood smoke!So why should you learn how to cook with indirect heat? What is it good for? Well, if you tried to grill a whole chicken with direct heat over very hot coals, the surface skin and fat would be burnt to a crispy, black char long before the interior was fully cooked. Also, by the time the middle was cooked, the flesh would be dried out. You would loose the surface flavors and juicy interior of a well roasted chicken. So the solution? You guessed it, indirect heat. Indirect heat allows your larger cuts of meat to cook slowly, developing the outer brown color more slowly while allowing the interior to cook to perfect doneness. A perfect rack of ribs requires the meat to cook slowly until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone. A chicken should cook completely while the exterior does not char. All this and more can be accomplished with indirect heat.
So how do you do it? Lets find out!
For starters, you will need a couple of things to help make your indirect grilling perfect (you can do without them, but they are helpful: A shallow metal pan or dish half-filled with tap water A meat thermometer A grill thermometer (if your grill doesn’t have one built-in) Start your charcoal or gas burners as you normally would. If you are using charcoal, when your charcoal is all hot and ready (when the briquets have a layer of grey ash over them), separate the coals onto the two sides of your grill. You will have two piles of coals on either side of your grill with a large empty space in the middle. Weber and other companies make indirect grilling coal holders just for this purpose which are basically metal baskets that hold charcoal on either side of your grill. However, you can do without any special equipment. If you are using a gas grill, you can use indirect heat by turning off one of your burners to have a less hot spot on your grill. Ideally, if you have three burners, you would turn off the middle one, leaving the two side ones on. If you only have two burners, turn on on and leave the other off. Place the metal pan with water in it in the middle of your charcoal grate, between the two piles of charcoal (on on the turned off burner if you have a gas grill). This will catch drippings from your roasting meat and will also help keep the interior of your grill humidified so that your meat doesn’t dry out. Put your grill grate on. Close the lid of your grill and let the heat accumulate. Use your grill thermometer to check the temperature inside your close grill to make sure there is adequate heat. If it is not warming up, either add more coals and wait for them to start burning or turn up your burners if you have a gas grill Open your grill and place your prepared food (whole chicken, ribs, roast, etc.) in the “indirect heat zone” of your grill. This is the open area, under which there are no coals or gas burners burning. Close the lid and let your food roast. Check back periodically and flip your meat over or rotate it occasionally. Also check that there is still adequate heat in your barbecue. Baste your meat regularly when the surface dries out to keep it moist, about every 15 minutes. If the surface of your meat looks like it is browning too fast in any one area, be sure to turn or flip it so that all sides get equal heat and exposure. If it still seems like the surface is cooking too fast, your heat may be too high or the roast is getting too much direct heat from one of the heat sources. Attempt to move the charcoal away further or move the roast to a more isolated spot on the grill. Always remember to keep the cover of your grill closed between checking on your food. You want to keep all that good heat inside to help roast your meat! When your roast is looking like it may be done, begin testing for doneness. The most accurate way to do this is with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (on a chicken this is the deepest part of the inner thigh meat or deep in the breast). Do not put your thermometer up against bone as this can artificially increase the temperature reading. Most thermometers have readings for doneness for beef, pork, and chicken. If yours does not, general rules to go by for chicken is 165 degrees, pork 160 – 170 degrees, beef/lamb/veal 145 for medium rare, 160 for medium and 170 for well done. If you do not have a meat thermometer, you can prick the meat deeply with a skewer or fork. If pork and chicken are done adequately, the fluid that runs out should be clear, not red or pink. If all else fails, cut a small slice into a deep part of meat to check the color. When your food has reached its ideal level of interior doneness, remove from the grill and place on a large platter or plate. Cover with tin foil and let your roast sit for 5 to 10 minutes at least so that the interior juices and heat redistributes. Carve and serve!

A few other tips to make your indirect heat grilled foods shine!
Marinating – Because grilling is a dry heat that can have the tendency to dry out meats that are cooked for a long time, marinating your food before cooking is a great way to both add savory flavors as well as increase the juiciness. There are many recipes for delicious marinades for poultry, pork and beef and even many bottled marinades available in supermarkets. Another option similar to marinating is brining which really seals in and concentrates flavors.Basting – I strongly recommend basting your meat as it cooks over indirect heat. When the surface dries out, every 15 minutes or so during the cooking time, baste it generously with a basting brush. The basting mixture can be similar to the marinating mixture or alternatively it can introduce new flavors. For example, barbecue sauce is not good to marinate with, it will just burn on the meat if it cooks too long. However, introduced later in the cooking process to baste the meat a few times before it is done creates a great, savory coating of flavor. Other great options for marinating include lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine vinegar, either together or alone. Again, there are many recipes with recommendations for basting mixtures for your slow roasted grilled foods. For safety, if you baste with your marinade, remember that your marinade came in contact with your raw meat. Therefore, avoid adding this mixture in the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking so you don’t introduce any uncooked meat to the surface of your roast! Its best to use a fresh basting mixture if possible.

Well that’s it! A quick and complete primer to indirect grilling. I think you will find that it brings your barbecue cooking to a whole new level, making your roasts more tender and juicier.

Peter Finch


Man is romantic and adventurous by nature. Today, most have a very hectic lifestyle. As a result of that people do not get the time to realize their adventurous part. As life does not give them the leisure do go away on even a short holiday every now and then, they have to discover romance and adventure in their surroundings only. And having a barbecue island in their own backyard is an excellent method to reclaim the lost romance and adventure.

A barbecue island is a prized possession, a source of admiration and envy and an instrument of utility, all at the same time. After all you have to admit that the wafting aroma of slowly grilled marshmallows is one of the most heavenly ones.

The problem lies in the fact that most of the people think the barbecue island to be too complex a matter for them to handle. But the truth is just the polar opposite of the above mentioned idea. It is very easy to prepare and does not require too much of an investment in terms of money.

The barbecue island can be easily built by using steel studs and backer board tiles. The fuel can be provided by propane gas tanks. Only care should be taken that your barbecue island is not located near inflammable or combustible material.

The advantage that your barbecue islands provide you with is that they allow you the freedom of personalizing the whole contraption by adding many other components. The accessories of barbecue islands are numerous and are easily available in the market, so you can personalize your barbecue island, according to your needs whenever you want.

A diverse variety of coated cutting boards are available in the market which you can procure to enhance the utilitarian factor of your barbecue island. These boards are usually designed in a very ingenuous manner. They are built with accompanying drawers into which they can be inserted, so that the boards themselves do not become an eyesore when they are not in use.
Similarly cooler drawers and ice chests are also available which can be added to the barbecue islands to make them user friendly and convenient while making them more attractive in the department of styling and looks. Imagine how comfortable it will be for you if you can get your glass of chilled beer right from the barbecue island, and do not repeatedly have to go to the refrigerator for that.

But one factor that you will have to take care of, if you indeed have a barbecue island, is the cleaning of the barbecue island, especially the metal grill. Most think that whenever it is turned on it burns away all the remnants that had resulted from its previous use. While this is true to some extent, for getting the best out of your island it is advisable that you clean it thoroughly once in a while.

So get ready for your night under the sky with your very own barbecue island!

Andrew Bicknell


There is nothing that says you take your grilling seriously quite like a barbeque pit. If you want to feed a small army with a heaping helping of barbeque then a barbeque pit is for you. Anyone can use one, from your grill crazy neighbor down the street to people who cook barbeque for a living. You can get one in any shape, size or price range; it just depends on your needs. There is nothing you can’t barbeque on them, except for perhaps a whole cow, but there is probably one out there that can handle that as well.

Not everyone understands what a barbeque pit is. A charcoal filled pit slow cooking a pig all day is what most people envision. Now while that is still a barbequing method that works today, the modern barbeque pit, as most people from barbeque happy parts of the country know, is a modern marvel of grilling magic. In the hands of a skilled griller a barbeque pit will produce mouth watering meals time after time.

The barbeque pits on the market today are built well and can take thousand degree temperatures with ease. You can keep your barbeque pit in tip top shape for many years if you follow these few tips. Before you fire up your barbeque pit for the first time it is a good idea to coat the inside with cooking oil. If you look you can find oil made just for barbeque pits. Once you have a nice coat of oil on the inside of your pit make a small fire in its center and let it heat the pit and the oil until it has burnt out. After about two hours your barbeque pit will be properly seasoned and you can start barbequing.

Dan Gentoft


A tip for barbecuing

When you think about barbecue, what do you think of first? Which aspects of barbecue are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Here’s a basic tip for barbecuing…

When cooking out with a gas grill it is seldom
necessary to use the highest setting except when
cooking with the lid up. Even then, with a good
cooker, it is doubtful you will ever need to set it
higher than medium.

I find that food cooked over medium heat with the lid
down as much as possible during the cooking time is
best. Cooking on the highest setting usually produces
meat that is too dry.

The only exception to this rule is when cooking steaks.
When cooking Porterhouse, Rib, or Sirloin I want the
lid up and the heat high so that the flames from the gas
lick the meat.

If your barbecue facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important barbecue information slip by you.

The drawback of using a gas grill is that it imparts
absolutely no flavor to the meat. To achieve the
barbecue taste you might want to try adding a bit of
hickory flavoring or ‘liquid smoke’ to half of a cup of
cooking oil directly on the meat just before it is ready
to serve. The meat will flame and char, giving it that
semblance of barbecue taste.

I also want flame-up because I like the flavor of a
steak kissed by flame. Liquid Smoke is a product that
is made by burning hickory chips and condensing the
smoke into a liquid form. The liquid is then scrubbed
and filtered to remove all impurities.

It’s used to flavor meat poultry and seafood. Use
sparingly as liquid smoke is very concentrated and a
few drops can go a long way. You can buy it in most
grocery stores in the Barbecue and steak sauce section.

For more ways to fake real barbecue taste when using a
gas grill, and more specific tips, techniques, resources, and
recipes, check out
http://www.barbecueabc.visit.ws/.

As your knowledge about barbecue continues to grow, you will begin to see how barbecue fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

Steven Aucoin


During the early part of the year, a journey around the garden leaves us looking at the remains of last years outdoor cooking activities. Often, our grills are left outside in the elements, uncovered, and in many cases have seen far better days.

It is this time of year that we start to think about cooking our favourite barbecue food outside during the warmer months with our friends and family, but before we are ready to start throwing charcoal and fire-lighters onto the barbecue, it is time to turn our attention to cleaning our cooking hardware in order to get things off to a hygienic start.
BBQ cleaning methods

Wire brushing

A stiff wire brush is a huge help in cleaning your grill. Simply give your rack a thorough scrubbing before and after each use. If you have used oil to coat your rack, getting the grill clean should be easy with a brush alone. Brass-bristle brushes are especially good for cleaning porcelain-coated grills since they won’t damage the porcelain.

Grill Stones

Grill stones are specially designed to help get grease and stuck-on food off of your grill. They look similar to a large pumice stone with a handle to help make scrubbing easier and is also an excellent heat convector like volcanic rock, ceramic tiles etc. The main difference with a grill stone is that it has no holes, and because of this feature, it greatly reduces the chance of flare-ups and poor cooking. Grill stones are capable of withstanding incredible heat, up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill stones are ideal for use on most shapes and sizes of grill as the stones design allows it to work with almost any grill format.

Burning off

This is one of the most common methods of cleaning BBQ grills/grates. All you have to do is leave your barbecue on after cooking once all your food has been removed. Once you have done this for around quarter of an hour, allow the grill to cool down for around 5 minutes and then use an old trowel, or flat piece of metal and gently scrape both sides of the grill to remove the sticky hard residue. Please be aware that ceramic grills can get damaged very easily if too much force is applied with sharp objects, so be careful with your choice of tools.

If you have an old metal kitchen utensil, such as an egg-flipper, these are ideal tools to make the job safer and easier.

However, you should be careful that this method is not prohibited by the grill manufacturer in order that you don’t accidentally void your warranty.

Please ensure your own safety if you use this method by wearing a suitable pair of cooking mitts, or specialised heat resistant gloves.

Soaking

If all else fails, letting your grill racks soak in warm water will help loosen stubborn dirt and food remnants. This can be good for getting the edges of your racks, which are often difficult to scrub properly, really clean.

Oiling the grill

A good way to reduce the pain of cleaning a barbecue is to prevent the worst of the residue from sticking to the grill in the first place. To do this, coat your rack with a layer of oil before you start to cook. This will help you to keep your food from burning and sticking to the grill and will also make cleaning the grill afterwards much easier. Remember to only spray oil onto a cold grill. Spraying onto a fire or hot grill will cause the oil to flare up and could cause serious injury.

Steam cleaning

If you use your barbecue on several occasions throughout the year why not invest in a steam cleaner? This will speed up the time taken to clean your barbecue after use and can be very effective indeed; therefore if you are fed up with scrubbing to remove the BBQ residue, an investment in a steam cleaner can be very useful and time saving.

When you having finished cooking your food, soak an old newspaper in water and place it on top of your warmed grill with the lid firmly shut. After about three quarters of an hour, open the lid and wipe off the residue. Don’t let the newspaper sit on the grill rack for too long, as it will dry out and create even more work for you.

Preventative measures to keep your BBQ clean

Using a cover on your barbecue

The number one way to help keep your barbecue clean is to simply purchase, or make, a cover to place on your unit while it is not in use. In order to give your barbecue some protection from the elements it’s a good idea to cover it with a plastic sheet, or preferably a manufacturers cover that is specifically designed to do the job properly as they generally have a tighter fit and are more effective.

During the winter months you may also remove the grill and store it in a dry place away from the damp and the elements. This will decrease the speed at which the rust forms, and you will benefit the most by doing this in conjunction with the oiling method mentioned above.

This helps to inhibit rust during the months when your barbecue is not in regular use.

The foil “tray”

Now that you have the basics of cleaning the grill covered, you should now turn your attention to cleaning the internals of the barbecue.

After several uses, there is a fair amount of gunk left at the bottom that hasn’t benefited particularly from being left outside in the elements. Over time, this build-up can become unhygienic as well as an additional chore for you to deal with.

Charcoal grills suffer the most from this, and the best way to deal with it without spending a great deal of money is to first clean the inside of the barbecue properly by removing the hard and dry residue first using an old dustpan a brush (something all of us should have in the garage somewhere), and then removing the stuck-on dirt from the edges of the grill using general household cleaners. There are plenty of specific BBQ cleaners available, though these can cost two or three times as much as regular household cleaners. Feel free to give them a try, though from experience, regular cleaners perform the task adequately.

Simply spray on a decent amount of the fluid and allow it to soak in properly for around 10 minutes, then gently scrape off the worst of the build-up with a plastic scraper. Once you have got this far you are ready to lay in the kitchen foil.

Use a decent quality kitchen foil, the thicker the better, and triple layer it and turn in the edges so it looks like a tray. Place this into the bottom of your grill, and then add about a quarter-inch deep layer of sand into it. This will help to absorb the fat and excess juices that drain from the grill during cooking, and make your life MUCH easier in the long run.

After several uses, simply remove the whole tray and discard it. Give the inside of the grill a quick brush and wipe, and insert another of your home-made foil trays to keep your BBQ clean for the next few uses.

If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, you can use a catering foil tray and dispose of it after every few uses… just use common sense and get rid of it when it appears well past its best.

Another tip you can try, is to pour leftover coffee on the grill. Clean off with a dry cloth. For a really good clean, spray the grill with your regular oven cleaner and leave it in a plastic garbage bag overnight. Hose it down the next day, and you should have a gleaming grill that is ready to use.

You can also add vinegar or dish washing lotion to the water for additional cleaning power.

Another well-used grill cleaning method is to simply rub the grill in the sand. This will remove most of the grease, etc. Once you have done this, hose down the grill. Depending on how caked the grill is, you may have to repeat this process 2 or 3 or times, but it is worth the effort.

Gas taps often become hard to use during the colder months, causing plastic knobs to crack and in the worst cases, break. Remove the plastic knobs and spray the area with a light oil to loosen them. You can also try using a small amount of machine oil to each tap and then cover them with a light grease to prevent the oil from escaping.

If one or more of your burners doesn’t produce a strong blue flame then it may be because a gas jet has become clogged.

If you lift the burner out of the barbecue you will see small brass nozzles called venturis. These are like a small raised nut with a tiny hole through them. They can be simply removed with a small spanner. If you can’t clear the blockage, buy new nozzles ones from a specialist supplier.

Insects tend to nest inside venturis when they are not in use, and the openings can become blocked. Use a venturi brush to clean the openings of the venturis. If you won’t be using your grill for a long time, consider using some venturi covers to prevent anything from getting inside.

Reconnect the gas supply and check the connections by coating them with a 1:1 mix of dishwasher liquid and water. Any failings in the gas supply will be easily detected at this point and you will know that you will need to do something about repairing it. You can start off by tightening the connections or replacing the seals, and if this doesn’t work, then you should replace the faulty unit as per the manufacturers instructions or return it to your local service centre.

Barbecues with wooden trolleys can be kept in fine fettle by re-oiling them once a year. All you have to do is give the trolley a gently sanding with some high grit paper and then use a suitable furniture oil or a specially formulated barbecue trolley oil. This will not only soak through oil stains on the top of your trolley but help prevent new stains from forming.

Volcanic rocks need care too, if you use them. Ensure that you clean or renew them every year as they always become clogged with fat and oil. Remember to discard the old sand from the drip tray, clean the tray and give it a spray of cooking oil before lining it with aluminium foil. Place new washed sand on top of the foil to help keep it clean.

If your volcanic rocks are showing signs of cracking, you can replace them you may consider replacing them with porcelain briquettes. These disc-shaped “rocks” are less porous than volcanic rocks and they are considerably easier to keep clean.

If you live near the sea or in an area where the salt-air density is high, please note that will need to take extra time and precautions to ensure that your grill is not unduly subjected to the elements which will invariably lead to failing components and rust.

Wash the outer surface periodically with fresh water and dry it off straight away for the best results.

Sunil Tanna


A nice set of barbecue tools, including, at minimum, a spatula, tongs and a large fork, are very helpful when grilling. They will help keep your hands away from the hot grill surface, and avoid you singeing your knuckles, especially if you select tools with suitably long handles.

If possible, you probably will want to choose stainless steel tools, preferably a set which is dishwasher safe too. As you may know, stainless steel while not completely resistant to stains, corrosion or rust, is considerably more resistant to each of these than conventional steel (it “stains less”), and this is of course an especially important given that you will probably be using your tools outdoors. Of course if your tools come with a multi-year warranty, so much the better – at minimum, this hopefully shows that the manufacturer has faith in the quality of their product.

If you are looking more expansive set of tools that just the basics, as well as spatula, tongs and a large barbecue fork, you might also want a set of tools which includes some good quality knives, a basting brush, a grill brush, meat tenderizing tools and perhaps even corn holders. There are some nice barbecue sets which include a range of tools like this on the market.

The final consideration in choosing tools is storage since you are probably unlikely to be using the tools every single day. Of course if you plan to barbecue in your backyard, you can simply keep your barbecue tools in a kitchen drawer with your other cooking utensils. On the other hand, if you plan on taking your barbecue tools with you when travelling, for example when camping, you might want to choose a set of tools which come in an easily portable case.

Jonathan Goodman


Cooking grates come in different types and materials, and each has its own advantages, depending on its use and the preference of the cook. Grill grates hold your food when you are barbecuing or grilling. So let us take a look at the choices available when it comes to outdoor cooking grates.

When it comes to popularity, cast iron grates seem to be the choice. The heavier wide cast iron grates can hold heat for a long time and cook evenly. As a result, you get well seared, quickly cooked food. The only problem with  iron grill grates is maintenance. Apart from the regular cleaning, you must ensure that cast iron grills are well seasoned before you use them and this must be done periodically even when they are in regular use. They do come with manufacturers instructions on how to season them. While it is not a difficult task to season them, neglecting to do it can result in rust. If you do keep them well seasoned, cast iron can be as good as nonstick grates and appear to last longer than a lifetime.

A better option, if you want the advantage of longer heat but not the associated maintenance hassle with cast iron, you can opt for porcelain coated iron grates. These combine the quality of durability, as well as avoid the problem of rust as long as the porcelain coating is intact. Over time, the porcelain coating can crack, chip or wear off unless you are really careful when you handle it. At the time of cleaning, it is better to use brass bristles in place of metal scrapers with hard edges.

Stainless cooking grates for grills are less durable than iron; however, with good care, these can also last a long time. You also get steel grates coated with porcelain just like cast iron grates coated with porcelain. One problem, however, is that these grates are quite thin and too widely spaced to hold heat. While this does not really affect smoking or indirectly cooking huge portions of meat, beef, steaks and chops could pose an issue since you will not get those attractive grill marks. Serious chefs prefer wider grates.

If you compare stainless cooking grates for grills, porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grates and porcelain coated cast iron grates, porcelain coated cast iron grates let you cook at lower temperatures because there is longer retention of heat. Stainless steel grates come with the longest warranty followed by porcelain coated cast iron grates and the porcelain enameled ones.

Generally, it is better to buy stainless cooking grates for bbq grills so that they are not prone to rust. Often we find barbecue grills that are perfect with all the features we want at a price that is hard to refuse, yet does not have the kind of grate we want. In such cases, you can always check with the manufacturer. For example, you can opt for Weber porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grates that give you the advantage of long lasting grates that retain excellent heat and are supposed to be easy to maintain. But most weekend barbecuers feel that it is hard to keep it seasoned because they get so heated. This manufacturer also offers the option of choosing stainless cooking grates for the grills. These are easy to clean before cooking. By coating them with oil, you can keep food from sticking to it. Importantly, the grill marks are prominent. Another big advantage of stainless steel is its lightweight property making it easy to handle particularly while adding wood or briquettes to your smoker box. Stainless steel is also a good material for camping cooking grates.

Bob Alexander


I’ve rarely been accused of over thinking a situation. My “code of the west” mentality has been good to me through the years, rescuing me many times from the temptation of unnecessary thinking! Unnecessary thinking can ruin a perfectly good plan, but no thinking at all can be hazardous to your health! A good case in point is a situation I witnessed last year.

One brilliantly blue afternoon in late spring my neighbor Joe was preparing for one of his famous cookouts. He was about to put his brand new brick and mortar barbeque grill through its paces for the first time. A beautiful charcoal grill, he had personally, to the chagrin of the brick masons, supervised every detail of the project. It was a gorgeous fireplace style grill with the chimney almost head high built of the same brick that adorned his house.

The barbeque pit featured a curved flat black steel hood for enclosed cooking; with a warming tray built into the side of the pit to keep foods from getting cold while others cooked longer. There was even a compartment built on the opposite side to house charcoal and lighter. He was understandably proud of the best barbeque grill in the neighborhood!

Festivities began early with the neighbors arriving around 2:00 pm. By late afternoon many in the crowd were already feeling the effects of the adult beverages supplied by the host, who was especially enjoying himself. Everyone by now had grown tired of listening to an endless monolog by the host about the virtues of his new grill.

The time had come to fire up the grill! There was only one small problem. With all the preparations he had made for the cookout, Joe had forgotten charcoal lighter! Not to be detoured by such a small detail, he went into the tool shed at the back of his yard and brought back a large can of gasoline. After dumping a huge amount of charcoal into the bottom of the grill, he arranged it into a perfect pyramid. The fire was supposed to burn more consistently this way Joe informed the crowd.

By now the neighbors had begun realized what Joe was about to do and started yelling at him not to use the gasoline to start the fire. Offers were made to run next door to get charcoal lighter to no avail. Joe was determined to inaugurate his grill the proper way; with a large fire! He also assured everyone that he knew what he was doing!

Joy was enjoying himself, being the star of the show as it were. He upended the can of fuel over the charcoal and kept pouring even after the briquettes had been thoroughly soaked. Now came the moment of truth! He lit a match and with a dramatic flare, tossed it onto the charcoal! Whoooomp!

Mortar is very porous and does not always adhere perfectly to a surface without leaving a small crack in the mortar joint between bricks. When a liquid such as water, or in this case gasoline fills that crack, it will flow into the base of the structure, such as a barbeque grill. The vapors from the gasoline that had flowed into the grill did what gasoline vapors do when they come in contact with a flame. The grill exploded!

Bricks and mortar blown into pieces, rained from the sky onto all of us who had witnessed the explosion! No one was hurt because most of the crowd and moved safely away from Joe when they saw what he was about to do. Joe was slightly injured by a fragment of the grill grazing his forehead. Nothing serious!

His grill was a mess! A few seconds before, it was a beautiful example of workmanship; something to be proud of and enjoy for years to come. Now it was just a mile of rocks! Joe had apparently never heard that in some cases, alcohol and gasoline don’t mix! Warning! Drinking and starting fires with gasoline can kill you! Whether you’re drinking adult beverages or not, do not use gasoline for a charcoal starter!

My neighbor Joe has recovered from the disaster of last year. He is now making plans to build and even bigger charcoal cooker than the last one. From the size of the storage area in the barbeque pit, I doubt that he will ever run out of charcoal lighter again!

Remember, friends don’t let friends’ barbeque drunk!

Mark Hester


It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money to make your barbecue memorable. Remember — most people expect burgers and potato salad. So any different food is good. And if you follow our cheap barbecue party ideas you can impress your guests for not a lot of money.

First off I must state that there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with burgers and potato salad. I love them both and all weekend griller’s BBQ parties should have a good selection of these and other basics. But just a few other cheap barbecue party food ideas during planning can save your food — and your parties — from boring repetition.

Here are five cheap and easy food ideas you can try immediately to make you next BBQ party memorable and fun:

1) One word — Condiments! Everyone has mustard and ketchup. Occasionally you see a lonely bottle of Frank’s. But for very little money or effort you can add a rainbow of taste to your table and impress your guests. Visit a specialty store or good supermarket and pick up some bottles of unusual BBQ sauces or hot sauces for the table. Do not just paint the meat on the grill — give your guests a choice on the table. Today’s BBQ and hot sauces come in a wide variety of flavors and heat levels and there is something for (almost) everyone. Consider the food you are serving and other sauces that may complement it. If you are serving chicken consider a white BBQ sauce or horseradish sauce. If you are serving fish consider a sweet Barbeque sauce or a Vietnamese or Japanese fish sauce.

2) Salsa — Not just for corn chips anymore! Several years ago salsa took over the number-one-selling condiment spot in the US from ketchup but most people still think of it as just a dip for chips or a covering for Mexican foods. Salsa is — and can be — so much more. Consider visiting a Farmers’ Market or specialty food store the morning of the barbecue and picking up a fresh salsa. Or better still,yet spend a little time the night before the party and make a batch of homemade salsa. It’s really very easy. And don’t just stick to the basic tomato/pepper salsa — be brave and try a fruit or a veggie based salsa. Choose your salsa based on the meat and vegetables you will be serving and invite your guests to cover these foods for a new taste experience.

3) It’s almost embarrassing how much good will and praise can be produced by a simple salad. As cheap BBQ party ideas go, this is one of the best. Everyone does potato and macaroni salad. Ask your friends to bring a dish and you’ll probably get 3 of each. You can impress everyone to no end by making up a colorful and easy pasta or fruit salad that not only looks great but tastes great, too. Add some items off the grill into it at the last moment for an unforgettable touch.

4) Sides — Go beyond the salad! So you’ve brought your impressive (though cheap) salad. But now think beyond to other side dishes. What springs to mind? If you are like most people – corn on the cob comes to mind. There is nothing wrong this. But to really impress your guests think of adding one or two other unusual sides that will complement the main course. And remember that sides don’t have to be just veggies. Think of the possibilities of fruits, shellfish and even meats.

5) Desserts – Why not use the fire? Okay, you gotta have a dessert. You’ll probably want something cold (homemade ice cream, maybe?) and some sweets for the kids. But since the fire is still warm why not consider really impressing your friends by making an additional dessert or two on the grill. Make homemade ice cream (always a reasonably cheap choice) AND grilled dessert to go with it and you will be considered a party god for many years.

Since most BBQ parties feature the same basic foods, these cheap party food ideas will help any weekend griller to impress their guests. Do it well and your friends will invite you to every party and beg for an invitation to yours.

Cherie Gordon-Eales


Once you know how to barbecue fish the correct way you’ll love cooking and eating fish and seafood on the BBQ. Easy to cook when you know how, get out that BBQ and let’s get cooking.

First off, the best type of fish to cook on a barbeque is firm textured fish and seafood such as salmon, cod, monkfish, shrimp or lobster. Hopefully as long as you’ve prepared the barbeque properly it won’t fall apart -

Top Tips for Barbequeing Fish Make sure that the rungs on the grill are clean. There’s nothing worse than old bits of food burnt on the grill bars, not only does it leave a horrible taste but it will make the fish stick.

Get that barbeque really hot. If using a charcoal grill, use plenty of charcoal to build a really good fire that will retain plenty of heat.

Let the flames die down until you can see that the charcoal has become white, it should take at least ½ hour – this is where many people make a critical mistake. You know what they say – Patience is a Virtue – or in this case Patience will help you cook food that you can eat, not the usual burnt offerings!

As long as the fish (or any seafood or meat) is well oiled it won’t stick. Of course, it helps if you don’t prod it and move it around every 30 seconds, if you do you’ll end up with scrambled fish which isn’t much use to anyone except the cat.

Wait until the flesh is seared before turning it over.

Only turn it over once. The best utensil for this is a wide, thin spatula, big enough to lift the whole salmon or fillet in one go. An alternative is to buy a grill cage, the fish sits inside it and makes the whole turning over process child’s play.

Don’t salt anything before grilling. This will dry the fish out.

If you’re using a traditional Chargrill a good idea is to use herbs or flavoured wood chips thrown on the charcoal to impart additional flavour.

Flavour Tip Barbeque rubs or marinades impart a delicious extra flavour when cooking your barbeque fish. I also like to paint some Thai sweet chili sauce over the fish before barbequeing, this is especially good with large prawn and shrimp and can be purchased at any good supermarket. These easy and simple ideas can help anyone learn how to cook fish on a barbeque.