Posts filed under 'Cooking Tips'
Barbecue Tools- Required For A Successful Barbecue
Peter Finch
There are a number of varieties of tools available for the grilling of barbecues. They may be basic or complex. Some of the tools are expensive too. Based upon the basic steps in barbecuing the tools which are essential for barbecuing are categorized. Those tools include:
1) The first tool being the barbecue grill which is the basic essential without which the barbecuing can not be done.
2) Barbecue spatula is very essential to flip the food stuff. It is especially of help in preparing burgers and meat. This prevents the meat from falling apart while flipping them over.
3) Barbecue tongs are very helpful to grab the food stuff like sausages and hot dogs which tend to roll around over the grill. This helps to keep control over the food stuff and also ensures even cooking.
4) Barbecue forks have two tines and are about a foot long. They are helpful for flipping chicken or beef.
5) For applying the barbecue sauces etc a barbecue basting brush will be used. It will have a long handle which helps to apply sauces when the meat is on the grill.
6) Barbecue cleaning brush or wire brush is essential for cleaning the grills making it free from the residue coal.
7) Spray on grill cleaner helps to remove residues after extinguishing the coal.
There are other miscellaneous tools which are needed for barbecuing. They are:
1) Matches or butane lighter with a long neck is needed if the grill does not have an automatic igniter.
2) Bottle opener for opening the bottle tops.
3) Cooks Apron made of sturdy cotton guards the wearer from the hazards of barbecuing like flying sparks, splattering foods etc.
4) Fuels are indispensable for using the barbecue. The fuels may be wood, briquettes, charcoal, newspaper or gas.
5) Grill scraper is needed to scrape off any residue of cooked food crumbs from the grill.
6) Spray bottle is of help to spray the cleaning liquid to the different parts of the grill. It is better if the spray bottle has an adjustable nozzle which is able to shoot nearly 10 feet.
7) Fire extinguisher is handy in case of emergency even though it is not an essential tool to turn off the fire on the grill
Meat thermometer is very helpful to check whether the meat is done. The instant read thermometer will be a fork like device which can be inserted into the meat and it will give the internal temperature.
9) Oven mitts are resistant to heat and fire, so it helps to protect the hands while cooking and also making emergency adjustments in the grill.
10) Cooking oil and clean cotton cloth is used to grease the grill which helps in easier cleaning up of the grills.
11) Carving board can be made of plastic, metal or wood. There should not be pores in the board since it will harbor harmful organisms.
12) Charcoal container should be air tight and moisture tight.
13)Side table gives extra space for working.
There are a number of varieties of tools available for the grilling of barbecues. They may be basic or complex. Some of the tools are expensive too. Based upon the basic steps in barbecuing the tools which are essential for barbecuing are categorized. Those tools include:
1) The first tool being the barbecue grill which is the basic essential without which the barbecuing can not be done.
2) Barbecue spatula is very essential to flip the food stuff. It is especially of help in preparing burgers and meat. This prevents the meat from falling apart while flipping them over.
3) Barbecue tongs are very helpful to grab the food stuff like sausages and hot dogs which tend to roll around over the grill. This helps to keep control over the food stuff and also ensures even cooking.
4) Barbecue forks have two tines and are about a foot long. They are helpful for flipping chicken or beef.
5) For applying the barbecue sauces etc a barbecue basting brush will be used. It will have a long handle which helps to apply sauces when the meat is on the grill.
6) Barbecue cleaning brush or wire brush is essential for cleaning the grills making it free from the residue coal.
7) Spray on grill cleaner helps to remove residues after extinguishing the coal.
There are other miscellaneous tools which are needed for barbecuing. They are:
1) Matches or butane lighter with a long neck is needed if the grill does not have an automatic igniter.
2) Bottle opener for opening the bottle tops.
3) Cooks Apron made of sturdy cotton guards the wearer from the hazards of barbecuing like flying sparks, splattering foods etc.
4) Fuels are indispensable for using the barbecue. The fuels may be wood, briquettes, charcoal, newspaper or gas.
5) Grill scraper is needed to scrape off any residue of cooked food crumbs from the grill.
6) Spray bottle is of help to spray the cleaning liquid to the different parts of the grill. It is better if the spray bottle has an adjustable nozzle which is able to shoot nearly 10 feet.
7) Fire extinguisher is handy in case of emergency even though it is not an essential tool to turn off the fire on the grill
Meat thermometer is very helpful to check whether the meat is done. The instant read thermometer will be a fork like device which can be inserted into the meat and it will give the internal temperature.9) Oven mitts are resistant to heat and fire, so it helps to protect the hands while cooking and also making emergency adjustments in the grill.
10) Cooking oil and clean cotton cloth is used to grease the grill which helps in easier cleaning up of the grills.
11) Carving board can be made of plastic, metal or wood. There should not be pores in the board since it will harbor harmful organisms.
12) Charcoal container should be air tight and moisture tight.
13)Side table gives extra space for working.
admin in Cooking Tips am October 24 2009 » 0 comments
How to Cook Great Smoked Barbeque Turkey Legs
TC McRae
More people should try smoked barbeque turkey and especially smoked barbeque turkey legs. Have you ever had those legs that they sell on vendor carts at Disney World? They’re pretty good and one of my favorite treats at Disney. I liked them so much that I told my wife that we have to duplicate those legs at home. We made a few attempts but we didn’t get it right until we discovered the secret. The secret is brining. You have to marinate the legs in a brine solution before you put them on the smoker.
Achieving juicy turkey legs is almost foolproof if you take the step of brining. It’s also an opportunity to add additional flavors by adding fruit juices, spices, and sweeteners like honey.
The other trick of great barbeque turkey legs is crisp skin. To get crisp skin you must have dry skin (the moisture of the brine will make the skin mushy). The turkey legs must air dry uncovered for at least two hours to evaporate water just below the surface of the skin. Just make sure that you do this in the refrigerator.
Use apple or cherry wood for your smoke. The smoke is milder and imparts a slight sweetness to the turkey legs.
As a precaution remember to wash and disinfect anything that comes in contact with raw poultry. Salmonella poisoning is no joke so be careful.
Follow these steps to cook perfect smoked barbeque turkey legs:
1. Prepare your brine marinade and immerse the legs in the brine. Use one of the brining recipes for poultry and it let stay in the brine for no more than 4 hours.
2. Take the legs out of the brine, wash off and pat dry. Let the legs air dry under refrigeration for at least 2 hours. Rub the legs down with olive oil and season. You can season with simple salt and pepper or you can use a rub. There are several poultry rubs that make a tasty turkey legs.
3. Prepare your smoker with lump charcoal and stabilize the temperature in the range between 230 to 250 degrees. It takes about 35 minutes per pound of turkey legs to cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
4. As stated previously, apple or cherry wood are good smoking choices for turkey. You can also use hickory or oak for a heavier smoke flavor. I would avoid mesquite; it has a very strong flavor leaves a slightly bitter taste.
5. You are going to need a good instant read meat thermometer to determine doneness of your turkey legs Be sure to check several locations and avoid touching bone.
6. When done let the legs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy those smoked barbeque turkey legs!
More people should try smoked barbeque turkey and especially smoked barbeque turkey legs. Have you ever had those legs that they sell on vendor carts at Disney World? They’re pretty good and one of my favorite treats at Disney. I liked them so much that I told my wife that we have to duplicate those legs at home. We made a few attempts but we didn’t get it right until we discovered the secret. The secret is brining. You have to marinate the legs in a brine solution before you put them on the smoker.
Achieving juicy turkey legs is almost foolproof if you take the step of brining. It’s also an opportunity to add additional flavors by adding fruit juices, spices, and sweeteners like honey.
The other trick of great barbeque turkey legs is crisp skin. To get crisp skin you must have dry skin (the moisture of the brine will make the skin mushy). The turkey legs must air dry uncovered for at least two hours to evaporate water just below the surface of the skin. Just make sure that you do this in the refrigerator.
Use apple or cherry wood for your smoke. The smoke is milder and imparts a slight sweetness to the turkey legs.
As a precaution remember to wash and disinfect anything that comes in contact with raw poultry. Salmonella poisoning is no joke so be careful.
Follow these steps to cook perfect smoked barbeque turkey legs:
1. Prepare your brine marinade and immerse the legs in the brine. Use one of the brining recipes for poultry and it let stay in the brine for no more than 4 hours.
2. Take the legs out of the brine, wash off and pat dry. Let the legs air dry under refrigeration for at least 2 hours. Rub the legs down with olive oil and season. You can season with simple salt and pepper or you can use a rub. There are several poultry rubs that make a tasty turkey legs.
3. Prepare your smoker with lump charcoal and stabilize the temperature in the range between 230 to 250 degrees. It takes about 35 minutes per pound of turkey legs to cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
4. As stated previously, apple or cherry wood are good smoking choices for turkey. You can also use hickory or oak for a heavier smoke flavor. I would avoid mesquite; it has a very strong flavor leaves a slightly bitter taste.
5. You are going to need a good instant read meat thermometer to determine doneness of your turkey legs Be sure to check several locations and avoid touching bone.
6. When done let the legs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy those smoked barbeque turkey legs!
admin in Cooking Tips am October 22 2009 » 0 comments
How To Make Pizza On Your Barbecue
Vinny DiLeo
Barbecue Pizza! Why barbecue a pizza? The simple answer is fast cooking.
To make great pizza your pizza should cook fast and fast cooking is one of the secrets to making a perfect pizza pie.The main reason is that barbecues can reach very high temperatures! Some of the best pizzas that I have tasted were cooked in wood burning ovens. For centuries people around the world have been cooking in wood burning ovens. These ovens and also, professional pizza ovens can reach the high temperatures of 800 to 1200 degrees. At these high temperatures a pizza cooks in only 2- 5 minutes.
Here are three ways that you can make pizza on a barbecue.
First, Heat your barbecue to the highest temperature that it will reach. My barbecue reaches 600 degrees. Stretch your dough out into a small circle that will fit on your barbecue.
1. Use a wooden peel. (This is a shovel like tool used to put pizza or bread in the oven) First spread cornmeal on your peel. The cornmeal acts like tiny ball bearings helping to slide the pizza off the peel on to the barbecue. Put your stretched dough on your peel and place all your toppings on it. When your barbecue is heated to temperature, use a little jerking motion to slide your pizza off of the peel on to the barbecue grill. This method cooks your pizza directly on the grill. Close your barbecue top and check your pizza in a few minutes. It won’t take long before the crust of your pizza begins to char. You want some charring all around your crust. Be sure to take your pizza out before the cheese starts to burn.
2. The second method that I use is less messy. I stretch out a large piece of aluminum foil and lightly spray olive oil on it. After stretching my dough out, I place it on the aluminum foil. Put your pizza sauce, toppings and cheese on it. Now, crimp the ends of the aluminum foil so that you can grab it and pick up the whole pizza on the aluminum foil. Carry the pizza over to your heated barbecue and place it on the grill and close your barbecue. Check your pizza in a few minutes.
3. The third way is to use a pizza stone on your barbecue. I have tried fire bricks, clay tiles and pizza stones. They all work fine. Heat your pizza stone in your barbecue for at least 30 minutes before placing your pizza on it. When your barbecue is up to temperature use the same technique of sliding your pizza off of the wooden peel as described in my first method.
Barbecue Pizza! Why barbecue a pizza? The simple answer is fast cooking.
To make great pizza your pizza should cook fast and fast cooking is one of the secrets to making a perfect pizza pie.The main reason is that barbecues can reach very high temperatures! Some of the best pizzas that I have tasted were cooked in wood burning ovens. For centuries people around the world have been cooking in wood burning ovens. These ovens and also, professional pizza ovens can reach the high temperatures of 800 to 1200 degrees. At these high temperatures a pizza cooks in only 2- 5 minutes.
Here are three ways that you can make pizza on a barbecue.
First, Heat your barbecue to the highest temperature that it will reach. My barbecue reaches 600 degrees. Stretch your dough out into a small circle that will fit on your barbecue.
1. Use a wooden peel. (This is a shovel like tool used to put pizza or bread in the oven) First spread cornmeal on your peel. The cornmeal acts like tiny ball bearings helping to slide the pizza off the peel on to the barbecue. Put your stretched dough on your peel and place all your toppings on it. When your barbecue is heated to temperature, use a little jerking motion to slide your pizza off of the peel on to the barbecue grill. This method cooks your pizza directly on the grill. Close your barbecue top and check your pizza in a few minutes. It won’t take long before the crust of your pizza begins to char. You want some charring all around your crust. Be sure to take your pizza out before the cheese starts to burn.
2. The second method that I use is less messy. I stretch out a large piece of aluminum foil and lightly spray olive oil on it. After stretching my dough out, I place it on the aluminum foil. Put your pizza sauce, toppings and cheese on it. Now, crimp the ends of the aluminum foil so that you can grab it and pick up the whole pizza on the aluminum foil. Carry the pizza over to your heated barbecue and place it on the grill and close your barbecue. Check your pizza in a few minutes.
3. The third way is to use a pizza stone on your barbecue. I have tried fire bricks, clay tiles and pizza stones. They all work fine. Heat your pizza stone in your barbecue for at least 30 minutes before placing your pizza on it. When your barbecue is up to temperature use the same technique of sliding your pizza off of the wooden peel as described in my first method.
admin in Cooking Tips am October 22 2009 » 0 comments