Ten great tips to help transform your outdoor cooking results this summer
The time for BBQs & outdoor living is upon us. In this short article I’ve gathered together 20 important tips to help you enjoy to the full your outdoor cooking.
1. You have a choice when cooking outdoors, will you use gas or charcoal? Chose charcoal if you love those wonderful flavors that come from the smoke; chose gas if prefer cleanliness, control and convenience. If you go for charcoal always start the fire naturally, never use lighter fuels or you’ll pick up those ugly chemical smells, no matter how long you wait!
2. Consider carefully whether your outdoor cooking equipment purchase is going to be an investment Don’t go cheap! Go for quality, it pays every time in both the short and long term.
2. Ask yourself a simple question when buying outdoor cooking equipment. Is my money going towards an investment or something that just won’t last. If its an investment you’re after, don’t go for something cheap, it simply won’t pay off in either the short or long term; and maybe worse, it will soon become a great disappointment! Go for quality; you know it makes sense.
4. Think ‘practicality’ when choosing your outdoor cooking equipment. Portable grills are great but not for a large family gathering! Often when buying its far better value to select a kit, such as turkey fryer kit, rather than buying the individual components separately.
4. Be careful when buying outdoor cooking equipment; each item has its place but to ask a portable grill to suffice for a family gathering is to set yourself up for a disappointment. Of course this example is an obvious no-brainer but the principal is one thats often forgotten. Also think about buying a kit, such as a turkey fryer kit or cast iron cookware collection rather than buying individual items separately;
5. Buy you outdoor cooking equipment with close regard for ‘where’ you’re going to be cooking outdoors most often; the patio, outback or beach each come with very different demands. If outdoor cooking is your passion then its far better to buy kit that suits where you’ll be cooking so that you’re not mixing and matching.
7. If cooking using propane ensure that you have a second gas cylinder; what is worse than a meal half ready and the gas goes out!
8. When cooking outdoors keep in mind basic safety & hygiene advice. Ensure fresh meat and your cooking utensils are kept away from plates you’ll be eating off; avoid using large stockpots on stoves with extended legs; keep large stock pots on burners near the ground or table top; and before starting cooking plan what you’ll be doing; its when you’re rushed that mistakes are made;
9. Share your recipes & cooking tips and people will share their’s with you. When cooking, never pierce food on a BBQ or the juices will run out and it will dry out; never cook meat too long as again it dries out; ceramic grills are great for retaining moisture and flavor; always make sure that meat is fully defrosted before cooking; generally speaking, try to cook slower rather than faster when cooking outdoors, except with steaks of course; always let your meat rest after cooking without cutting it up, so allowing the juices to settle and the full flavor to come out; try marinating your meats before barbecuing, and remember, the longer the better, overnight if you can.
9. Share cooking tips & recipes and your friends will share their’s in return. When barbecuing, never pierce food as the juices will run out and it will start to dry out; ceramic grills are great buy as they are superb at retaining moisture & flavor; cook meat only when it is fully defrosted; generally speaking, cook more slower rather than faster when cooking outdoors, [except with steaks]; try to let meat rest after cooking without cutting it up. This allows the juices to settle and the full flavor to mature; try marinating your fish & meats before barbecuing, one hour is fine for fish but ideally overnight in the refrigerator for meat.
10. If you have a grill with a lid open it as little as possible or the ideal cooking conditions within will be lost.