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10
Barbecuing Commandments |
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BE
ORGANIZED:
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Have
everything you need for
grilling -- the food, marinade,
basting sauce, seasonings,
and equipment -- on hand
and at grill side before
you start grilling. |
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There's
nothing worse than running
out of charcoal or gas in
the middle of grilling.
When using charcoal, light
enough to form a bed of
glowing coals 3 inches larger
on all sides than the surface
area of the food you're
planning to cook. (A 22
1/2-inch grill needs one
chimney's worth of coals.)
When cooking on a gas grill,
make sure the tank is at
least one-third full. |
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PREHEAT
THE GRILL TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE:
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Remember:
Grilling is a high-heat
cooking method. In order
to achieve the seared crust,
charcoal flavor, and handsome
grill marks associated with
masterpiece grillmanship,
you must cook over a high
heat. How high? At least
500°F. Although I detail
this elsewhere, it is worth
repeating: When using charcoal,
let it burn until it is
covered with a thin coat
of gray ash. Hold your hand
about 6 inches above the
grate. After 3 seconds,
the force of the heat should
force you to snatch your
hand away. When using a
gas grill, preheat to high
(at least 500°F); this
takes 10 to 15 minutes.
When indirect grilling,
preheat the grill to 350°F. |
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There's
nothing less appetizing
than grilling on dirty old
burnt bits of food stuck
to the grate. Besides, the
food will stick to a dirty
grate. Clean the grate twice:
once after you've preheated
the grill and again when
you've finished cooking.
The first cleaning will
remove any bits of food
you may have missed after
your last grilling session.
Use the edge of a metal
spatula to scrape off large
bits of food, a stiff wire
brush to finish scrubbing
the grate. |
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Oil
the grate just before placing
the food on top, if necessary
(some foods don't require
that the grates be oiled).
Spray it with oil (away
from the flames), use a
folded paper towel soaked
in oil, or rub it with a
piece of fatty bacon, beef
fat, or chicken skin. |
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The
proper way to turn meat
on a grill is with tongs
or a spatula. Never stab
the meat with a carving
fork -- unless you want
to drain the flavor-rich
juices onto the coals. |
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Oil-and-vinegar-,
citrus-, and yogurt-based
bastes and marinades can
be brushed on the meat throughout
the cooking time. (If you
baste with a marinade that
you used for raw meat or
seafood, do not apply it
during the last 3 minutes
of cooking.) When using
a sugar-based barbecue sauce,
apply it toward the end
of the cooking time. The
sugar in these sauces burns
easily and should not be
exposed to prolonged heat. |
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When
cooking larger cuts of meat
and poultry, such as a whole
chicken, leg of lamb, or
prime rib, use the indirect
method of grilling or barbecuing.
Keep the grill tightly covered
and resist the temptation
to peek. Every time you
lift the lid, you add 5
to 10 minutes to the cooking
time. |
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Beef,
steak, chicken -- almost
anything you grill-will
taste better if you let
it stand on the cutting
board for a few minutes
before serving. This allows
the meat juices, which have
been driven to the center
of a roast or steak by the
searing heat, to return
to the surface. The result
is a juicier, tastier piece
of meat. |
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Grilling
is an easy cooking method,
but it demands constant
attention. Once you put
something on the grill (especially
when using the direct method),
stay with it until it's
cooked. This is not the
time to answer the phone,
make the salad dressing,
or mix up a batch of your
famous mojitos. Above all,
have fun. Remember that
grilling isn't brain surgery.
And that's the gospel! |
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| Excerpted from
'The Barbecue Bible' |
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