Grill Accessories For Easy Grilling

May 31, 2009, 12:15 am | visits: 57 | wordcount: 579

By Shari Hearn

Grilling your food on an outdoor barbecue can be one of the easiest ways to cook food. But, without a few simple grill accessories, it can also be one of the most frustrating ways to cook food. Below are a few must-have accessories for your grill to make your backyard cookout a snap. Grill Of course, to grill food outdoors you need something to grill the food on. Most people would agree that a charcoal grill produces better-tasting food. But, a gas grill is so much more convenient. If you have a gas grill, but want some of that charcoal-grilled flavor, you can add soaked flavored wood chips to a smoker box or foil pouch with holes and sit it directly over the flames. Fire Starter Although charcoal grills produce incredible-tasting food, it can be a bit frustrating trying to light the coals. Most people either use easy-lighting charcoal, or douse the charcoal with lighter fluid. What you have to remember is that you have to allow time for the lighter fluid to burn off before putting your food on the grill or your food could have an unpleasant lighter fluid taste. An easy way to eliminate lighter fluid is to use either a grill chimney or electric charcoal starter. A grill chimney is one grill accessory you shouldn't be without. It's a metal container which allows you to light the briquettes outside of the grill with no fluid, and then transfer the briquettes to the grill when they're ready. Another option is an electric charcoal starter, which are like big prongs you plug in and stick in with your coals while inside the grill. The electric coil heats up the coals, starting them on fire. You do need to have an electrical outlet handy, but it works pretty well. Grill Utensils Resist the temptation to use your indoor utensils on your grill. Why? Because the handles are usually shorter, thus forcing your hands over the flames and heat while you're turning your food items. You can usually get an inexpensive set of 3 or 4 utensils, which include a fork, spatula and tongs. Grill Wok Once you start using a gill wok, you'll be using it all the time. A grill wok is a large heavy-duty steel basket with holes on the bottom and sides, which sits on top of your grill grid. It's great for vegetables, shrimp, cut-up chicken, or a combination of meat and vegetables. It allows you to cook cut-up vegetables and meat without fear of the pieces falling through the grid. Aluminum Foil Aluminum foil is a must when you're cooking outdoors on the grill, so be sure to have plenty handy. Many outdoor cooks prepare a variety of grilled dishes using aluminum foil packets. And, aluminum foil can also be used to clean the grid. Just take a sheet of aluminum foil, crumple it into a ball and you can use it to scrape off food on the cooking grid. When using aluminum foil for cooking, do remember that food can stick to aluminum, so you may need to open the packets from time to time while cooking to stir the food around to prevent sticking. Fire Extinguisher Remember, you're cooking with fire. So, for safety sake, it's good to have a small fire extinguisher handy just in case something happens and the fire gets out of hand. It's also good to follow safety rules while cooking outdoors, which means never cook with a fire outdoors if it's really windy. And, never leave a fire unattended.

Shari Hearn is a writer and creator of Your Backyard World, where you'll find more information on backyard cooking.
Source:www.isnare.com

The Thrill Of Outdoor Cooking - An Amazing Experience!

By Abhishek Agarwal

Outdoor cooking is without a shadow of doubt the most delightful way of preparing dishes. Meals that are deliciously cooked and wonderfully served outdoors are a treat to remember. Cooking nutritious, low calorie, thrifty and appetizing meals is always very popular outdoors.

When you go hiking or camping, you will require plenty of energy and hence great, healthy meals are just right for you. Cooking outdoors does not simply mean making campfire meals. It also encompasses cooking meals on a hiking trail, by the lakeside or at the local park. It is a complete activity and has its own set of procedures and equipment, which are distinctly different from those used indoors. Most state parks are equipped with picnic tables and fire grates intended solely for grilling outdoors. Whether preparing complete meals or roasting, outdoor cooking makes for a truly remarkable experience the entire family can revel in.

Outdoor cooking entails the application of the latest techniques and acquiring a couple of new skills is to your benefit. A bit of inspiration is all it takes to dish up fabulous meals with a rich aroma. Some essential guidelines need to adhered to prior to contemplating an outdoor cooking affair. Ensure that the utensils are fitted with extendable grips for safety reasons. These elongated grips facilitate ease of cooking and ensure you stand at a safe distance from the fire. Take with you equipment like a frying pan (non-stick), utensils like forks and tongs, plastic silverware, garbage bags, and other cooking essentials.

In the chilly wintry months, most people do not opt for outdoor cooking and miss out on some hot, delicious food. Outdoor cooking need not be confined to grilling only in the summer season. There are a wide variety of outdoor cooking appliances that can be availed of all through the year. Appliances like smokers are particularly built to enable the cooking of food at relatively low temperatures over far longer times. This is a nice way of doing away with seasonal hindrances. Cooking outdoors is a marvelous leisure pursuit, involves some level of expertise, and brings in loads of fun.

With a plethora of cooking techniques in vogue, one can prepare a diverse range of recipes. The techniques involve using foil, cooking on the grill, cooking directly on coal or employing reflector ovens. Meats, vegetables, main courses, desserts, and breads are a few of the dishes, which can be made for outdoor cooking affairs, without stressing you out. Most people enjoy relaxing with their families and delighting in the rich aroma of smoked cuisine.

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available!
http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

Article Source: http://www.artipot.com

Outdoor Cooking For Everyone

By Craig Chambers

Outdoor cooking is something to be enjoyed in the warmer months. When we dine and cook outdoors it allows us the opportunity to enjoy the weather and have fun cooking and using cooking gear that we don't usually enjoy when it is cold outside.

Cooking on an open campfire and grilling outdoors are two pleasures that define the warmer months. There are two basic kinds of outdoor cooking-cooking while camping and grilling. Both of them require a special set of skills to be learned and cooking equipment that you will need to invest in.

Camping is one of those pleasures that people who love the outdoors do regularly. However, there are different kinds of camping. Some prefer to backpack and walk all day, then settle down in the evening and relax and prepare good food. Or, you may choose to hike to a campsite and stay in the same spot for several days. The type of camping that you choose will depend on your personality. No matter which type of camping you choose, there are several different cooking options for you.

The option you choose will depend on what you would like to get out of your camping experience. If you choose to camp with a recreational vehicle, those usually come with basic cooking equipment like a stove and possibly even a conventional oven or a microwave oven. This option is for people who want all the comforts of home in an outdoor setting.

Cooking on the campfire is also a very popular option but can be a challenge because it takes a while to learn how to regulate the heat. There are several different levels of campfire cooking ranging from the extremely easy to the very difficult. Cooking on a campfire is an art and one that takes some practice. If you are interested in learning how to cook on a campfire, there are some things you can do.

Learning how to do simple things such as roast marshmallows and hot dogs, sausages, and vegetables are things that do not require a lot of skill. Basically, all you need to do is find a stick and pierce the item with the stick.

Hold it over the flame and rotate it until the item is cooked. You may also find it helpful to buy a cookbook with recipes designed to be cooked on a campfire. These will introduce some intermediate and advanced techniques that will help you gain an understanding for how to cook on a fire.

Grilling is another type of cooking that you can do outdoors and it is a more popular option than cooking on a campfire. It is easier to regulate the temperature on a grill, especially if you have a gas grill. There are two basic types of grills, gas grills and charcoal grills and several different styles of grills within the two types. So, the first step is to decide which kind of grill you want and find the model that seems best for your needs.

If you really love grilling, you may want to get one gas grill and one charcoal grill. Both of them are good for different purposes. However, if you only grill once in a while and it is usually the same standard foods, one grill will suffice. They also sell portable grills and cooking gear specially designed for grilling that you can take on picnics and while camping.

Most people only think of grilling meat. However, you can also grill things like vegetables and fruits such as Portobello mushrooms, pineapple slices, bananas, and zucchini slices. Whatever your style of cooking, whether on the campfire or on the grill, you will soon gain the necessary cooking skills and come to appreciate the experience of outdoor cooking.

Craig Chambers is a cooking enthusiast who enjoys sharing outdoor cooking tips and offers extensive free cooking guides, resources and a cooking handbook on his website www.cookingyourbest.com

Article Source: http://www.artipot.com