Thursday, September 24, 2009

Buying A BBQ Grill For Outdoor Entertaining

By Franklin Greyklon

When the days start to warm and flowers begin to bloom, we are reminded that it is time to pull out the BBQ grill. If your grill was on its last leg last season, now is the time to consider buying a BBQ grill.

When buying a BBQ grill, you will first need to determine the type of fuel that you want to use. Propane grills are easy to light and give even heating. Most modern grills no longer use lava rock to keep down the flare ups, but have heat defusing plates that give a more even heat to the cooking surface.

If your home is equipped with natural gas, you may want to consider a natural gas grill. Natural gas is much less expensive than propane and you never run out in the middle of cooking your dinner. The disadvantage of natural gas is that it is not portable like propane.

Although sometimes difficult to light and keep even heat, nothing adds flavor to grilled foods like a charcoal grill. These grills can be inexpensive small table top models to large grills that can cook twenty to thirty hamburgers at once. In addition to charcoal, you can choose to cook with wood chips such as hickory or mesquite to add even more flavor to your foods.

Some charcoal grills are also smokers. This indirect slow heat is a great way to tenderize tough cuts of meats. It is also an excellent way to prepare fish or poultry.

By buying a BBQ grill, you can take the heat of cooking a meal outside on many summer days. You may even choose to dine on the patio and enjoy some of the fresh summer air. Use of the patio in this way expands the living space of your home.

For many years we limited what we cooked on BBQ grills to meats, usually beef and occasionally pork or chicken. Now we have learned that many vegetables will cook up very nicely on the grill. If you want your veggies steamed, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil with a couple of tablespoons of water. Throw that packet onto the grill along with the steak or chicken for the perfect steamed vegetables. Vegetables can also be cooked directly on a clean grill with great results.

One quick marinate tip that may help is to keep plenty of Italian dressing on hand. It has enough acid to break down the tough fibers of the meat, the oil keeps everything moist and the seasonings go well with many grilled items.

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