Men And Grilling – Perfect Together
Men have always had a knack for controlling fire. It’s no surprise they are also excellent around the barbecue grill. From the earliest days of earning camping badges as campfire scouts, men learned the fine art of outdoor barbecue grilling. With this learning experience came certain safety rules men still put into practice today.
Safety Tips For Charcoal Barbecue Grilling
Using a charcoal barbecue grill safely is a matter of practicing the same type of safety tips in scouting. Remember when the scout master warned about lighting a camp fire in heavy winds? That safety tip applies to using a charcoal barbecue grill. Even if the grill has a cover, in heavier winds fly ash can be dangerous. Know how long the grilling process will take. This helps determine the correct amount of charcoal needed for grilling foods. Most recipe books contain specified cooking times for meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit. Use cooking directions as a basic guide to insure foods are cooked to doneness. However, grilled foods tend to cook more quickly because of the open flame.
Getting The Barbecue Grill Ready
Nothing is more important to grill safely than insuring the grill is properly cleaned and maintained. This means cleaning the grill before and after each use. Cooking residues build up on racks and in the base of the grill and can cause open flames to increase to unsafe levels and turn your favorite steaks or chops into charred remains. Next, use fresh charcoal spread evenly onto the rack beneath the grilling rack. Lumping charcoal in uneven piles will result in uneven grilling of foods and heat will not distribute properly. There are several types of charcoal available. Some are pre-treated with lighter fluid while others are not. Check the composition of the charcoal to insure it is free of hazardous materials.
Using Lighter Fluid To Start Your Charcoal Grill
If your charcoal is not pre-treated with lighter fluid, it will be necessary to purchase a small supply of this flammable liquid. Where protective gloves when handling lighter fluid. Soak the charcoal briquettes with the fluid. Allow a few minutes for the fluid to soak into the charcoal before igniting. Use long-stemmed matches or a barbecue lighter to start the flame. Lighter fluid has a telltale odor that pervades grilled foods. Before beginning the grilling process, allow flames to decrease until the charcoal becomes burning embers and the fluid odor is gone.
The Grilling Expert
Children love seeing Dad taking over the barbecue grilling duties. Of course, what they love even more is Dad’s fine display of cooking talents that produces delicious grilled burgers, frankfurters and steaks. Men love to be creative about their barbecue grill experience. Often, they create their own personal barbecue sauces from the most amazing array of ingredients. Or, they devise new ways to barbecue seafood and fish that result in happy memories of their old camp fire scouting days. When the roasted marshmallows appear, it’s a sure bet there’s a lot of nostalgia on the menu.
One tip for reducing meats and poultry with high fat content is to use aluminum foil wrapping on the grilling rack. This a safety feature that keeps grease from dripping onto burning charcoal and raising flames. Curl foil at the edges so it creates a rim about one-inch high. Not only is this a safety feature, but it protects the bottom of the grill from grease build-up and makes grill cleaning easier. Once grilling is complete, allow the grill to cool to touch before removing charcoal residue and cleaning begins.