BBQ - Vegetable Packets

With today's health consciousness I decided to put something meatless out here that all could enjoy.

Delicate vegetables work very well in foil packets, the foil protects the veggies, and it holds in all the flavor.

Chop all of your vegetables into similar sizes, 1-inch pieces or larger work best.

Put your vegetables in a bowl, add your desired seasonings, such as salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, olive oil, seasoned salt or red pepper flakes. Toss the veggies so that they are evenly coated in seasonings and oil.  Then Lay out a medium - to large-sized sheet of aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Place the vegetables with the most moisture on the bottom so they steam as they cook.  Fold the edges of the foil up and crimp them all the way around so you have a sealed pouch that will not leak liquids or steam.

The packets should have some room inside for heat expansion when on the grill.

Hard vegetables do need to be precooked before adding them to the packets.  Delicate vegetables are perfect as is.

Grill vegetables over indirect or medium direct heat.

Even though the packets are easier to grill than vegetables straight on the grill, you still have to pay attention, move the packets with a large spatula or tongs, don't pierce the foil.

Once done, the packets will be very hot, as will the sauce inside.  Let the packets stand for 5 to15 minutes after grilling to cool off a little.
ENJOY!

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BBQ - Getting the grill marks

There's two commonplace patterns to grill marking: the single strip and the crosshatch.

Either one you choose, the food should start out at a 45 degree angle to the grate

The trick is to think of the grill as the face on a clock:

1. Place steaks, chicken, or even fish pointing to the ten o'clock position on a hot grill.
2. After 2 minutes, rotate the meat a quarter-turn to the right, to two o'clock.
3. Two minutes later, flip the meat over uncooked side down, grill marks up-pointing to ten o'clock.
4. In 2 minutes, rotate it to two o'clock again until it's cooked to your liking.

This leaves a diamond grid that will let everyone know that you're a true grill master.

For the single strip you just don't rotate the meat to two o'clock. You just do ten o'clock on both sides.

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BBQ - My Grill

BBQ - INDIRECT GRILLING

Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if direct grilled but I do the majority of my grilling indirect. I just like putting it on the grill and not having to watch it.


Indirect grilling is used to cook large pieces of meat, like pork shoulders and whole chickens. It's also used to cook tough cuts of meat, like brisket and ribs, that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate temp.


To indirect grill on a charcoal grill, the charcoal is on 1 side of the grill and the meat is on the other.  I always include a foil drip pan in my grill with water (and apple juice) to help put some moisture out there


I like my smoker to be like an outdoor oven so I keep the lid closed to hold in the heat as much as possible accept for mopping the meat, adding charcoal or whatever is necessary and then when I open the grill I will try to do everything at that time (mopping, adding charcoal etc.) so I don't have to keep opening the lid because that brings your temperature down.


You decide if you want to do direct or indirect grilling   
There's a picture below of me firing up my little smokey joe to do a few pieces :)

BBQ - Jack Daniels Grilled Salmon

I'm going to marinade some salmon and smoke it this evening.

I marinade the salmon in the ingredients and I also make the glaze with the ingredients

Click on recipe for the ingredients

Click on Jack Daniels for the whiskey

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BBQ - WHAT IS GRILLING?

Grilling is not barbecue
Grilling uses high temperatures
Chars food, seals in natural juices
Fast cooking
Uses direct heat

BBQ Video too

BBQ - This Memorial Day weekend

I will be cranking up the grill this weekend

Stay tuned

BBQ - Amercan Households

Eighty-two percent of North American households own a grill or smoker.

BBQ Video

BBQ - Texas Style Sauce

Texas style barbecue is generally dry rubbed and slow cooked. The sauce is usually on the side, and many chefs like to serve it warm. It's known for being on the spicy side and thinner than a Kansas City sauce. This allows the sauce to penetrate the meat fully, as opposed to sitting on top like thicker sauces tend to. Some Mexican influence can be seen in many Texas style recipes, with liberal amounts of hot peppers, chili powder and cumin added to the tomato-based sauce. As with most sauces, vinegar is also important for the tangy flavor, but unlike other regions, some Texas recipes contain coffee.

BBQ - Kettle Grill charcoal strategy

Encirclement strategy. When cooking for long periods of time on a kettle grill the encirclement strategy is a great option. This method works by placing a ring of charcoal around the meat and allowing the fire just enough oxygen that it barely burns around the ring. It provides stable cooking temperature for as long as six hours and it cooks all sides of the meat evenly.

Place a stainles-steel bowl, with a 12 inch diameter in the of the kettle. Fill the bowl 1/2 way with water, seasoning and fuit juice. Create a C shaped ring of charcoal around the bowl, light the charcoal and once started fill the gap. When the charcoal turns white close the lid and begin the cooking process. Keep the grill dampers wide open until the desired temp is reached, then close all dampers 1/4 in per opening

BBQ - When purchasing a gas or charcoal grill .....

Gas Grills

Gas grills come in many flavors, big, small, stainless, ones with side burners for pots, and many more. They are very easy to light, usually by the push of a button, and controlling heat on them is not a problem at all. With the simple turn of a dial, and you can cook food anywhere from 200 to 500 degrees. They use propane to fuel them, and a typical, full propane tank will supply enough fuel to cook many meals. The prices of gas grills typically range from $150.00 to $500.00, and even well up into the $1,000.00 dollar range.

When purchasing a gas grill, make sure that it has at least two burners so you can cook with indirect heat on one side of the grill if you choose to do so. Many seafood items, such as fish, require a low and slow method of cooking for certain recipes, and being able to light one side of the grill and cook on the other side will make it much easier on you to achieve the desired cooking temperature you are looking for.

Tips for Purchasing a Gas Grill

1. Make sure it has 2 burners

2. Sturdy Construction- When you lift the lid, the pit seems sturdy and not shaky

3. Know your price range, and know what you want to accomplish with the grill. Will you be cooking for lots of people, or will you be cooking for a few?

4. Top brands do produce very good pits, but shop around. Many cheaper brands produce very good quality grills too.

5. What kind of warranty does the pit have? Does the company pay for shipping if something breaks on the pit and you have to send it off to get it repaired, or even receive a new part?

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal grills are fueled by lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes. They grills are usually in the shape of a round kettle, but many other shapes of pits, such as squares and rectangles exist. Many people will only use charcoal grills because they believe a better taste is produced by using charcoal instead of gas. I will talk more about this later.

Charcoal grills can be priced anywhere from the small, $20 dollar Hibachi, to a typical $50.00 Weber, to an expensive, $450.00 kettle, which is usually pretty large. Normally, the $50.00 Weber grill is the best way to go because it has the surface area to cook lots of food, and Weber's usually last a very long time. I have used one for 4 years now, cooking 4-5 times a month on it, and it has not let me down yet.

When using a charcoal grill, the best and easiest way to light the grill is to use a charcoal starter. This will cut your pit heating time down by 15 minutes or so because the coals will be already be lit when you put them into the pit. I don't use lighter fluid anymore.

Adjusting the heat on a charcoal grill can be a bit of a challenge until you get used to your pit. After a while, you will understand the exact combination of closing dampers and adjusting the lid to produce the heat you want from your grill.

Tips for Purchasing a Charcoal Grill

1. What are your intentions for the grill? Are you cooking for many people, or a few?

2. Is the pit easy to move around?

3. How easy is it to clean?

4. What is your price range? Do some research on the internet to find out what grills are priced at now

What I've found is most store bought grills need adjustments or modifications.

Like I bought a water smoker and the charcoal pan didn't have holes in it so the charcoal would eventually smother. So I drilled some holes in the charcoal pan and it does a lot better

Women and BBQ

Calling all women that not only love to eat barbecue but calling all women that want to learn how to BBQ.   BBQ and Women is the site for you!

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