10 Great Grilling Tips for the Tailgate Season

These 10 top tips will help you to enjoy your barbecues during the warmer months and will help to improve both the safety and the quality of your occasions with very little effort.

1. Oiling the grill

Prior to cooking, spray or brush on some vegetable oil onto the grill surface, avoiding adding too much. This will reduce the chances of your food sticking to the grill resulting in exposed flesh, and tough food.

2. Aluminium foil BBQ tray

Use kitchen aluminium foil, doubled over, to line the base of your barbecue.

Turn up the edges of the "tray" 2-3 inches, and then cook on your barbecue grill as usual. During cooking, the juices and fat drippings will collect with the rest of the residues from cooking and be easy to remove afterwards.

This will help to reduce the time it takes to clean up your garden barbecue afterwards.

3. Barbecue Sauces

If you are basting your food during cooking with a barbecue sauce, make sure that you do not place the meat too close to the heat too early on during cooking. If you do, it will result in charring and bitter tasting food.

Adding BBQ sauce early on does nothing for the flavor, instead, add a little sauce to food during the end of cooking, around 5-10 minutes before serving so that the sauce sticks to the meat properly and provide a tasty coating.

4. Barbecue marinades

Marinades improve the flavor and texture of all barbecue food, so use them often. Preparing for a barbecue the following day using a few minutes of your time in the evening will result in more succulent food with additional taste.

Marinades take a few minutes to prepare, and when finished, you can cover the marinaded food in cling-film and place in the fridge overnight for excellent results.

5.Cooking small pieces of meat

If possible, cook smaller pieces of meat indirectly, and if not, cook on a low heat around the edges of the grill while you cook the larger pieces in the centre of the grill where the heat is higher.

If smaller pieces of meat, such as chicken wings and sausages are cooked before a whole chicken, or beef brisket, remove them from the grill, wrap tightly in kitchen foil, and place in the bottom of the oven on 120f until you are ready to serve.

6.Cooking large pieces of meat

When cooking larger pieces of meat, apply a seasoning, known as a barbecue rub, prior to cooking. This will enhance the flavour greatly at the end. If time allows, cook the meat for an extended period of time, using a much lower temperature than may be used normally. Ensure that meat is cooked properly at the end by using a temperature probe.

Chicken is cooked through at 165f, steaks and chops at 165f and ham at 160f. Using a barbecue thermometer to test your cooked meat is both a sensible safety precaution and is a great investment for the kitchen as well.

7. Make a dry rub or barbecue seasoning

To maximise the flavour from barbecue food, you can use a "dry rub", also known as a seasoning on the meat prior to cooking.

Dry rubs can consist of as little as salt and ground black pepper, to much more flavoursome varieties that include dry spices such as ginger, cinnamon, garlic, thyme, sage, paprika, ground cumin and many others.

Try experimenting with dry seasoning's, and remember that a little goes a long way. If you have any seasoning left over afterwards, seal it in an airtight container and store in a dry, cool place for several weeks.

8. Use Barbecue wood chips

If your barbecue grill has a lid, or cover of some sort, consider using BBQ wood chips, remembering to prepare them properly before use.

Moisten the wood chips before use by placing a handful or two according to the manufacturers instructions, into a bowl of water, allowing them to soak for at least half an hour before use in your BBQ smoker or garden barbecue.

Avoid placing unprepared wood chips directly onto charcoal or near a direct heat source as they will burn quickly and release a bitter tasting smoke that could ruin your food.

9. Eating healthily

Avoid drinking milk during the course of a barbecue as this slows down digestion of food. Instead try drinking other beverages that complement the food you are cooking, such as imported lagers and ales, white and rose wines, spritzers and fruit cordials for younger guests.

Ensure that excess fat has been trimmed away from all meats before cooking, and once cooked, food may be gently patted down with kitchen towel to remove any excess surface fats before serving. The food will look more appetizing and result in healthy BBQ food at the same time.

10. Safety first

Ensuring your friends and families safety at a barbecue is paramount, and a few basic precautions will go a long way if an accident should occur.

Always have a bucket of water near the grill when cooking. This is fine for use on a charcoal or gas barbecue, and remember to use sand on an electric barbecues should a fire occur.

Fire blankets are an inexpensive and versatile piece of safety equipment that can be used in both the kitchen and the garden, and are readily available at most D.I.Y. stores.

Use tongs when handling food over a hot grill to avoid burns, and use oven mitts when handling hot griddle plates and other items that are too hot to the touch.

We hope you have found these tips useful and enjoy making the most of your BBQ. Feel free to share this with your friends so they can benefit too.

The Best Ways to Prepare Wild Game For Dinner

While hunting is itself a popular sport enjoyed by hunters all over the world, the premise upon which most hunting is based is a need for food and sustenance. For that reason many avid hunters will agree with the idea that the experience of the hunt is not complete until the game that is killed has been cooked into a delicious meal and shared with others. But cooking wild game such as boar, deer, alligator, rabbit, or any of the other various kinds of hunted animals is not such a common practice in today’s modern culinary world. To learn how to properly prepare wild game and to do so safely while also ensuring that the outcome is a tasty success is an art and craft all to itself. Learn a little bit about cooking game and soon it becomes not only easier but much more satisfying and rewarding – both for the hunter and for the cook. Sometimes the hunter and the cook are the same person, and if you are a sportsman who likes to hunt then you should by all means consider learning to cook so that when you return to camp or home with game you can put on your chef’s hat and cook what you killed.

As with any kind of cooking, it is always best to follow a recipe. There are many excellent books available that specialize in the cooking of wild game, and the best cookbook authors will also include sections in conventional recipe books that address the nuances and special techniques for cooking hunted game. For example, in the classic American cookbook “Joy of Cooking” you will find many pages devoted to helping explain all about the cleaning, butchering, preparing, and cooking of game. Look in the best cookbooks – those that have encyclopedic entries about the culinary arts – and you will likely discover recipes for deer meat or venison, rabbit, and various game birds like pheasant, quail, turkey, and duck. If the books are older and were written back when hunting for daily food was more common – or if they are special cookbooks designed for hunters – you will find much more exotic types of recipes. You are likely to find out how to cook squirrel, raccoon, beaver tail, wild boar, elk, gator, rattlesnake, and a host of other animals.

Most recipes call for grilling, baking, or roasting. Slowly smoking game meat adds a delightfully earthy and juicy flavor that enhances the taste of wild game. Grilling over an open flame – or over a campfire – is one of the most enjoyable game cooking methods, and it is also possible to make a meat loaf, burger, or other dish – just as you might with a fine cut of prime steak. You can also create dried jerky from venison and other meats, and many hunters dry their own jerky and then pack it along for snacks while on their hunting expeditions.

The best recipe really depends upon the particular type of game you like to hunt and your own personal preferences for what kinds of dishes and foods you enjoy the most. Do some research and shop for cookbooks that are written especially for game hunters. Then experiment with a few ways to cook the game you hunt until you have your own repertoire of personal favorite recipes.

Written by Albie Berk,
Reposted from isnare.

Megan's Frozen Watermelon Margarita

This is a wonderful Margarita recipe that's perfect for summer.
Frozen Watermelon Margarita
adapted from Gourmet

1 large watermelon
4 limes
1 c tequila
1/4 c sugar
lime salt (recipe below)

Cut the watermelon into cubes. Using a hand blender, puree the watermelon and add remaining ingredients. Place in freezer until solid.

Rub lime juice around the rims of the serving glasses or bowls. Press the rims into the lime salt and scrape round servings from the frozen watermelon margarita mixture. Serve as a solid or in glasses as a slush. Garnish with peels of lime zest.

Lime Salt

1/4 c salt
1 tsp dried lime zest

Combine by grinding together with a mortar and pestle. Use as a finishing salt with your favorite dishes. Perfect with fish and seafood.

The creator of this wonderful drink is Megan in Sydney, Australia.
Visit Megan's blog: Feasting On Art

Please visit GrillingGifts.com for fun and unique outdoor cooking and entertaining products. Since 1998 we've been providing customers with great products, fair prices and reliable customer service.

Keeping your chicken moist!

Most of the time I'm cooking chicken breast skinless. I like the fact that it is leaner and, if cooked right, gives me a pretty tasty meal.

The problem with a healthy chicken breast is the lack of fat which keeps it moist while cooking.

The key here is basting. Before cooking you must generously coat the meat with melted butter or oil, this will keep them from drying out.

Simple Instructions:
Preheat the grill to high
Brush your grill grate with oil.
Apply the breasts to the heated grill. During the cooking process you will need to baste with oil or melted butter. Cook on this side for 4 minutes. (if you want to rotate the meat 45 degrees at 2 minutes you can get the crosshatch grill lines) After 4 minutes on the first side flip and repeat on the second side.

Please visit www.grillinggifts.com for more tips, recipes and fun, unique outdoor cooking products

GrillingGifts.com product in Maxim Magazine

Maxim Magazine has always been known for beautiful pictures and fabulous articles. In the July issue they've ran a wonderful Grilling Products section titled "Grill on Grill Action" Our Leather Grilling Glove was just the right fit whent hey told us they wanted unique, hard to find grilling accessories.



Since 1998 we've been providing outdoor cooking gurus with the tools they need to set themselves apart from their neighbor. We don't want to sell thousands of items that can be found in every big box retailer around the country. We stick with items that cooks are proud to own. The five words we want you to hear on your patio "Where did you get that?"

GrillingGifts.com is known for our flagship product. The BBQ Steak Brand, this gives cooks the ability to add their signature to the work of art they just created on the grill. Other fun and unique items consist of The Double Barrel Chicken Cooker, The Happy Jalapeno Grill, NCAA Team Branding Irons, Personalized Bar Glasses and so much more.

We hope that you will visit our site, we're sure you'll find something you need.

Site Relaunch

We are proud to announce the the relaunch of our wonderful new site. This is many months in the works. We have sourced some great new products (about 2,000) that have been added during the redesign process. You can also sign up for "Outdoor Entertaining" Facebook page.

To thank all of you outdoor cooking fans we are offering a customer appreciation code to get you 15% of all items in your cart. Please use promotion code "GGfriends" and it will calculate the discount.

Thank you for your support:
www.grillinggifts.com

Coporate Gifts

Making Business Relationships last:

There are many times when you’ll find it suitable, even a necessity to offer corporate gifts. However, remember that these gifts are meant to establish and strengthen your business relationships while also promoting your company. You shouldn’t be handing out gifts all the time, but there are occasions in which you may be helping a fellow business celebrate a success or milestone, or recognizing a holiday or event.

Corporate Gift Giving

Giving gifts in the business atmosphere is much different than giving them to your family or friends. Make sure to give your gift in person whenever possible, this makes your gift appear more genuine, and shows effort and consideration.
If you can’t deliver the gift in person, at least make sure you’re giving the gift to the right person or group. If your contact is a manager, yet most of your business is done with the administrative assistant, get a gift for both. You should always show appreciation to those whom are worthy of it!

Make sure you offer the gift at the apt time. When celebrating a company achievement or milestone, be sure not to let too much time pass between the event and the delivery of the gift. This would only make you appear lazy and display a lack of value for the people you’re trying to recognize. If you’re giving a gift for a holiday or a special event, try to give it early. You don’t want your gift lost in a crowd; always make sure your gift will stand out and be well received.

Don’t forget to personalize the gift. Include a card, and if there are multiple recipients, note each person on that card so all recipients feel recognized. If the gift is from a group, make sure that each giver signs the card. Make sure to use this gift-giving opportunity to establish personal relationships with other professionals.

What to give:


Whatever you do, when you’re giving corporate gifts, never be cheap! You don’t want to come across as penny-pinching or appear to resent the recipient of the gift. Gift giving is never to be viewed as a chore, no matter who the recipient.

You also want to give a gift that lasts and shares a message. Products that display your logo are always great.

Just remember that you’re trying to develop a relationship with the recipient of your gift, while sharing a corporate message at the same time. Pick a gift that you would appreciate receiving and which speaks positively for you and your business.

Note: These logos shown here are all property of their original owner corporations, we were asked to create brands of these logos either by employees of that company or by brokers doing work for those companies. All logos were approved before a brand was created.

Secrets of a Barbecue Grill

by Scott Fromherz Reprinted from ArticleIsland.com


Everyone who has a backyard or even an outside patio probably owns a barbecue grill. The grill is as important as anything else lying around the house. Most men consider the grill and the area surrounding it "man land." Cooking meat on an open flame satisfies the caveman part of the brain.

The smell of the meat on hot coals will make anyone hungry. A barbecue grill comes in many shapes and sizes. Small grills that can be placed on a table can cost very little and they work just the same as the big ones.

On the other end of the spectrum, one can find large stainless steel models that cost, in some cases, over two thousand dollars. When it comes down to the basics, a barbecue grill cooks meat. Everything else that is built into one is either a cooking aid or nice to have accessories. Some grills also come attached with smoker accessories so the unit can accomplish more than just grilling.

Whatever the customer wants, there is probably a grill that suits his or her taste. Something to consider when shopping for a grill is: What size does one want or need? Meat racks can be small, maybe enough to cook two steaks, or large enough to cook for a large party.

Tips To Aid The Cooking Of Meat

It doesn't matter what kind of meat one is cooking. Whether its beef, pork, fish, or chicken, there are some things that can enhance the flavors. One way is to marinate the meat overnight in whatever one chooses. When it is taken out to the barbecue grill, the aroma is mouth watering.

Also, one can use spices while the meat is cooking. There are many spices available to the customer. Some even mix spices together designed for each type of meat.

Something else that will aid the cooking is to watch out for flare ups. They can very quickly ruin a nice cut of meat. Every barbecue grill has a lid. When cooking meat that drips often, keeping the lid closed while cooking will stop the flare up. One still has to keep an eye out for trouble, but with the barbecue grill lid down, flare ups are minimized. Finally, knowing the amount of time it takes to cook a specific type and size of meat, the individual can then cook the meat to whatever one likes.

All meat will taste bad if overcooked so have a rough idea of the time it takes to cook whatever meat one is having, and keep a knife handy to check the current condition of the meat.

Surf and Turf: Products for Your Pool and Patio

Many serious barbeque lovers know how to improve or alter the taste of the meats they grill. This can be done in a few different fashions. The fuel that is used to burn is one point to consider. Charcoal or wood is the main form of flavor. Gas typically is a sure way to get the burn started faster, but the taste is arguably less favorable.

Wood is a great way to impart a unique flavor to the meat by circulating its smoke within the bbq grill. There are many wood types to use with the bbq grill, but all of them should be deciduous hard woods rather than coniferous (like pine wood). Woods like pine contain tars and resins that impart a chemical taste to the meat.

Such types of wood that are used in barbeques are:

Maple
Mesquite
Cherry Wood
Apple Wood
Oak

Charcoal is another fuel source that is enjoyed by barbeque enthusiasts. This comes in several forms, but it is nearly all carbon. It is actually made from wood that was burned. Occasionally additives, like clay and nitrates are included to make the burn stay longer in your bbq grill.

Charcoal, like wood, imparts the flavor from the smoke it produces. Charcoal and wood are often combined in the grill to do this. It's debatable what type of smoke create the flavor, white smoke or the thin blue smoke, but some will use water to create a thicker smoke or use a smoker separately for a deeper taste.

In addition to fuel types for flavor, meat marinades and flavor rubs are used for enhancement. The assortment of flavors and combinations are endless. The flavors are often geographical and culturally based, everything from Jamaican Jerk marinade, to Mexican Chipotle salt rub, the flavor emanates into the meat as it hits the bbq grill.

Grilling is not Barbeque; Taste the Difference

Many think that barbeque is simply putting flame to a bbq grill and searing steaks up within a 15 minute span. The actual method and flavor is rarely experienced, especially in the northern states.

American style barbeque was initially developed in the south, and if you ask most cooks in Texas how to define the difference between the two, they would explain there is a world of difference in taste.

Barbeque is simply a much more enriching smoke flavor. The difference is the heat source and intensity. With grilling is simply cooking food over the flame directly; it maybe takes about 15 minutes or so for a steak. Barbeque is a much lower heat, using indirect heat and tons of smoke.

Meats that are cooked this way can take several hours, a full day even. This time allows the wood smoke to fully penetrate the meat, which makes a remarkable different end result.

By: Art Gib

Vegetarians at the BBQ

It would seem that nowadays there are a lot of options for vegetarians. Meatless alternatives seem to abound everywhere, from the neighborhood deli, to the sushi shop, to the hamburger joint. The hamburger joint? Yes, you heard correctly. With the introduction of several brands of meatless “burgers,” vegetarians can brave the very den of carnivorous pleasure. Once viewed as an eccentric oddity, vegetarians have moved from the fringe to the mainstream. However, the truth is, all too often the meatless menu option isn’t vegetarian at all…it’s just a menu item, minus the meat. Unfortunately, a white hoagie bun topped with iceberg lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, and mustard is about as unappealing to the vegetarian as it is to the carnivore counterpart.

So what about the vegetarian at the barbecue?

With its increased popularity, it’s highly likely you have friends or family members who’ve adopted this lifestyle. Don’t let this cause you angst the next time you invite them over for barbecue. With the tips below, you can be assured they’ll be licking their fingers and singing your praise as enthusiastically as your steak-loving comrades.

The first rule of thumb when barbecuing for vegetarians is that veggies are not just a sideshow anymore. Don’t doom your vegetarian guests to pick and choose among the sides to make their meals. Potato salad, relish plates, and devilled eggs? Consider. You offer steak, chicken, and fish to your meat-loving friends, but the vegetarian in attendance is offered only corn on the cob? Lame! If you want to really impress your vegetarian guests, you want to offer at least one meat-free main dish. While there are a few meat substitutions out there I advise you to think outside the box. A quick search on the internet will reveal literally hundreds of recipes for preparing veggies on the grill. A short-list of the easiest to prepare, and most popular vegetables would include potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and zucchini. If you’re willing to put in a little more effort, you can prepare a bowl of pasta to serve with the grilled veggies. Don’t blame me if your meat-loving friends fill up on this entrée and you have to make more!

The second tip to hosting a vegetarian-friendly barbecue is presentation. While a pile of juicy steaks thrown on a platter straight from the grill may look tempting, a pound of potatoes doesn’t quite have the same appeal. Take a few minutes to peruse a few vegetarian cookbooks, or preview the photographs of the recipes you check out on line. You may be surprised how tempting a plate of Stuffed Tomatoes looks with a sprig of fresh herbs and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, grated cheese, or drizzled oil. Let your creative juices flow freely, and watch how mouth-watering the vegetarian alternative suddenly becomes.

This article wouldn’t be complete without a word on quality. Time after time I’ve found this to be the big difference between a veggie-lover and a veggie-hater. Usually the veggie-hater has never been exposed to good quality vegetables. If you want your vegetarian entrée to come out tasting like a champ, it’s worth the effort to find the freshest produce available. Barbecue season also happens to be the best season for vegetables—so check out your local farmer’s market or neighborhood vegetable stand. Of course, the best place to get vegetables is straight out of the garden, and there are great recipes that even use the veggies you may otherwise throw away. (For example, the green tomatoes that get knocked off the vine grill up firm and tangy!) Trust me, everyone will love a vegetable that has been ripened by the sun, and picked in season.

There you have it! Take these tips with you to the grocery store and the vegetable stand, and I have no doubt your barbecue will be a big hit—for everyone!

About The Author-- About the Author Emma Snow is contributing author and publisher to http://www.bbq-shop.net