Grilling can be a fun, delicious, and healthy way to entertain friends or enjoy an outdoor family meal. Here are some tips on how to BBQ better, put together by our in-house barbecue aficionados:
Gas Grilling Tips
-
Take A Look
Check the inside of your barbecue to ensure it's clear of any debris. If you don’t need your removable warming rack and it is in your way, remove it before lighting the grill to avoid burning yourself. -
Light It Up
After you light the barbecue, turn all the burners to high to preheat for at least 15 minutes, even if you plan to cook on lower heat. -
Clean It Down
Once the cooking grate is hot, scrape it clean with a grill brush and adjust the heat settings as required. -
Close It Shut
Whether you’re cooking with direct or indirect heat, keep the lid closed. Keeping the lid down concentrates the heat for searing and keeps the temperature steady for slow cooking. -
Cook It Right
Once you have the BBQ heated and at the desired temperature, place your ingredients on the grill for the appropriate amount of time.
Charcoal Grilling Tips
-
Get The Charcoal Right
Based on the size of your grill, the amount of food being cooked, and the desired intensity of the fire decide how much charcoal to use. In the end, you want a fire that covers an area that exceeds the space your food occupies on your grate. The higher you pile the charcoal, (and therefore the closer it is to the cooking grate), the more intense the fire will be. -
Check For Ash
Make sure the coals are covered with fine, gray ash before you start to grill. This is a sign that the coals are fully lit and hot. -
Set The Grate
Place the cooking grate in place and let it heat up for five minutes. -
Clean It
Once the grate is hot, scrape it clean with a grill brush (exactly like you would with a gas BBQ). -
Place It
Place your ingredients of choice on the grate to get cooking. -
Don’t Cover It
Unlike gas grilling, don’t close the cover, as it can give an ‘off’ flavour to foods. If you need to trap heat to cook something through, cover the food with a disposable aluminum pan, pie plate, or foil. Just be careful removing the cover, as it will get very hot after a couple of minutes.
Of note, seeing as you’re probably reading this because you want to know how to BBQ better, food is much less likely to stick to a clean grate than a dirty one, and will taste much better. We recommend you always scrub a well-heated grate, using a special barbecue wire brush or wood paddle. If you don’t have either of those tools, tongs and a crumpled wad of foil work just as well.
Finally, we recommend you always keep your grill greased. This will prevent food from sticking to the grates and create those perfect grilling marks so your food is “Instagram-able.” There are a few ways to ensure your grill is greased, but here are our top three recommendations:
-
Dipped Paper Towel
Dip a piece of paper towel in olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil and run it along the grill using tongs. -
Oiled Onion
For more flavour, dip an onion (sliced in half) in olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil and run it along the grill using tongs. -
Spray Can
Finally, if you don’t have tongs (which every BBQ-er should) try a spray oil, but stand back as it can cause a flame.
Now that you’ve got a clean, greased grill, regardless if it’s gas or charcoal, you’re ready to grill anything! Knowing how to BBQ better will allow you to cook not only meat on the grill, but vegetables, fruits, pizzas, and more. Here are a few Herbal Magic Recipes that you could try on the grill:
