Warmer weather is great for grilling, but before firing up the grill, take a moment to check your grill brushes. Like many consumers, I may be affected by recent brush recalls. More than 10 million wire grill brushes sold at Home Depot were recalled after reports that bristles may break off and stick to food or the grill. Check out the recall alert from the . In February, Weber announced a recall of 3.2 million Metsal wire bristle grill brushes. For more information, visit .
As grilling season begins, it is also a good time to review basic grill safety. Charcoal and propane grills should never be used indoors because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas tanks and pipes should be checked for leaks before grilling, using soapy water to test connections. Grills should be cleaned regularly to remove grease and grime, and they should never be left unattended while in use. Coals should be completely extinguished and safely disposed of before leaving the area.
For those thinking about new grill accessories, there are several options to consider.
Smoker boxes and wood chips have become very popular as more people experiment with smoked flavors. For those not ready to purchase one, a smoker box can produce similar results on a gas grill. A smoker box filled with flavorful wood chips can greatly expand your cooking options. The smoker boxes themselves are easy to use, and wood chips add delicious smokiness to your food while being free of additives. Cycle through tasty flavors like apple, hickory and cherry until you find your favorite, or craft your own custom blend.
Sometimes the main grilling surface is not large enough, and grill racks and roasters can help provide additional space and methods for grilling all kinds of food. Expansion racks, for example, elevate food above the grill grates to create more space and promote indirect cooking. Rib racks and poultry roasters are useful for grilling larger pieces of meat, and grill baskets let you roast small cuts and veggies without fear of them falling through the grates. I use a grill basket regularly for vegetables and salmon.
Barbecue griddles and grill toppers can transform a simple gas grill into a more versatile machine that can do it all! Griddles let you whip up breakfast eggs, brunch or stir-fry.
I find a barbecue thermometer probe to be essential. Newer remote probes connect to phone apps and let you know when your food has reached proper temperature. This helps eliminate the number of times you open the cover to check cooking progress. As the saying goes, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking, it ain鈥檛 cooking.鈥
Cooking and cleaning tools, from basting brushes to tongs, are also important. Long-handled utensils improve safety when grilling over high heat, and a slotted stainless steel fish turner/spatula is a must. OXO makes a pretty good one. Instead of piercing food with a fork, try tongs. Look for tongs that are longer than standard kitchen versions to keep hands away from the fire and are easy to open and close, with tapered oval heads, possibly rubber grips and medium weight. The OXO 16-inch 鈥淕ood Grips鈥 tongs are one option to consider.
Pizza stones and tools designed for gas grills make it possible to prepare pizza outdoors. Why order delivery when you can put together a delicious pizza in your own backyard? Pizza accessories make it easy to enjoy melty, gooey cheese and crust crisped to perfection any day of the week. Pizza stones enhance the baking process within a grill, distributing heat evenly for the crispy, golden crust everyone craves. Pizza peels are essential for getting your pie on and off the grill, and cutters ensure that everyone gets a slice!
When it comes to accessorizing, your grill shouldn鈥檛 get to have all the fun. Barbecue aprons and gloves offer a combination of safety and style that can bring backyard cooks one step closer to becoming a grill master. I strongly recommend a pair of high-heat gloves that protect your hands during searing sessions, allow you to safely hold grilling tools and make it possible to transport hot cookware. Don鈥檛 forget the apron, which shields your clothes from spills and stains.
Understanding the difference between direct and indirect heat can also improve grilling results. In a nutshell, direct heat means cooking your food directly over your source of heat, while indirect heat means cooking food adjacent to your heat source. Since the searing hot grates transfer a lot of heat very quickly, direct heat is the way to go for ingredients that cook quickly. It鈥檚 how you get those beautiful classic grill marks on steaks, burgers, chicken breasts and veggies. Just be careful; too much exposure to such intense heat can pull moisture out of your foods too quickly, leaving you with dry, less flavorful dishes. With indirect heat, heat transfers to your food not from the grates beneath it, but from all the hot air circulating through the firebox. It鈥檚 a process known as convection heat, and it鈥檚 pretty similar to the way your oven works.
The easiest way to think about the difference between direct heat and indirect heat is by cooking a steak. When searing a steak, the intense direct heat will cause the surface of the cut to form a delightful brown crust that helps to keep juices locked in and contained within the meat. But just because it鈥檚 seared on the outside, doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 cooked perfectly on the inside. That鈥檚 where you might move the steak over indirect heat. Indirect heat will be less intense, which is great for bringing your steaks up to the perfect temperature 鈥 a great reason to use a probe.
As the season gets underway, consider shaking things up with a new rub or marinade to enhance your finished product. Also, I want to share a quick note on eliminating those nasty and not-good-for-you chemical charcoal lighter fluids. Carol purchased a Weber Chimney starter for me, and I love it!
Below is a recipe for Mexican Grilled Corn from New York Times Food writer Mark Bittman.
Mexican grilled corn
4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Prepare a grill, with heat medium-high and rack about 4 inches from the fire. Put corn on grill and cook until kernels begin to char, about 5 minutes, and then turn. Continue cooking and turning until all sides are slightly blackened.
- Mix together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lime juice or chili powder if you like. Serve corn with chili-lime mayo.
69风流
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 69风流 Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.