INTRODUCTION TO BARBECUING

Everyone enjoys a barbecue. The mere mention of the word in enough to evoke images of lazy afternoons and relaxed dinners with family and friends. The smokey flavor that food obtains when they have been cooked on a barbecue, are what make them so delicious.

Charcoal is probably man’s oldest manufactured cooking and heating fuel. In its original form, it retained the size and shape of the wood materials from which it was made. The major features of charcoal -slow, even burning, and ease of handling. Thanks for the first charcoal briquette goes to the father of the mass produced automobile, Henry Ford. Being a frugal man, Ford made use of the scrap wood left over from the production of automobile frames. He had it converted to charcoal, ground into powder, mixed with a binder and pressed into the now familiar shape of briquettes. He also manufactured thin steel collapsible stoves with “Ford” stamped on the cover. An indispensable item for family campouts in the 20’s and 30’s.

Today, cooking with charcoal, whether done on a simple wire grill in the woods, or on an elaborate backyard barbecue is one of America’s favorite ways to cook. In addition to being good eating, barbecue cooking is fun.

EQUIPMENT:

Barbecue equipment is of two types: grills, both open and covered in which food cooked directly over or near the coals, and heat source implements such as a Dutch Oven, in which food is cooked by placing it over a charcoal fire and placing coals on top.

To protect the bottom of your new barbecue, it is advisable to place a layer of sand or small pebbles in it before using it. Drippings from the meat will be burned up by the fire, and the fine charcoal dust will settle into your layer of pebbles or sand. Once or twice a season, you should empty the pan and replace the pebbles or sand.

The grill is practically self-cleaning. Just set it over the coals for about 5 minutes before you are ready to cook on it and the old residue and drippings will burn off. Then rub it quickly with steel wool and you are ready to go.

Grilling is the way most people cook when cooking outside. You can grill on a wire rack placed on rocks over coals, or you can use an open charcoal grill. Use plenty of charcoal and sear the meat close to the coals on each side. The raise the grill and cook until done.


BARBECUE ACCESSORIES:

1. A good pair of insulated gloves or mitts.
2. A pair of cotton garden gloves for placing non-lighted briquettes in your unit. It doesn’t matter if they get dirty on the outside. Just leave them in your charcoal bag or holder. You’ll do a better job with clean hands.
3. A pair of tongs are essential, especially for hot briquette handling. The longer the handles, the better. They are also good for turning steaks, chicken, etc. A barbecue fork punctures the meat and allows juices to drop on the coals, causing flare-ups.
4. A squirt bottle with water is good for dampening coals that become too hot or flare-up.
5. A barbecue thermometer. There are basically two kinds of barbecue thermometers: air temperature and interior meat temperature thermometers. The air temperature types are quite often found built into the hood of the covered units. Also, the may be purchased separately to put inside your unit when roasting. This will then tell you the approximate oven temperature, so that you may regulate the coals or vents in your unit for an even heat. Knowing the heat level allows you to figure the time necessary for cooking to the desired doneness. The best barbecue thermometer is the insertion-type interior thermometer. These you insert near the end of cooking to determine doneness (rare, medium) of thick meats, such as flat roasts, turkey, whole chickens, etc. They can be used on rotisserie roasts or spit-roasted birds, but they are clumsy and may become damaged if the dial gets too close to the coals or strikes the side of the barbecue while turning.
6. A long handled basting brush. A good long-handled brush is useful on hot fires. Wash well directly after using. Dishwashers won’t hurt them.
7. A roll of aluminum wire. Essential for tying up stubborn birds and roasts. String may do the job, but wire is better. It’s rather difficult to re-tie a hot, dripping 6lb.roast! But be careful. The wire is strong enough to tear the meat if over tightened.
8. Some regular pliers with a wire cutting notch. Great for tightening up loose bolts on your various apparatus and for tying the wire around your roasts and birds.
9. Some small-mesh flexible wire cloth. Just the thing for those odd size fish or scallops or toasted sandwiches. It can also be used to form a frame for foil ‘tents’, to serve as a fire basket, etc.
10. Two hinged metal broiling racks, one large and one small: They should have fairly long wooden handles and a close mesh. Ideal for burgers, hotdogs, fish fillets and vegetables.
11. A heavy metal pot with a long handle to keep your baste warm. There is usually a place on the grill or in the coals for this pot. It’s a good container for your brush too. Keeping the baste warm and stirred guarantees the best results.

HAMBURGERS , HOT DOGS, & STEAK

HAMBURGERS:
Although most of us would prefer steak and roasts, we seem to end up with hamburgers and hotdogs. The barbecue is a blessing because the charcoal flavor makes these everyday staples into delicious specialties.
Hamburger for the barbecue should contain some, but not too much, fat. Extra lean meat dries out quickly and must be basted. For this reason, ground chuck is preferable to ground round steak and is normally the correct choice for grilling. Never make hamburgers smaller than ¼ lb per person. They’ll dry out. The addition of one egg and ¼ cup bread crumbs per pound of hamburger helps hold the hamburgers together, although un-doctored patties will usually survive on the grill (make the patties up ahead of time and freeze, they hold their shape better while cooking). Make your 1/4lb patties about ½” thick. Sear them as you would a steak and then raise the grate (grill) on your grill and finish cooking. Normally 4-6 minutes on each side is sufficient cooking time. (be sure to check the internal temperature to ensure doneness) Hamburgers should always be basted. Use your favorite barbecue sauce or a small amount of salad oil.

HOT DOGS/SAUSAGE:
Hot dogs are easy and fun. The kids love them so they are perfect for a family barbecue. There is no better way to cook hot dogs than to grill them, either whole or split, over charcoal. (A moderate fire is best to prevent bursting and curling.) They are tasty as they are, or can be dressed up with stuffings or sauces. Cooking delicate sausages such as bratwurst takes more care than the grilling of a regular hot dog. They must be cooked gently and thoroughly. When cooking on your grill you must be sure to turn them frequently. Use tongs, not a fork. (You don’t want to puncture the skins and lose the juices.) Your coals should be very low. I recommend that you precook them before placing them on the grill. Just put them in enough water to cover them, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. If the sausages do split while cooking, don’t get excited. Just put some light type cheese in the cavity and go on as if nothing happened. Everybody will think you planned it that way.

STEAK:
Use plenty of charcoal. There should be no spaces between the briquettes and the coals should cover a larger area than the area that the steak occupies on the grill. The steak should be at room temperature. First slash through the fat on the outside of the steak at 1” intervals to keep the steak from curling. Place the steak on the grill and lower the grill to within about 3” of the fire. If your coals are hot enough, the steak will char very rapidly. This seals in the juices. The fat from the meat will drip on the coals and they will blaze up. At this stage, let them blaze away. In a minute or two, the meat will be a rich brown-black charred color. Now, turn it over (with a pair of tongs, not a fork) and sear the other side. If you like a rare steak, you are through. If you like medium or well done, do the following: (1) If you have a covered grill, move the steak completely off the coals to the furthermost point on the grill away from the fire. Open your vents, and close the lid. The blazing fire should go out right away. If it doesn’t, close the vents for a few seconds and then open them. Leave the steak inside for about 10 minutes for a 1 ½” steak for medium and longer for well done. Don’t be afraid to cut the steak open with a knife to see how its coming. Now, remove it to a serving platter and add salt and pepper, or you can brush it with a small amount of butter that’s been mixed together with garlic salt and pepper. (2) If you have an open grill, raise the grate and rotate the steaks away from the coals by turning it. Now let the fire go out, use the spray bottle if necessary. Then rotate the steak back over the coals and cook in the raised position for about 5 minutes on each side for a 1 ½” steak. Follow directions for testing and seasoning in (1) above.

A properly grilled steak, over charcoal, is one of life’s great experiences. You’ll probably make a few mistakes, but one you get the timing down, you’ll produce consistent results.