Written by Sean Edwards, Chef and Professor, Hospitality and Tourism

The Flames of Autumn

Grilling Tips To Help You Savour the End of Summer

Fall may be fast approaching but don’t haul that backyard staple, the barbecue, back into the garage.  Keep wearing that apron your friends bought you that claim that you are the greatest chef the world has ever known.  If you are new to barbecuing, who knows – maybe you’ll luck upon a new barbecue at a clearance price.

Did the rain this summer keep you from barbecuing? Enjoy these last precious evenings out on the deck with a backlight  tapestry of fall foliage to inspire you.

Here is a little fact to remember before you begin: when you’re standing out on the deck, wearing that bad apron, a red wine in hand and that juicy steak on the old BBQ, you are not actually ‘’barbecuing’’ the meat, you are grilling it!  Barbecuing is the art of cooking tough cuts of meat by exposing them to indirect heat, over a much lower flame and for a much longer time period. Barbecuing is actually more like braising than it is grilling, but I think the industry would have a hard time selling anything under that name.

Grilling is one of the world’s most universal cooking methods, from the streets of Mumbai to New York City and finally to your backyard.  All that is needed is a good grill, interesting flavours and the most important ingredient: the willingness to experiment. Allow me to share a few tips that might help you to become the great “Griller” you always wanted to be.

• When it comes to your barbecue, size does matter. The larger the grilling area, the better your results. A larger grill allows for different temperatures, more space for different proteins and moving things around.
  
  
• Most mid-range and up barbecues now come with the option of side burners. This is a fantastic option, which allows you to heat sauces, cook corn, boil a lobster, and the list goes on.  For the few extra dollars, it is truly worth it.
  
  
• Just like in any kitchen, there are a thousand tools you can buy for barbecuing; nevertheless you need only a minimum of equipment to produce fantastic eats:
  
  
• Good solid spring-loaded tongs (12 inches or longer are the best)
  
  
• A stiff wire brush for cleaning the grill
  
  
• Aluminum foil pans for either marinating, holding cooked foods or for serving (they can also be washed and reused)
  
  
• Kitchen towels
  
  
• And a small amount of oil for cleaning the grill before using.

Now that we have the tools of the trade, let us go through in a few simple tricks that you can try.

• When lighting your barbecue, do not turn on the heat to its maximum setting unless you are planning to sear your meat very quickly. Know what heat level you need for your protein and go from there. Here is a quick and easy chart to follow: Place your hand 6 inches over the grill, hold for 6 seconds and your grill is a low fire – 5 seconds/ medium-low,  3 to 4 seconds/ medium  - 2 seconds/ medium hot  - 1 second and wincing from pain/ HOT.
  
  
• Once on, give the grill a really good brushing and then lightly oil the grill to help food release when cooked.
  
  
• Once you have everything ready to go, make sure you know which foods you need to cook first and which ones go on last.
  
  
• SEASON,SEASON,SEASON
  
  
• Allow foods to release themselves from the grill. We all have a habit of trying to turn burgers or chicken to fast. Let the protein get good grill marks and you will find that meats will easily come off the grill. If you find fish to be a tricky one, lightly flour the filet, take off any extra flour and place on grill.  The flour helps to keep fish from sticking.
  
  
• Make sure you wipe or pat dry any foods that have been marinated as these cause flare-ups on the grill. This normally leaves a burnt or sour taste on foods and will also blacken foods very quickly. However, do not forget that sauces and marinades should be brushed on near the end of the cooking.  If used any earlier, they will burn as well.

I hope that these few tips will help you to become the great cook that you always wanted to be.