| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | A Gas Grill Cooking Twist |
| Grilling, like any basic cooking method, can be | | | | Although GRILLING is always done with the lid cover |
| mastered. These cooking tips for gas grills will get | | | | open, gas grill cooking can incorporate additional |
| you started on the road to expert grilling any time of | | | | cooking methods that make it preferable to cook |
| year. Although most people see it as easy, grilling is | | | | with the grill cover closed. With the grill lid closed, the |
| actually one of the most challenging basic cooking | | | | grill changes from a CONDUCTIVE cooking vehicle to |
| methods. If cooking is like driving a car, grilling is like | | | | a CONVECTIVE cooking one - more like your oven. |
| being strapped to a rocket ship! Since grilling is an | | | | Of course you could just use your oven for using |
| intense form of direct heat cooking, controlling the | | | | these cooking methods, but outdoor cooking does |
| heat can be tricky. This presents the greatest | | | | have some advantages over indoor cooking - |
| challenge to home cooks. As the weather starts to | | | | particularly in warmer weather. So how do you turn |
| get nicer and the great outdoors beckons, attention | | | | your dry heat, direct source cooking vehicle (the grill) |
| starts to turn to outdoor cooking - and gas barbeque | | | | into one that can utilize a moist convective cooking |
| grills can't be beat for simplicity and convenience. Now | | | | process? It's actually a pretty cool technique for gas |
| more than ever, smart home cooks are looking for | | | | grill cooking. This is a trick I use most often with |
| the best cooking tips for gas grills to make their | | | | delicate fish, such as tilapia. First, I turn the heat OFF |
| work faster and easier - and their results better. But | | | | on the side of the grill that my tilapia will cook. Then, |
| grilling only becomes EASY when you know these | | | | I add a pan of water to the bottom of the other |
| simple cooking tips for gas grills that are guaranteed | | | | side of the grill - right on top of the heat elements. |
| to improve your results. | | | | Keep in mind that this "water" can be any kind of |
| Preparing Recipes for the Grill | | | | liquid you like. I use shrimp stock sometimes with fish, |
| When preparing recipes for the grill, the most | | | | but you can season it with chicken broth, wine - |
| important thing to consider is how the grilling method | | | | anything that is liquid and imparts nice, complimentary |
| of cooking acts differently on different types of | | | | flavors to the product you are cooking. Then, the |
| foods. To begin, careful product selection is | | | | fish is placed either directly on the grill (if you have a |
| extremely important. Marinating meats when making | | | | flat grate option) or you can put it in a cast iron pan |
| recipes for the grill is the best way to apply some | | | | and put it on the grill grates. The rest of the |
| tenderizing properties before cooking because the grill | | | | procedure for this type of gas grill cooking follows |
| will not tenderize meats. You must start with a | | | | the normal grilling process - cook with your eyes and |
| tender product if you want to end with a tender | | | | observations, flip after 75% done, use a |
| product. You want to also make sure the product | | | | thermometer to determine final temperature and |
| you choose will be able to withstand direct high-heat | | | | remove a bit "early" to allow for the carry-over |
| cooking. Different products will handle this differently | | | | cooking that occurs. And that's it, now you can |
| and some are just not the best choice for standard | | | | consider gas grill COOKING in addition to standard |
| grilling. A very delicate fish, such as tilapia, will not | | | | GRILLING for great outdoor cooking results. |
| perform very well on the grill because the high heat | | | | Gas Barbeque Grills vs Charcoal Grills |
| may burn the outside of the fish before the inside | | | | You will hear from many self-proclaimed |
| cooks at all. Vegetables all cook at different rates, | | | | GRILLMASTERS that the traditional charcoal grill is far |
| too, depending on their texture and fimness. When | | | | superior to the gas barbeque grill, but the gas grill has |
| cooking different combinations of vegetables | | | | many advantages that make it a great choice for |
| together (as in skewering), you will achieve far | | | | any outdoor cooking situation. I will admit that the |
| better results by par-cooking the "harder" items prior | | | | charcoal grill provides opportunity for a deep, smoky |
| to skewering so that all vegetables are the correct | | | | flavor that is not fully achievable with the gas |
| done-ness at the same time. | | | | barbeque grill, but after that all of the "pros" go into |
| Once you have considered the differences in the | | | | the gas grill's column. For starters, the gas grill is much |
| types of foods you will be grilling and preparing them | | | | easier and safer to start because it uses propane as |
| accordingly, the basic procedure for creating recipes | | | | fuel and starts at the press of a button. Charcoal |
| for the grill is the same across the board. First, heat | | | | grills can be easily started with lighter fluid, but this |
| up the grill as hot as it can get. Brush the food item | | | | can be dangerous, and can impart an undesirable |
| with the oil of your choice and place it on the hot | | | | taste into the food. Plus, the gas grill turns OFF as |
| grates - presentation side down. Leave the cover | | | | easily as it turned on! No waiting for coals to cool so |
| open and let the item cook. After a few minutes | | | | that you can empty and clean the grill and no messy |
| inspect the item. You are looking for the item to | | | | coals to dispose of. The other nice thing about gas |
| start to brown around the edges and to see pink | | | | barbeque grills is that they allow for consistent heat |
| (almost clear) moisture bubbling up to the top. This | | | | throughout the cooking process. With the charcoal |
| will be your signal that the item is 75% cooked on | | | | variety, the cook has to really control the heat by |
| one side and that is the time to flip it. Do not use a | | | | actually moving products closer and further and this |
| fork to flip the item and do not puncture it in any | | | | takes some practice and experience. |
| way. This will allow precious juices to escape, drying | | | | These cooking tips for gas grills seem simple but |
| out your product. The ONLY way to know when | | | | they truly are the difference between great grilling |
| your product is finished cooking is with a | | | | results and disappointing meals. The next time you |
| thermometer - testing internal temperature. Because | | | | get ready to grill, remember that careful product |
| there will be some carry-over cooking, remove the | | | | selection and a basic understanding of cooking |
| item 5-10 degrees BEFORE the desired final internal | | | | methods is all you need to master the barbeque grill, |
| temperature. | | | | creating outdoor meals and memories for life. |