If you have a backyard, you probably have at least a few barbecues lit up every weekend to ward off the summertime blues. There’s nothing quite like sitting around a campfire or a grill to get the family together, and once you get the hang of it, grilling is a fun way to enjoy some of your favorite foods. However, planning meals around barbecues can also be a bit of a challenge. It's easy to get carried away with all the tempting flavors and ingredients, and before you know it, you end up with lots of leftovers and less time to cook. That’s why it’s important to know how to choose what to barbeque.
How to Barbeque
There are so many different ways to barbeque! Whether it’s steaks, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, or sausages, there are lots of different ways to prepare food for the grill.
- To get the most flavor possible, we recommend marinating your meat for at least 24 hours, but preferably 48 hours or more. You can also add spices or seasonings directly to the meat before grilling.
- If you’re grilling vegetables, you can cook them at the same temperature as meat. This is because vegetables don’t have much of a “doneness” threshold since they’re generally cooked for a short amount of time.
- You can also use an instant-read thermometer to ensure you’re grilling your food at the correct temperature. This is especially important for meats, poultry, and seafood.
What Foods to Barbeque
There are a lot of different types of food that you can barbeque, and choosing the right ones will make your grilling experience even more delicious. When choosing what to barbeque, think about what you like to eat and what you have in your fridge. Start by brainstorming the different foods you like to eat, and then ask yourself if you have any of those ingredients in the fridge. This can help you narrow down your list of ingredients and make sure you have everything you need to make a delicious meal.
- Beef: This includes any cuts of meat that are red in colour, including steaks, burgers, roasts, and stews.
- Pork: Pork is generally grilled over a wood fire, so think about what types of barbecues you have at your disposal.
- Chicken: If you like grilled chicken, this is a good choice because it can easily be turned into a variety of different meals.
- Fish: Be sure to choose a fish that’s suitable for grilling. This will help you make the most of your barbeque experience.
Dark-Color Meat
There’s something about a barbecue where the food is as dark in colour as the smoke from the grill. While you can still get great results with this style of grilling, it’s especially important for meats with a strong red or dark flavour. These include beef, steak, pork, and sausages with a strong meaty flavour. That means that the meat should be cooked over a very hot fire so that it gets a strong charred flavour but doesn’t burn.
Fish and Seafood
Grilling fish can be a great way to flavor your food and make it more delicious. As with any fish, it’s important to choose a suitable one and make sure it’s fresh. Regardless of the type of fish, you can maintain the same general rules when it comes to grilling.
- We recommend flipping your fish halfway through the grilling process to get a more even result. This will help ensure that the seasoning is distributed evenly throughout the fish.
- Dried herbs and spices can also be added to your fish before grilling to create a more flavourful result.
Steak and Beef
The key to great steak is to cook it to a well-done temperature. The best way to do this is by using a meat thermometer to ensure that your steak is cooked to the right temperature. This is an important step because overcooking your steak can lead to tough, chewy beef. It’s important to make sure that you don’t try to cut into it with a knife or fork because it will be incredibly tough and chewy. Instead, we recommend that you let the steak sit out for 10-15 minutes before trying to cut into it.
Chicken and Turkey
There are plenty of different ways to make grilled chicken and turkey. However, one of the key things is to make sure that you don’t overcook the food. That means that it’s important to make sure that the food stays between 165-175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pork
For pork, there are a few different options. You can grill it over a gas or charcoal fire, or you can also grill it in a smoker. When it comes to cooking pork, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t overcook it. This means that you’ll want to make sure that you don’t cook it above 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Conclusion
There are so many different ways to barbeque, and the key is to find a style that works best for you. From dark-colour meats to smaller cuts of steak and even some poultry, there's something for every food lover out there. In addition to these staples, don't forget to try some of these recipes for your next grilling adventure.