Everything You Wanted to Know About BBQ

Posted by Darren

Whether you love indoor cooking or love to splurge on the great outdoors, BBQ, short for barbeque or barbecue is the most ‘in’ style of cooking nowadays. To get the best out of your own BBQ, try and place it near the main cooking area. Here are seven tips to consider before buying your personal BBQ:

1.    How big do you want your BBQ? The size of the BBQ depends on the number of burners it has, which could be 2, 3, 4 or even 6. It goes without saying that the larger the number of burners the larger the cooking surface. The material with which the cooking surface is made is important. The premium quality is one that is made of cast iron. These are equipped with anti-rust ceramic coating which looks and feels more hygienic, as it is naturally easier to keep clean.

2.    Built-in or portable BBQ? While the portable version is light-weight and easy to carry for picnics or outdoors, the built-in variety is more sturdy and heavy. These are good when you are selling BBQ dishes or even serving BBQ food to guests at a party.

3.    What kind of attachments should there be in my BBQ? There is a variety of attachments which are available with a BBQ. They are: baking dishes, hot plates or grills. When you are cooking marinated fish, lamb or chicken or any other food, then you would need the baking dish. For eggs and mushrooms, the hot plate is ideal. But for kebabs, steaks and other dishes which use meat, the grill is essential. Grill dishes are very easy and convenient to make directly on a BBQ flame tamer or BBQ rock. This keeps the BBQ odor intact and gets the whole family salivating. The juices from the meat slowly ooze out and fall on the BBQ rock which then flares up which give the food a typical BBQ flavor. For those weight watchers, BBQ grill food is best as such foods are low in fat content but do not compromise on taste.

4.    Rock or flame tamer? As mentioned earlier, the BBQ Grill can be used directly on the BBQ rock or the flame tamer. The BBQ rock is actually a ceramic type of rock while the flame tamer is metallic or made from cast iron. Both are excellent for a unique BBQ experience. The ultimate preference is of course your own.

5.    Natural or Bottled gas? If you were to choose between the two, opt for natural gas, as it is not only inexpensive but also inexhaustible. You could buy them from specialized retail outlets. Bottled gas, though convenient, is more expensive and finishes too soon; this means that you have to go on re-filling it. In case you are forced to use bottled gas, it is best to buy the 9 kg size as it can continue for some time without the need for frequent re-fills. Of course, there is 4.5 kg bottled gas also available.