safe and effective grilling

[waninae39]

• For safety when turning off the barbecue, first turn the gas off from the tank and then from the barbecue to allow the gas to clear the lines.
• To check whether your gas is running low, pour boiling water over the tank and run your hand down the side to feel for a cool spot. The top of the cool spot tells you the fill level of the tank.
• For a gas barbecue, preheat the grill for 15 minutes, then give it a quick brush to remove any lingering debris. Food will have less chance of sticking.
• Invest in gloves and tongs, using long, wooden-handled equipment to prevent burning yourself.
• Get an excellent scraper to clean the barbecue. It’s helpful to occasionally use the foil method: Cover the grates with aluminium foil. Heat the BBQ for 10 minutes, then open and remove foil. Crumple up the foil and use it to remove the debris.
• Always have two spray bottles handy: one with oil to lubricate the meat, another with water to douse any flames.
• Oil the meat, not the grill. Oil before you season, or you’ll end up brushing the seasoning off. Alternatively, apply via spray bottle.
• Grill with the lid down to keep the temperature from fluctuating. This will also help to prevent flareups and is the only way to keep some of the good smokiness.
• Use direct heat with items that take less than 20 minutes. Use indirect heat (shutting down one burner or moving coals to one side) for anything that takes longer. Don’t crowd the grill – the more items you have to flip when you open it, the more the heat will go down.
• Last, use a quality thermometer to check for doneness. I like the Thermapen (available online or at barbecue stores), which gives an instant read. You can also use the finger test: If the meat feels spongy it is not ready; if it is hard you have overcooked it.

[SteveSueMac]

Good tips - thanks [emoji3]