Chile Grill Pepper Preparation

Filed under Grilling , Tips

Using the Chile Grill is the easy way to make stuffed jalapenos. This grill is built using heavy gauge stainless steel and is completely dishwasher safe.

Before you use the Chile Grill it probably wouldn’t hurt to give it a good washing. When it’s clean you may want to squirt it with some cooking oil, doesn’t need much, just enough to keep the cheese or whatever from sticking.

Basic Jalapeno Pepper Preparation

When selecting your jalapenos at the store go for the big ones that are straight and tapered. It makes fixing them easier, and there’s more to eat later! Here’s where you put on the rubber gloves if your have real sensitive skin. Cut the tops off the jalapenos then, using the Chile Twister or the Chile Grill Jalapeno Corer, carefully core each pepper, remove the seeds and set them in the Chile Grill. If you don’t want any surprises later make sure you get all the seeds!

Stuff Em!

Now comes the fun part, actually this part starts at the store, stuff something in `em! As you’re wandering down the aisle in the store, let your imagination go wild with ideas of what to put in your little creations. Every thing from the plain cheese, refried beans, cream cheese, sausage, to the more bold; shrimp, crab, smoked oysters or pickled baby corns. Somebody might even like peanut butter! Anyway, put a little salt in the peppers, stuff them with something and put a toothpick through them and set them back in the Chile Grill. The toothpick is important because even the biggest jalapeno will fall through when it gets done enough. Some people top them off with a third of a slice of bacon and the toothpick keeps it on. One thing about using the bacon is, when it’s done, the peppers are done.

Cooking

Put the Chile Grill with your stuffed peppers on your grill at about 350 degrees using the indirect heat method. If you cook them at a higher temperature it will boil out any stuffing's you use that have a high water content. Cook your peppers for about an hour if you want the peppers to lose all their heat. If you like your peppers to have a little kick, leave them on for about 30 to 45 minutes. Cooking with indirect heat keeps the bottom of the peppers from burning before the tops are done.

Enjoy!

Cooking With A Smoker Box

Filed under Grilling , Smokers

Cooking on the grill is fast and conveinent, but you loose that great smokey flavor. That's where a smoker box comes in handy. Cooking with a smoker box will enhance your foods tremendously. The aromatic wood flavors permeate your food adding nuances of aroma and flavor. There are different types of smoking wood which give you differnet types of smoke flavors.

Types Of Wood

The most common smoking wood types are mesquite and hickory. While these two great hardwoods impart distinct and delicious aromas and flavors to your food, they are not the only options. You will find smoking wood usually in chips or chunks. You will want to get the wood in chips for cooking in your smoker box.

• Alder - Delicate flavor with only a hint of sweetness. Good with lighter flavored foods like fish, pork, poultry and some game birds.
• Almond - Sweeter smoke flavor which is great with most meats.
• Apple - Mild, mellow, and subtle with a slightly sweet flavor. This is great with poultry and pork.
• Cherry - Mild and fruity. Also great with poultry, pork and even beef.
• Grapevines - Very dense smoke but it is rich and fruity flavored. Excellent accompaniment to rustic poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
• Hickory - This, along with mesquite, is one of the most common and popular smoking woods. Sweet but quite strong and almost has a bacon-like smoke flavor. Good with full-flavored pork, ham and beef preparations.
• Maple - Slightly sweet and mellow. Accents pork, poultry, and most game birds very nicely.
• Mesquite - Another of the most commonly used smoking woods. Strong earthy aroma which if too intense can be mellowed by combining with other more mellow woods like apple or cherry. Can compliment beef, fish, chicken and game nicely.
• Mulberry - Slightly sweet and not dissimilar to apple.
• Oak - Very heavy smoke flavor. Good with red meat and pork (particularly on ribs!) as well as fish and heavy game.
• Pear - Subtle, mellow and sweet flavor similar to apple. Very good with poultry and pork.
• Pecan - Somewhat like hickory but with a bit sweeter and milder flavor. Excellent with poultry, beef, and pork.

How To Use A Smoker Box

If you only have a gas grill, using a smoker box is the best way to get that smokey flavor into your foods. Follow these steps to get started cooking with a smoker box.

1. Soak the wood - If you don't soak your wood chips before adding them to the smoker box, they will tend to burn up quickly. By soaking your wood chips for 15 to 30 minutes, your wood chips will not ignite quickly and will release smoke for a longer period of time before burning up. Another trick is to add half dry and half soaked chips to get the smoke started quicker.
2. Place smoker box on grill - You will want to get your smoker box on the grill about 10 to 15 minutes before you start cooking. This will give the wood chips time to heat up and start smoking. You may need to try different combinations of wet wood and dry wood and how long to heat the wood up before adding your food to the grill.
3. Cooking your food - When cooking your food you will want to keep the grill lid closed as much as possible. This will let the smoke stay around the food as long as possible. The lower and slower you cook your food will also let more of the flavor from the wood chips into your food. You can also add wood chips to the box as the wood burns up. If you are slow cooking food that requires a lengthy cook time like a brisket, you may want to add wet and dry chips throughout the cooking process.

Cooking with a smoker box is really very simple. It may take a little practice to get just the right combination of wet and dry chips, cook time and of course the type of wood that you like the best. Once you have all that in place, you will not ever want to cook without good smoke again!

Enjoy!

Grilling Safe With The Kamado Joe

Filed under Grilling , Smokers

Keep grill stable

Be sure that all parts of the unit are firmly in place and that the grill is on a stable surface. We strongly recommend keeping the outdoor cookers in the provided cart. Do not place the cooker on a table or other object even if you consider it heat-resistant.

Avoid touching metal parts of the grill while cooking

Metal parts, especially the top vent can become very hot depending on the desired temperature. Use flame-retardant mitts when necessary. The ceramic base and lid of the Kamado Joe can get very warm, but incidental touching will not cause a burn injury.

Keep your fire under control

If you operate your grill above 500°F, then deprive the fire of oxygen by closing the top and bottom air vents, a sudden surge of flame called a “flashback” can occur if you suddenly open the lid of the grill. To prevent this, first reopen the top and bottom vents and then allow 10 seconds to pass before you open the lid of the grill. It's also a good idea to "burp" the lid by opening it an inch or two before fully opening it.

Be ready to extinguish flames

The best way to control a fire is to put the lid down and close the top vent and draft door. As with any controlled fire, have a fire extinguisher or garden hose nearby should other combustible items nearby catch fire such as leaves or lawn debris.

For outdoor use only

Set up your grill in a well-ventilated area that is away from buildings and overhead surfaces that may be combustible. Avoid high traffic areas.

Use long-handled cooking utensils

Use barbecue utensils with long handles to avoid burns and splatters.

Be aware of your clothing

When cooking, avoid loose clothing, shirt tails, or apron strings that can catch fire.

Never leave a grill unattended once it is lit

Although your fire is contained, it is important to supervise the area for the safety of yourself and others.

Use an appropriate fire starter

Use a chimney or other starter specifically made for lighting charcoal briquettes or wood chunks. If electric, unplug and remove a hot starter with caution and be careful where you put it. Always cool the starter completely before storing. Never use it in the rain or when standing on wet ground.

BBQ Charcoal Grills

Filed under Grilling , Charcoal

Although a favorite, there are pros and cons to using a charcoal bbq grill. One of the greatest drawbacks has to do with convenience and mess. Charcoal bbq grills require a set amount of time to prepare before you can begin to grill your food. Charcoal briquettes must be lit and burnt down to hot coals before you can place your food on the grill. Once you are finished cooking, you will need to empty the cooled burnt charcoal dust from the grill.

However, there are several reasons why a charcoal grill is the way to go.

Charcoal bbq grills will give you the greatest amount of flavor in your food. You also have many options for creating the perfect smoke and flavor combination. You can easily use charcoal briquettes one day and a hardened wood, such as cherry or apple the next day. These various charcoal and wood combinations will create a pleasing smoke that will permeate your meats, bringing out their natural flavors and enhancing their texture.

Additionally, you can cook over a broader range of temperatures with a charcoal grill than any other. By stoking your embers closer together you can achieve much hotter temperatures than with any other form of grill. Likewise, by separating the embers over the bottom of the grill, you can cook at very low temps. You can also easily move the embers around the bottom of your charcoal grill to create even heating space and differing temperatures within the grill itself.

Charcoal bbq grills come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The kettle grill, known best as the “Weber grill” features a round grilling surface with a domed top. Other sizes and shapes include the egg, an oblong grill that cooks well at low temperatures. Many charcoal grills are also being designed similarly to conventional propane bbq grills. These are charcoal bbq grills with sides for holding utensils and plates and are rectangular in shape.

If you decide to purchase a charcoal grill, you may want to purchase a chimney starter as an accessory. This is a cylindrical tower that will allow your charcoal to light and burn quicker than conventional means. Other accessories include cooking utensils, a cover to protect against the elements, and a long handled wire bristle brush for cleaning the cooking surface.

There are many charcoal grill manufacturers and most grills can be purchased online or at your local convenience retail or home supply store. Weber is the leading manufacturer of the kettle style grill and offers their unique shape in a variety of sizes. Other manufacturers include the Big Green Egg and Char-Broil.

Charcoal bbq grills can average between $50 USD and $2,500 USD, depending on size, style, and manufacturer. Things to look for in a charcoal grill include the ability to empty the cinders, air vents, cooking surface, and quality of materials.

Charcoal adds flavor. That's what charcoal afficionados say, and they're probably right. Although most charcoal grills don't have the push-button convenience of gas grills, they still put out plenty of heat to sear any food you want to cook.

There are many different kinds of charcoal grills, ranging from the most simple of boxes to complex, multi-level contraptions. Here is a quick summary of some of the types of charcoal bbq grills.

Freestanding charcoal bbq grills are the most common kind of charcoal grill. They have their own legs and stand alone on your porch or patio. Their grilling surface can be as small as a piece of paper, or as large as an executive desk. Most homeowners with charcoal grills own a freestanding grill since they are relatively inexpensive and easy to cook with.

Portable charcoal bbq grills are also very popular. These small grills usually have legs that fold up, a small cooking surface, and lightweight design. They are often taken around on camping trips and to sporting events for tailgating. Most of them cost between $20 and $200, but their are disposable one-time-use models that can be purchased at some grocery stores for merely $5.

Ceramic smoker bbq grills are made out of ceramic which holds in smoke and heat very well. Since they are built with ceramic, these bbq grills are very heavy and often expensive. Since charcoal adds great flavor, these grills are great for smoking ribs, chicken, and pork.

BBQ Grilling Safety Tips

Filed under Grilling

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Basic Grilling Safety

• Keep the grill in a well ventilated area away from the house and any structure that may catch fire if there is an accident. Also, avoid high traffic areas where children may be running and playing.Get a good pair of long handled tongs for turning food
• Don't wear long sleeved clothing that can catch fire and be aware of any loose clothing such as shirt tails and apron strings
• Clean the grill with a good grill brush
• Don't use a basting brush that might catch fire or melt. Try using one with silicon bristles
• Don't touch the metal parts of the grill when cooking. The metal parts can become extremely hot
• Keep small children away from the grill when cooking at all times. Nearly 25% of all burns from outdoor grills are small children under five.
• Use a flame-retardant cooking mitt when handling hot items

Propane Grills

Every year about 30 people are are injured from using propane grills. These injuries typically occur after a grill has not been used for a period of time or just after refilling and reattaching the propane bottle. To reduce the chance of injury, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has the following safety checks that should be routinely performed:

• Check the tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. If you can't move the hoses, install a heat shield to protect them.
• Replace scratched or nicked connectors, which can eventually leak gas.
• Check for gas leaks, following the manufacturer's instructions, if you smell gas or when you reconnect the grill to the LP gas container. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, or open flames away from a leaking grill.
• Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire.
• Do not attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See an LP gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions that accompany the grill.

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. Each year about 30 people die and 100 are injured as a result of CO fumes from charcoal grills and hibachis used inside.

To reduce these CO poisonings, CPSC is offering the following safety tips:

• Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents, or campers. Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Food Safety

• Make sure your meats are fully cooked to the recommended temperature.
• Always use a grill thermometer to ensure proper doneness
• Wash all cutting boards, grilling tools and work surfaces after handling raw meats
• Use a clean hand to hold your sauces and rubs while your other hand works any raw meats