Grill Preparation is Part of the Fun

Getting together with family or friends on a special occasion or at the weekend is one of life’s most pleasurable pastimes. We love outdoor barbecuing, especially in the summer months or when we have a beautiful day to enjoy. When everyone is hungry and ready to eat it’s time to wheel out the barbecue grill and get ready for those pleasant aromas.

When we are thinking about entertaining, grill preparation is not something we want to spend a lot of time on, although we should always remember safety must be at the forefront. It’s great that it doesn’t take much effort to cook well on the barbecue and remember that the residue from previous cookouts will add to the flavor and the enhancement!

Grill preparation can be quite straightforward. You just have to remember to put it in a position where smoke will go away from your party and remember to think of the neighbors as well. Never light a grill underneath an overhang and make sure that there is plenty of room for the fumes to disperse.

While gas grills are a lot easier, charcoal grills take a little bit of time to put together. Nevertheless, watching it heat up can be part of the enjoyment but never try to accelerate the fire until the coals become white-hot by squirting some kind of starter fluid on the flames. Your focus for this weekend is on food preparation and not on first aid.

Move your grill away from any wooden structures, sheds or outhouses and if you are cooking on a wooden deck keep an eye on the situation all the time. You should get a fireproof deck protector or patio plates to put beneath the unit and at all times have a fire extinguisher handy.

While grill preparation is part of the fun, remember that you do not want to spend too much of your time cleaning up afterwards. While many grills come prepared with a special drip tray, we often forget to change this out and it can often leak, especially if we are moving the grill back and forth. For this reason, pick up one of those absorbent pads, which are especially designed for this purpose. You can find them online rather easily and they will help you to avoid having to clean up a stained outdoor area.

When cooking outside remember that you have to be slow and steady and not try to rush things. Generally keep the temperature on low as otherwise you might well burn the outside of the food before the inside is correctly cooked.

At the top of the list when it comes to grill preparation is an adequate amount of propane. If you run out halfway through cooking and have to run to the store to get another gas tank you will not be particularly popular!