I went over types of The Grill in part one of this Grilling Primer; and Fuel and Fire in part two. Now before we do any cooking, we need to be sure to have the right equipment. There are a lot of baskets, holders, spits and other things that, while fun, aren’t absolutely necessary.
Must Haves
Wire Grill Brush – the key to grilling happiness is a clean grill grate – the cleaner the grate, the less food will stick to it. A lot of wire brushes also come with a scraping tool. Use the brush and scraper to get rid of all the left behind burnt on goodness.
Long Handled Tongs – the absolute, most important tool next to the grill. Use them for arranging hot coals, lifting hot grates, and of course – moving and turning food on the grill. Please use tongs instead of a fork for moving and turning the food – every time a piece of meat is stabbed with a fork, the juices run out from the nice sear that you just put on your meat. Make sure they lock for easy storage.
Long Handled Slotted Spatula – how else are you going to turn those juicy burgers and tasty fish? The slots help reduce the drag under whatever it is you’re flipping.
Mitts – better to cook the food and not your hands and forearms. Make sure they are flame retardant/resistant.
Instant Read Thermometer – to let you know when you have reached grilling perfection, rather than over-cooked shoe leather. For roasts and larger cuts of meat, consider a remote digital probe thermometer that can be left in with the grill lid closed. The more you open the lid to check how it’s doing, the more heat escapes and the longer it will take to finish.
Foil Pans – cheap and disposable and should always be on hand. Perfect for transporting raw and cooked food – two pans equal no washing and no cross-contamination.
Fire Extinguisher – just in case.
Nice to Have, but Not Necessary
Metal Skewers – personally, I prefer bamboo. Just be sure to soak them in water for an hour before using… yes, they catch on fire.
Grill Baskets – so smaller items don’t slip through the grate.
Rib Racks (but if you plan to cook a lot of ribs, they save time and valuable grilling space).
In the final installment of this Grilling Primer, we’ll cover Cooking Methods.
Happy grilling!
I often have BIG ideas about food, my business and life in general. Ideas and thoughts that I need to get out of my head, but seem to get bogged down as to whether or not it these ideas are showcased in the appropriate venue. So I've decided to just put it all out there. I've redesigned this site and now (hopefully), I will release into the interweb the ramblings of my mind.
Peace.
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