OPERATION COOKING TECHNIQUES
8
Burn-off.
Before cooking on your gas barbecue for the first
time, burn off the barbecue to rid it of any odours or foreign
matter as follows:
Remove cooking grids and warming rack and wash in mild
soap and water. Ignite the burner. Close the lid and
operate the barbecue for
20 minutes
with the control knobs
set at
"MEDIUM/HIGH".
Turn the gas off at the source.
Turn the control knobs to "Off". Let the appliance cool
down, replace the grids. You are now ready to use the
appliance.
Preheating.
When grilling, preheat the barbecue on
Medium/High with the lid closed for ten minutes. Reduce
heat as appropriate for what you are grilling. Scrub grids
with a wire grill brush and brush or spray the grids with
vegetable or olive oil to prevent food from sticking.
Lid Position.
The position of the lid during cooking is a
matter of personal preference, but the barbecue cooks
faster, uses less gas, and controls the temperature best
with the lid closed. A closed lid also imparts a smokier
flavor to meat cooked directly on the grid and is essential
for smoke and convection cooking.
Vaporization Systems.
Your gas grill is designed for use
with the Flav-R-Wave™ vaporization system (included). Do
not use lava rock, ceramic briquets or any other
vaporization system other than the one that came with the
barbecue.
COOKING TEMPERATURES
High Setting
will produce temperatures at the cooking grid
of approximately 600 - 650°F (320 - 340° C). Use this
setting only for fast warm-up and for burning food residue
from the cooking grids after the cookout is over. This
setting is also ideal for quickly searing steaks before
reducing temperature. Rarely, if ever, do you use the HIGH
setting for extended cooking.
Medium/High Setting
will produce temperatures at the
cooking grid of approximately 550°F (290 ° C). Use this
setting for warm-up and for grilling steaks and chops,
Medium Setting
will produce temperatures inside the
barbecue of approximately 450° F (230°C) with the lid
down. Use this setting for most grilling of chicken, burgers,
vegetables and for roasting, and baking.
Low Setting
will produce temperatures inside the barbecue
of approximately 310- 350° F (155-175° C). Use this
setting for all smoke cooking, large cuts of meat, delicate
fish, and for dough and pastry such as pizza and
quesadillas.
These temperatures are approximate only and vary
with the outside temperature and the amount of wind
present.
DIRECT GRILLING
The direct grilling method involves cooking the food on
grids directly over the flame. Direct grilling is the most
popular method for most single serving items such as
steaks, chops, fish, burgers, kebabs and vegetables.
1. Prepare food in advance to avoid delay and timing
problems. If using marinade or spices, they should be
applied before placing meat on the cooking grid. If
basting with sauces, they should be applied the last 2-4
minutes of grilling to avoid burning.
2. Organize the area around the barbecue to include forks,
tongs, oven mitts, sauces and seasonings, to allow you
to stay in the vicinity of the barbecue while cooking.
3. Bring meat to room temperature just prior to grilling.
Trim excess fat from meat to minimize the "flare-ups"
that are caused by dripping grease.
4. Pre-heat the barbecue to the desired temperature with
the cover closed.
5. Coat the grids with vegetable or olive oil to prevent food
from sticking to the grids.
6. Hold the salt when cooking meats on the barbecue. The
meat will stay juicier if the salt is added after cooking.
7. To prevent steaks from "drying out", use tongs rather
than a fork and start on "MEDIUM/HIGH" to sear the
meat and seal the juices in. Reduce the heat and
extend cooking times when grilling thicker cuts of meat.
8. Learn to test when the meat is done by time and feel.
The meat firms up as it cooks. When the meat is soft it
is rare. When it is firm, it is well done.
9. Follow the perfect steak grilling guide for most meat,
fish, poultry and vegetables.