Just because the bright coloured leafs are gone and the golf clubs are put away for another season, doesn’t
mean you have to stop barbecuing. The clean crisp fresh air, the heavenly aroma of flavoured wood pellets
and food cooking, may be just what the doctor ordered to cure those winter blahs. Holiday grilling also frees
up your oven space for other important menu items. Following are a few suggestions on how to enjoy your
grill throughout those cooler months:
Remember:
Because of the cooler temperatures your SMOKE mode may fail. Use the LOWER COOKING
temperatures to achieve the same results. KEEP WATCH !!
ORGANIZE
– Get everything you require ready in the kitchen before you head out to the great outdoors. Put
what you need on a tray, bundle up tight, and “get it done!”
During the winter move your grill to an area that is out of the wind and cold. Check local bylaws regarding the
proximity of your grill in relation to your home and/or other structures.
Caution: Never grill in an unventilated area
!
To help you keep track of the outside temperature, you should place an outdoor thermometer close to your
cooking area. This will help in determine how long it will take to cook your food.
You may want to keep a log or little written history on what you cooked, the temperature outside, and the
results. This will help latter down the road to help you determine what to cook and how long it will take.
When cooking in cold weather, it is better to increase your pre-heating time by at least 20 minutes.
Avoid lifting the grill lid any more than necessary. Cold gusts of wind can completely cool your grill temperature. Be
flexible with your serving time; add about 10 – 15 minutes extra cooking time each time you open the lid.
As always, use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of your foods.
Because the nights come sooner in the colder months, it is a good ideal to work in a lighted area or to have a light or
flashlight close by.
Have a heated platter and maybe a cover ready to help keep your food warm while making the trip back inside.
Some of your better foods for winter cooking are those that require little attention, like roasts, whole chicken, ribs, and
turkey. Make you meal preparation even easier by adding vegetables and potatoes.
Following are a few tips on hot weather cooking. As it gets hotter outside, not only will the cooking times of your food
decrease but the cooking time on yourself decreases. Proper dress is a must. Shorts, T-shirt, shoes, hat, apron and a
generous slab of suntan lotion go without saying. Don’t forget the big tall cool drink; we don’t want the chef to become
dehydrated.
ORGANIZE
– You don’t have to serve a huge seven-course meal. You don’t want to be cleaning your entire kitchen after
every meal. Timing is everything to cooking outside and remember practise does make perfect. So practise lots
and EXPERIMENT!!!
Adjust your cooking temperatures downward. This helps to avoid those unwanted flare-ups.
As always, use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of your foods. This helps in
preventing your meat from over cooking and drying out.
Even in hot weather, it is still better to cook with the lid of your grill down.
You can keep foods hot by wrapping them in foil and placing them in an insulated cooler. Stuff crumpled up
newspaper around the foil and this will keep food hot for a good 3 to 4 hours.
Try to keep your menu on the lighter side. So you can enjoy the warm temperatures and quality family times.
Section Three: TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Page 27
