BBQ Society

BBQ Grills

Barbecue grills have a certain romance associated with them. They conjure visions of cooking outdoors on a summer evening. Even when used indoors, these grills give your food a distinctive flavor. There are currently three kinds of grills on the market today. They are:

1. Charcoal Grills. These grills use wood or charcoal briquettes (or some combination thereof) that gives food an enhanced smoked flavor. You need, however, to take precautions that you do not burn your food over charcoal, as it is difficult to control the fire. This grill is popular as it is portable and can easily be used at gatherings of family or friends. It is especially favored by those who relish outdoor cooking, and who like to experiment with different styles of cooking. A downside to this is the rigorous cleaning that the charcoal grill needs. Cooking on one leaves a substantial greasy mess. Also, you must wait until the coals cool down before you can actually do any cleaning.

2. Gas Grills. These grills are powered by natural gas (also known as liquid propane). Unlike the charcoal grill, this grill requires only ten minutes to preheat before you start cooking, as there is a simple switch-on button that starts the heating process. Moreover, the temperature can be controlled more easily. It is also possible to cook two different foods at different temperatures. This grill is also easier to keep clean. There is, however, no gas grill that can equal a charcoal one when it comes to the taste of the food. Also, these grills are heavier, and they have to be transported more carefully in order to avoid accidents.

3. Electric Grills. These are the most convenient of all of the grills to use. They can be fired-up easily and don't require an external source of fuel, like charcoal or propane. They are also more environmentally friendly that the other grills. However, for the true connoisseur, the thrill of cooking, as well as the true taste of barbecue are lost when using this grill.

No matter what you need a grill for, or what you are planning to cook, there is a type of grill that is right for you.

Author - Barbara Williams

How To Choose The BBQ That’s Right For You

No matter what kind of food you want to barbeque, there is a barbecue out there that is perfect for your needs and budget.

When it comes to outdoor entertaining, or just enjoying a hot summer’s day, the barbeque is an important part of the whole experience. Whether you’re looking for portable and disposable models, or a stainless steal, state-of-the-art appliance with all of the latest gadgets, there are always a swath of different barbeques for your perusal.

Remember, it isn’t just your cooking skills that will dictate the success of your barbequed meals, but also choosing the proper barbeque to cater to your outdoor cooking needs and desires.

After all, little is more wasteful than paying good money for added features that you’ll never use, or having to try to make dinner for fifteen people on a one square foot grill. Therefore, before heading out to the barbeque store, or even before shopping around online, you will need to consider the different elements that should dictate your final BBQ decision.

Among the most important factors to remember are:

a. How much you want to spend
b. How many people you’ll usually be cooking for
c. How much space you have in your garden for cooking
d. How (and if) you’ll be storing it in the winter

Once you have these answers figured out, you’ll be able to start thinking about the different barbeque types that are available to you.

If you’ll only be cooking occasionally, and on a smaller scale, disposable barbecues – foil trays with their own charcoal and lighter paper – may be exactly what you’re looking for. These are very simple to light, and will burn well for enough time to cook any reasonable meal. These are ideal for cooking in small spaces, or cooking on a picnic (where fires are permitted), but should not be your selection if you are looking into serious outdoor cookery.

Charcoal and gas barbeques come in many different shapes and sizes and are frequently collapsible for easy storage. Some are on casters, and while others require around 5 feet of patio space, others need less than half of that. Though some have side burners, rotisseries, griddles, hot plates, and other food warming gadgets, it’s important to consider the basics first, and build from there.

First, check out the cooking space. Will the space be large enough to handle what you’ll likely be cooking? Next, have a look at the size of the entire barbeque. Remember that you’ll not only need to have enough room for it, but also for yourself to work around it, as well as tables for holding your accessories, marinades, sauces, uncooked food, and naturally, for the people who will be eating your masterpieces. Remember that you’ll also need enough space in your garage or shed to store the barbeque during the winter.

Your barbeque should be tough enough to handle the great outdoors, as well as the wear and tear that you’ll inflict upon it. This means sturdy construction, metal work, and corrosion resistant paint and fittings. A cover is often very beneficial to keep out a spurt of rain, so you might consider that a good investment.

Lastly, have a look at the ease of lighting, cleaning, and charcoal removal. After that, all you need to consider is the color and overall appearance of the barbeque, and how it will compliment your garden.

About the Author - Richard Cussons is a prolific and diverse writer. You can find out more about the origins of barbeques at bbq-resources.net

BBQ Ideas - Have A Fantastic BBQ After Dark

It's a no-brainer. Great food, warm weather, cold drinks, and the people you love. Maybe that's what adds so much appeal to the great BBQ Ideas you will find.

However, you will always find the same kinds of BBQ's, and the same kinds of food. Toss it up a bit, people! Here are two great BBQ ideas that are unique, fun, and are still great BBQ's.

BBQ After Dark

This is one of the greatest BBQ ideas, whether you're entertaining a crowd, or it's just you and your sweetheart. Start by getting your food items together earlier in the day.

Have everything ready to go on the grill by sunset. Hook up a bright light close to the grill so that you're able to cook the food without giving your guests Salmonella or something like that. Then, you want to set up the actual eating area in the yard, away from the lights.

Get a great fire pit, and place chairs around it. You can find these anywhere, or you can learn how to make them on your own.

Light a whole bunch of citronella candles so that no buzzing blood suckers will pester you and your guests. You can add some Tiki torches as well.

Place some twinkling lights in the bushes nearby, or make a walkway from the grill to the seating area with tea light candles placed in white paper bags. This is truly a breathtaking sight.

For a few added details, you can place a bucket next to the fire pit with some pre-selected long sticks and a couple of bags of marshmallows.

This way your guests can roast marshmallows while you shoot the breeze and watch for lightning bugs. No amount of boring BBQ ideas can top the feeling of being under the stars, and enjoying great food, cold drinks, and the company of your family or friends.

About the Author - Want more great ideas for your next BBQ? Visit BBQ Ideas for videos, recipes and ideas to make your next BBQ unforgettable. Jessica also owns How to Cook Salmon and Fruit Smoothies.

BBQ From The Carolinas

Everyone loves barbecue! Despite its popularity, one question remains: where does barbecue come from? Most Americans are not aware of it, but there is a great deal of history behind the barbecue sauces of the Carolinas. In fact, when the average American talks about one of the four favorite types of barbecue sauce (vinegar & pepper, mustard, light tomato, and heavy tomato) he or she is referring to a sauce that comes from the Carolinas. North Carolinians use three of these sauces, and South Carolinians use all four.

The first, and simplest, of the sauces is vinegar and pepper. All that this sauce is made of is vinegar that has had red pepper flakes soaked in it. No one really knows where this particular sauce came from, but thousands of people up and down the Carolina coastline love it.

The second sauce is the mustard sauce. It is unique to South Carolina and has come to be identified as the definitive barbecue sauce of South Carolina. The credit for this sauce goes to the German settlers who called South Carolina home in the 18th century. Even today, this mustard sauce is associated with family names like Bessinger, Shealy, Hite, Sweatman, Sikes, Price, Lever, Meyer, Kiser, and Zeigler.

The light tomato sauce is a simple sauce made by adding vinegar and pepper to ketchup. It was first prepared around the early 1900s, and quickly became a favorite with those who wanted a bit of sweetness in their sauce.

The heavy tomato sauce is hardly a half a century old, but has been embraced with gusto across the United States. It is available in the supermarket under such brand names as Kraft Foods and KC Masterpiece. Americans love this particular type of sauce and slather it over all their barbecued foods. Barbecue would not be the same without this delicious type of sauce!

About the Author - Mary Miller is a writer for several well-known web sites, on home living and family life topics.