Tips & Hints Clips | Baking & Roasting | Grilling | Rotisserie | Smoking | Perfect Fish | Pizza

Tips & Hints Clips

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Baking and Roasting

Once you understand the basic principles of covered cooking on your barbeque, baking and roasting is as easy as placing food in your oven. The only difference is that the flavours achieved from barbeque roasting are different and much richer than those achieved in your oven. Follow these few simple steps and you’ll be on your way to success.

The Basic Technique

We call it indirect cooking, in which the burners directly under the food are not used. Instead, put the food you want to bake in the middle of the barbeque. Turn off the burner or burners directly below the food, leaving the remaining burners on low. Then close the lid to retain the heat and flavour. This way the underside of the food doesn't burn. The heat and cooking aromas wrap around the food cooking it slowly and evenly.

Direct Cooking Method	In-direct Cooking Method

Step 1 - Getting Ready

Baking and roasting can be done on any covered (hooded) barbeque, be it gas or charcoal. First of all make sure you have everything you need to get started:

• Hooded barbeque
• Fuel (gas or charcoal)
• Roast rack or roast holder to hold the food
• An enamel drip pan or a cast iron baking dish to collect the juices
• Meat thermometer

Optionally, you can also use the warming rack as an extra grill for indirect cooking.

Preparing The Barbeque

A medium temperature is essential when roasting and baking.

1. Preheat the barbeque by turning on all burners and closing the hood until the temperature reaches ‘hot' on the heat indicator. Timing will depend on the type and size of your barbeque. (Note: always ignite burners with hood open.)
2. Position the roast on the barbeque. If you are placing the roast holder on the plate, use a drip pan to collect the cooking juices. Alternatively, replace the plate with a cast iron baking dish. Make sure that the plate or dish is left in the barbeque during pre-warming. If your barbeque has a warming rack, you may use it if extra space is required.

Time To Cook

1. Make sure there is no heat directly under the food. On a gas barbeque, turn off the burners below the food. On a charcoal barbeque, make sure the coals are to either side.
2. Maintain a medium temperature inside the hood. If you are using a gas barbeque, turn the remaining burners to low. If you are using a charcoal barbeque, turn the air slide to the low heat position.
3. Leave the roast to cook for the required time. It is important not to open the barbeque too often to look at the meat. Doing so will add to the overall cooking time.
4. Check the internal temperature of the roast with a meat thermometer prior to removing from the barbeque.
5. Use the juices collected in the pan to make a beautiful barbeque gravy – just add a little cornflour, stir and heat gently.
   

Grilling

Once you get to know and understand covered cooking on your hooded barbeque, grilling will be easy. All it involves is searing your food, setting your barbeque up for indirect cooking and closing the hood. You can then relax with family and friends while your steak and sausages cook both sides at once, saving you effort, reducing cooking time and producing a more moist, succulent result. To ensure success every time follow these 4 steps:

Getting Ready

Grilling can be done on a gas or charcoal barbeque. Ensure that you have all the tools you need before you begin:

• Hooded barbeque
• Sufficient fuel
• Barbeque long handle tongs or barbeque spatula to turn meat
• Marinades
• Basting brush

Preparing The Food

Although you can start cooking the food directly from the fridge, you get better results with a little preparation.

• Marinating meat is optional but does tenderise it and helps it to remain moist whilst cooking.
• If you intend to marinate the food, do this well before you begin to grill. The longer you marinate the more intense the flavour will be.
• There is no need to part boil sausages or spare ribs if using indirect cooking, since the fat drips into a collector pan. Soaking sausages in an acidic marinade will also help alleviate the need for part boiling.

Cooking

1. Oil the grills and plate.
2. Preheat the barbeque till the heat indicator reads hot.
3. Sear meats on the barbeque plate prior to placing on the grill. Searing means to seal the outside of the meat by placing on the hotplate for one minute each side. This seals in the juices and keeps meat tender and moist.
4. Once seared move the meat to the grill.
5. Turn the burners below the food off, using only the burners to the side of the food, and close the lid to allow the heat to circulate. Maintain a moderate temperature while cooking.
6. You should only need to turn the meat once, about halfway through. Resist the temptation to keep turning the meat as this is how a lot of moisture is lost.
7. When turning or handling meat, use tongs or a spatula. Piercing meat with a fork also causes moisture loss.
8. Occasionally baste the food with some oil or marinade to replace some of the moisture lost during grilling.
9. Press the meat with tongs to determine how well cooked it is:
• rare will be soft to touch
• medium will offer a little resistance
• well done will be firm when pressed

Caring For Your Barbeque

Once you have finished cooking on your barbeque never leave it uncleaned. The acidity from the meat fat will, with time, corrode the plate and grills.

For best results scrape your grills and plates then leave all burners on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the burners off, and when the barbeque has cooled down, apply a good coating of ‘Nice ‘n' Easy' barbeque oil.

Grilling On An Open Grill Barbeque

You can certainly grill without a covered barbeque. Follow the directions as above, but leave the burners below the food on. Be careful not to have them up too high as this will burn and dry out the food. Also, you need to prevent the food from sticking to the grill or plate. To do this, you don't need to continually turn the food over – simply move it around so it doesn't sit in the one place too long.

Rotisserie

Once you know how to set up your rotisserie, cooking is as easy as placing the meat on the shaft, turning the motor on, and sitting back to relax with family and friends. To be successful every time, follow these simple steps.

Getting Ready

Rotisserie cooking can be done on gas or charcoal barbeques, and can be done on an open grill or a hooded barbeque. Be sure you have everything you need:

• Rotisserie kit, including shaft, prongs and motor
• Batteries or power for rotisserie motor
• Open grill or hooded barbeque
• Drip pan (if hooded barbeque is being used)
• Clean pair of pliers and oven mitts
• Basting brush
• Meat thermometer

Prepare The Rotisserie

First, assemble the rotisserie and place the food on it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Next, ensure the food is balanced on the rotisserie by placing the shaft in the motor and turning the motor on. If the shaft doesn’t turn smoothly, or makes a struggling sound as it turns, the meat is not properly balanced. If this happens, reset the meat on the prongs until it is balanced. Cooking with an unbalanced shaft will eventually burn the motor out.

Indirect Cooking Method

Using indirect cooking, there is no direct heat on the food. Instead, the heat source (gas burners or charcoals) is to the side of the food, and the hood is closed to keep in the heat and flavour.

1. For gas barbeques, remove the cooking grates and clear the rocks from the centre of the rock tray to allow the drip pan to fit. For charcoal barbeques, move the coals aside.
2. In the space created place the drip pan on the rock (or charcoal) tray along the axis of the rotisserie shaft and centered under the food.
3. Fill the drip pan one inch high with water and add your favourite fruit juice, wine or beer.
4. The drip pan's contents can be improved by the addition of cinnamon, bay leaves, rosemary, star-anise cardamom pods or lemongrass. This will add flavour and keep the meat moist.
5. Now cook using the techniques described in “Baking and Roasting”
6. Remove the balanced shaft from the barbeque.
7. Preheat the barbeque until ‘hot' registers on the heat indicator.
8. Place the shaft in the motor and turn on.
9. If you are using a gas barbeque, turn the burners directly under the roast off and leave the remaining burners on low. For charcoal barbeques, adjust the air control for low heat.
10. Now close the hood. Try not to open the barbeque too often to look at the meat. Doing so adds to the cooking time. For heat circulation and flavour retention ensure the hood is kept closed, and maintain a medium cooking temperature.
11. Cook indirectly until meat thermometer registers a cooked temperature. (Do not leave the meat thermometer in the roast during cooking).

Direct Cooking Method

You may also use a rotisserie on an open grill barbeque where there is heat directly under the food.

1. For gas barbeques, turn the burners on directly under the food. For charcoal, ensure there are hot coals under the food.
2. Place the balanced rotisserie shaft in the motor and turn on.
3. Cook the food with a medium heat, being careful to avoid burning. Turn the burners towards high or low depending on the height of the food above the grill.
4. Baste the food a few times during cooking to keep it moist.
5. Cook until meat thermometer registers a cooked temperature. (Do not leave the meat thermometer in the roast during cooking).
   

Smoking

Smoking is a cooking style in which the flavours of the food are enhanced by using varieties of wood chips to add smoke whilst cooking. Barbeque smoking does not preserve food but adds a delicious smokey flavour whilst tenderising the food. Just follow these directions for perfect results every time.

Prepare The Smoker

There are many varieties of wood used in smoking. Mesquite wood provides a spicy taste, hickory a sweet flavour, whilst fruit based timbers like applewood, tea tree, cherry and peach tend to tenderise meats because of their acidity. Many of these timbers are available prepacked in either chips or chunks.

• Wood chips must be pre-soaked in cold water so that they will smoulder slowly, rather than burn. Wood chips can be soaked overnight or for at least 1 hour before use.
• Additional flavours can be achieved by soaking a variety of herbs and spices in the water with the wood chips. Alternatively you may add a little brandy or whisky to your soaking chips.
• Although you can place large smoker chips directly on the fuel, a cast iron smoker box will prevent flare ups and ash from escaping during the smoking process and help ensure a consistent level of smouldering. A smoker box can be used with any type of covered barbeque regardless of size or type of fuel burned.

Getting Ready

Make sure you have everything you need:

• Hooded barbeque
• Pre-soaked smoking chips/chunks
• Smoker box if desired
• Water
• Covered cooking requirements: enamel drip pan, roast holder, meat thermometer
• Food can be smoked directly, or may be seasoned with garlic, ginger, herbs and spices.

Preparation Of The Barbeque

1. Preheat the barbeque until ‘hot' registers on the heat indicator.
2. If using a gas barbeque, position the smoker box over one of the burners whilst preheating. When smoke appears from within the box, turn the burners down to low. If using a charcoal barbeque, place the smoker box directly under the food. Indirect heat will be enough to cause the chips to smoulder. Alternatively large chunks of wood can be placed on top of the coals just before food is added.
3. An enamel drip pan may be used under the meat if needed to collect juices.

Time To Cook

Smoking requires moderate to slow cooking on a low heat.

1. Position food in the pre-heated covered barbeque.
2. Turn burners below meat off and cook indirectly until meat thermometer registers cooked temperature (do not leave the meat thermometer in the roast during cooking). Full directions on indirect or covered cooking can be found in “Baking and Roasting”
3. If hood is opened during cooking re-dampen wood chips with a little water to prolong the smoke.

How About Water Smoking?

1. Follow the steps above, but before preheating the barbeque, place an enamel drip pan ½ filled with water directly below the roast position (a small amount of wine or beer may be added to the water).
2. Place the drip pan below the grill and if necessary clear the rocks to allow the pan to fit. If using a charcoal barbeque, move the coals aside and place the pan directly on the charcoal grid.
3. Preheat barbeque to the desired temperature. The burner or burners under the water dish are to be turned off. The drip pan contents will then steam the meat and attract the smoke from the smoker box. The water will keep the meat moist and add flavour.
4. This method of cooking lengthens cooking time but the results are fantastic.
5. Top-up the water in the enamel drip pan as required.

Perfect Fish

Cooking fish on the barbeque need not be difficult. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to achieve expert results every time when you follow the 5 simple steps below. For best results firm fresh fish should be used. Select whole fish or thick steaks from the large deep sea varieties.

Getting Ready

Fish cooking can be done on gas or solid fuel barbeques. Allow plenty of preparation time and make sure you have everything you need:

• Fish basket (Fisharoo)
• Lining: Aluminium foil is quite common, though banana leaves and corn husks make great wrappers, too.
• Marinades – mix your own blend of oil, lemon, garlic, ginger, vinegar, chilli, coriander and so on.
• If you wish to bake the fish, use a hooded barbeque and follow the directions in “Baking and Roasting”.
• If you wish to smoke the fish, use a smoker box plus wood chips and follow the directions “smoking”.

Choosing The Fish

When choosing your fish for the barbeque the following areas should be considered:

• Ensure the fish has a pleasant sea smell
• Ensure the eyes are bright, not sunken
• Look for fish with firm flesh (the flesh should spring back when touched)

Prepare The Barbeque

1. Line the Fisharoo. This is optional, but will keep the fish moist and evenly cooked. If using aluminium foil, it is best to keep the shiny side towards the food.
2. Place the fish into the Fisharoo (fish basket). This will make turning easy and keep the fish from falling apart. A 1.5kg whole snapper will fit nicely into a Fisharoo.
3. Oil and season to taste. For extra moist fish, cook the fish unscaled.
4. Preheat the barbeque. If using a roasting hood prepare the barbeque for indirect cooking.
5. Decide on whether you will cook on the plate or grill. If using the plate adjust the stand on the Fisharoo to avoid direct contact with the plate.

Time To Cook

If you are baking or smoking the fish, follow the directions in the appropriate chapter. The following directions are for simple direct grilling only:

1. Position the Fisharoo on either the plate or grill. If you have not lined the fish in the Fisharoo, leave the burners on low. If you used foil or leaves as lining, turn the burners to medium (between low and high).
2. Cook slowly, and if the Fisharoo is unlined, turn once or twice only. Resist the temptation to keep turning the fish as this tends to dry it out.
3. Cooking times will vary, however an approximate guide to cooking whole fish is 20-25 minutes per kilo. Fish is cooked when it turns opaque and just starts to flake when tested with a fork. At this point the fish should still be moist.
4. If the fish was cooked unscaled, you should now peel off the skin and scales.

Bar B Chef - Pizza Stone & Spatula

Gas BBQ

Home-made pizza tastes infinitely better when baked in a BBQ on a pizza stone. By reproducing the intense dry heat of the traditional pizza oven, this Bar B Chef pizza stone will ensure perfect crisp-based pizza. It distributes heat evenly and, to prevent sogginess, allows steam to escape from the dough during cooking.
The procedure is to put the pizza stone in a cold BBQ, and preheat the BBQ from medium to high. It’s also terrific for cooking puff pastry appetizers or desert, croissants, baking bread, or even baking cookies.

BBQ Pizza Stone Method

You need a BBQ with a Hood, Bar B Chef Pizza Stone & Stone and a paddle or plate to transfer the pizza dough to the stone.

1. Position the BBQ plate in the middle and grills on opposite ends of your BBQ. Place your cold pizza stone in the centre of the BBQ plate.
2. Pre-heat your gas BBQ for 20-30 minutes with opposite burners on high and low heat under the stone with the hood down. The temperature should be around 200 to 245 degrees.
3. Sprinkle stone with a little flour or cornmeal. Place pizza dough on floured flat plate {paddle} before adding topping. After adding the topping, use quick jerking motion to transport pizza from plate to the hot stone.
4. Use Bar B Chef Spatula to remove pizza when crust is browned and cheese is bubbly, do not remove the stone from the BBQ until cool.

Hints and Tips

1. The key to success is a hot BBQ, all bread need high temperature to cook.
2. Always place the stone in a cold BBQ, preheat to high and cook the pizza on hot.
3. Dust the stone with flour or preferred cornmeal. Too little and you will never get the pizza off the stone.
4. Never use soap on the stone, simply brush the crumbs off the surface.
5. Never move to a hot surface when stone is cold and vice versa.
6. Season the stone with olive oil after each cleaning and leave in the BBQ.
7. You should avoid high heat direct heat under the pizza stone, the heat should be indirect.
8. Homemade pizza dough will cook in 10-15 minutes and premade bases will be done in 7-10 minutes with the hood down.