Introduction to the Saffire Grill & Smoker

Barbecue & Grilling Tips and Tidbits

Putting pieces of fresh rosemary into a charcoal fire adds flavor to barbecued food. Thick Rosemary stems can be used as skewers for shish kabobs. Soak the Rosemary stems in water for several hours before skewering.

Grilling is cooking food quickly and directly over a very hot fire, whereas barbecuing is the slow, indirect cooking of meat over a low, smoky fire. The word “barbecue” is said to be derived from the Spanish spelling of the Taino Indian word “barbacoa”, which was a method of cooking fish over a pit of coals.

Did you know???? Prime grade beef makes up about 2% of all the beef produced in the United States and typically ends up exported or sold to fine restaurants. Twelve cows are known as a “flink”. Cows don’t have upper front teeth. The average lifespan of a cow is 7 years.

What is the difference in charcoals? Isn’t it all the same?
Charcoal is a black form of carbon made by heating wood or other organic matter in the absence of air. Good charcoal is made from clean woods with no fillers and has irregular forms. Cheap charcoal is made of recycled woods that may contain pollutants such as paint and a filler made of chemicals to bond the charcoal into a uniform form. It does not burn particularly well nor does it give off a high enough heat. It is worth paying more for good charcoal from both a taste, performance and health perspective.

Keep your BBQ clean and free from greasy building up — this makes for good cooking and prevents greasy deposits from catching fire. Before cooking, close the lid to the BBQ for approximately 10 minutes, which will help burn off any residue, then open and brush with a good brush to clean off any remaining particles.

Keep a spray water bottle beside the BBQ and give a quick squirt, when necessary, to prevent flare-ups. Be organized! Make sure you have everything you need close at hand before you begin. More food has been charred when the cook runs into the house to grab the serving platter!

Marinating is a must in our books! Simply marinating your meat for at least 20 minutes not only improves flavor but tenderizes all cuts of meat. Red meat, poultry and pork can be marinated in the refrigerator overnight, but fish should be soaked for no longer than 20 minutes, as marinating actually starts the cooking process in fish

When basting, if the sauce or glaze contains sugar, only apply during the final part of the grilling, since otherwise the sugar will cause burning and charring.

Marinades can impart wonderful flavor to foods that you plan to grill or smoke. Always marinate in non-reactive containers; a glass dish will do. But the BBQ Queens highly recommend plastic zip-lock bags. The bags allow for a more thorough over-all coating of the meat, fish, or veggies; plus you use less marinade. Clean up is fast because you rinse out the bag then throw it away.

The absolute easiest way to clean a grill is immediately after you have grilled. Remove the food. Let the meat rest under a tent of aluminum foil.Turn the heat to high. Close the lid and let the grunge burn off the grill, usually takes about 5 minutes. Stay at the grill while you do this, or you may forget to come back and turn off the heat. After it cools down a bit, use a grill brush to scrape off any remaining grunge.

SPRINKLE, SLATHER, SOAK AND DRIZZLE
Dry rubs pack lots of quick flavor and can simply be sprinkled on foods before cooking. Slather on a mixture of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and herbs for a great grilled salmon fillet or turkey breast cutlets . Soak chicken in homemade or bottled vinaigrettes for an easy marinade before grilling or smoking. Drizzle grilled or smoked foods with a finishing sauce for a final grace note.

What is a barbecue? There is no easy answer. Barbecue is a method of cooking. Barbecued meat is also a barbecue. A gathering of people to eat barbecue is also a barbecue. Let’s fire up the Grill and think about this!

You will like utilitarian accessories. Heavy-duty aluminum foil can be crimped to make a disposable bowl. Disposable aluminum pans are great for holding meats and their juices for basting or for side dishes (no clean up) on the smoker or for catching drips when rotisserie cooking outdoors.

If you’ve invested in a good quality barbecue, and more money in some great steaks, you want to ensure that the steaks are cooked to perfection. Professional chefs generally use touch to tell when the steak is done. Press down the centre of the steak with your finger.
- A rare steak will feel quite soft to the touch
- A medium-rare steak will have some resistance but yield to the touch
- A medium steak starts to feel firm, but still have some give in the center
- A well-done steak will feel very firm
Grilling steaks tend to be smaller and can be cooked right away, or you may want to marinate them for additional tenderness & flavour. Marinating steaks should ideally be placed in an acidic based mixture for 12-24 hours in order to tenderize them. Ideally marinating steaks should be grilled to rare of medium-rare; anything beyond medium tends to produce toughness.

Brine for moistness and flavor. Brine is a solution of fresh water, kosher salt and sugar that the meat soaks in for a period of time. Meat is soaked in brine in the refrigerator for varying lengths of time, based on the size of the meat cuts. Some brine recipes add sugar and other spices to the sale. Individual recipes vary. But brined meat is more moist and flavorful.

Creative flavors for your grilling! Fill a spray bottle with fruit juice to make a citrus spray for basting. Or fill with apple cider or red pepper vinegar to give rotisserie or slow-smoked meats a Carolina-style taste. Jams, jellies & fruit preserves are quick & delicious glazes for meats. Brush on a glaze during the last minutes of grilling or smoking to add a touch of sweetness and give your food a wonderful sheen.

Salt and Pepper to taste…a lot of taste! The ability to use salt properly is one of the skills that separates the really great cook from a merely good one. Most cooks don’t use enough salt…and pepper is the underpinning of all Western cooking. Take a bolder approach with salt and pepper. (If you are worried about salts health effects, more than 75% of sodium consumed by the average American comes from processed foods like luncheon meats, chips, canned foods and frozen meals.) Use Kosher salt rather than table salt. It has fewer additives, a deeper flavor and its large crystals make it easier to judge how much salt you are adding.

Make an herb paint brush! Gathering several stems of mint, rosemary, fennel or whatever herb you grow in abundance. Tie the herbs together with twine and dip into the baste or marinade and baste the food that’s cooking.