Barbeque and Grilling Blunders - Learn to Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes that Kill Your Cookout

BBQ Barbeque - Picture: Pixabay

Your average backyard cook is no expert in the barbeque or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no grilling cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.

No, your average outdoor cooking enthusiast makes more mistakes with bbq grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ends up dry and tough time after time, despite marinating for hours. Or the meat is burnt or cooked too long

These mistakes are made time and time again because your average backyard cook usually does not know any different. He does not automatically know How to Barbeque.

Here are some of the more common mistakes and do's and don'ts made in bbq grill cooking:

1.  If you started with frozen meat, make sure the meat is thawed completely. Trying to cook the inside of a still-frozen piece of meat is next to impossible without burning the outside.
2. When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. The lighter fluid taste will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the coals down first. A chimney starter makes starting the fire a breeze. It also allows you to add charcoal along the way should the coals burn out along the way.
3. Never poke the bbq meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most deadly for your barbeque. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and right into the bottom of the barbeque pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Use a long set of tongs to turn the meat.
4. Lower the heat. Except for grilled steaks, which need a quick searing, cook slowly over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and it will make the meat tender and juicy.
5. Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it changes the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the lid also increases your chances of flare-ups.
6. This is more of a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without washing it first. Mixing the cooked with the raw just begs for someone to get sick.
7. After removing the meat from the bbq grill or pit, let it rest for at about 5-10 minutes. Cutting into or slicing the meat immediately after pulling it from the cooker will cause all the juices to flow out of the meat and onto the platter.

Of course, these are not all of the mistakes made by the amateur outdoor cook but are some of the more common. But if you will prevent doing these yourself, you will eliminate many of the things that cause barbeque failures.

Your guests and family will wonder how come your grilled or barbequed food is so much better then it used to be. And, who knows?... Maybe the Food Network will come looking for you.

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Easy Steak Diane Recipe

Steak Diane - Photo: Wikimedia

Steak Diane is a classic and tasty meat dish that is a classic in white-tablecloth restaurants and, to properly be served, must be prepared at tableside. This presentation is a great way to impress your guests or perfect for that special romantic dinner!

2 boneless beef top loin steaks, cut 1-inch thick (about 1 1/4 lbs.)

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. brandy (optional)

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 lb. small mushrooms, sliced

3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots or green onions

1/4 cup half-and-half

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook and stir for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove.

On a clean pan; spray with cooking spray or few drops of oil, heat over medium heat until hot. Combine lemon peel and pepper; press onto beef steaks. Place steaks in pan; cook 12 to 15 minutes for medium rare to medium, turning occasionally. Remove and keep warm.

Adding the brandy to the pan, cook and stir until browned bits attached to skillet are dissolved. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in mushroom mixture; heat through. Serve with sauce. Serves 4.

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How To Cook A Tender Juicy Steak

USDA Prime Beef - Photo: Wikimedia

You invest a lot of time and money into the steaks for a special occasion and when dinner time comes, they are tough.  What happened?  How can you cook steaks as tender as your favorite restaurant?  

The first step to cooking a good steak is to choose the right grade of steak.  The top quality beef is graded USDA Prime and commands top prices.  USDA Prime grade meats are sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are not as likely to be found at your local grocery chain.  The next grade of beef is USDA Choice.  USDA Choice is tender, flavorful and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime.  The meat is well marbled with fat and will be tender and juicy when properly prepared.  USDA Choice makes up about 70% of all graded beef and is readily available in your supermarket.  USDA Good graded beef is an acceptable grade of beef that has only minimal marbling of fat.  It is leaner, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or Choice.  

Next, look at the color and texture of the meat.  A good steak should be firm to the touch, moist, and bright in color.  It should be well marbled with thin streaks of white fat throughout and a thin crust of steak on the outside.  In our fat conscious society, we tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy steak.  

The most tender and juicy steaks come from the sirloin, the short loin, and the rib.  These steaks include the sirloin steaks, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, rib steaks, Delmonico steaks, and the filet mignons.  Steaks containing bone will weigh more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the steak.

Aging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender.  Aged steaks are more expensive and usually only found in high-end supermarkets and specialty markets.  An aged steak is recognizable by its darker color.

Once you have purchased your steak, you can further increase the tenderness and juiciness by marinating it.  Try a marinade made of  ½ cup each good wine and olive oil mixed  2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or herb vinegar.  Add any seasonings that you like such as garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs.  Place the steak in a  ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to just cover it, and refrigerate overnight.  Marinating a steak like this will add flavor and tenderness.  If you routinely store steak in the freezer before cooking, try pouring the marinade over the steak before freezing.  The steak will marinate when thawing and be ready to cook.

There are meat tenderizers available to sprinkle onto your steak, and they certainly do tenderize the meat; however, meat tenderizers can sometimes over-tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat into mush.  If you should choose to go this route, do it carefully.

When ready to cook, slash through the outside fat layer on the steak in a few places to prevent curling, but do not cut into the meat.  The more tender steak cuts can be broiled, grilled, or pan-fried.  Less tender cuts should be pan-fried or slow braised.  Steak should never be cooked in liquid.  When pan broiling, use a very heavy skillet such as an iron skillet or griddle and heat the pan before adding the meat.  The heavy metal will hold the heat for proper heat distribution and not cool down when the steak is added. A hot pan will quickly sear the outside, trapping the moisture inside.

When cooking, try to turn the steak only once.  Cook the meat until browned on one side and half done, then turn and finish the other side.  Turning too often will stew the meat rather than searing it and produce a less juicy steak.  When the steak is done, remove from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.  

While the meat rests you can make a sauce with the pan drippings if desired.  Use your favorite sauce, or fry mushrooms and onions in the pan.  When nearly done, add a tablespoon each of butter and flour and cooks until lightly browned.  Add a splash of wine and loosen any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Allow to cook until the thick, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve over the steak.  Enjoy!

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