Become an Instant BBQ Master With Two Accessories

Summer is synonymous with one thing: Body odor on the subway?… Yes, but no. Unfortunately large men sporting unfortunately small speedos?… Again, yes, but not what we’re looking for.  BBQ?… Bingo.  A BBQ is the quintessential summer activity.  But unlike pouring gels or running flash columns, firing up the grill is not something we practice everyday.  So the idea of a group of people standing around watching us freestyle on the grill can be stressful, even to those of us who love a BBQ.  Here are two essential grill accessories that will transform us into an instant BBQ master and trick our friends into thinking we know what we’re doing…

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Lighting the Coals

The original technique:

Like with any experiment, the more reagents involved, the higher the odds of something going wrong.  Lighting coals is no exception.  Many of us likely grew up on the old pyramid and lighter fluid method.  After delicately building a scale model of the Great Pyramids out of charcoal, we douse the coals in lighter fluid.  As the amount of fluid added to the coals increases, so too do the odds we’ll end up on America’s Funniest Home videos when we light it.

The problems:

–  Running out of lighter fluid. (“That bottle was full two summers ago- I don’t know what happened…”)

–  Looking like a pyroman test just after lighting. (“Maybe I used a little too much fluid…”)

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The improved technique:

Realizing that the manual lighter fluid addition may be too much responsibility for us to handle, charcoal companies developed pre-soaked coals (most notably Match-Light).  While these certainly reduce the chance of us hurting ourselves, match light coals are not ideal.

The problems:

–  Not letting the coals burn long enough before cooking will result in food that tastes like organic solvent. (“You’re gonna love my free-range solvent chicken”)

–  Supplementing the fire with charcoals later in the grilling process will force us to wait for the solvent to burn off before continuing to cook – breaking the grilling rhythym.

–  Professional grillers will laugh at us.

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A charcoal starter. Your eyebrows will thank you.

The best technique:

Then a true BBQ master came up with the perfect solution- the charcoal starter.  The apparatus is nothing more than a cylinder to be filled with charcoal.  To light, simply grab a piece of newspaper, some junk mail or your drunk friend’s shirt- doesn’t matter, there’s always something around to burn.  Just place the flammable material under the starter and light.  Done.  No fluid to forget, no eyebrows to singe.  Simply wait until the coals are red hot (about 10 minutes) and dump them into the grill.  Looking like a pro already…

The problem:

–  Depending on the number of coals lit and the direction of the wind, the handle on the charcoal starter can get pretty toasty.  To err on the side of caution, use an oven mitt to handle the starter.

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Cooking the Food

Now for the next, and more stressful, step – cooking.  One of the major challenges in grilling is keeping the food moist.  Overcooking can destroy even the best quality ingredients and cooking on a lava-like fire can end up burning the outside while leaving the inside raw.  If only we could increase the humidity in the grill and let the meat tell us when it’s done…

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The cedar plank

Cedar planks. So easy you could cook blindfolded

Enter the cedar plank – a thin slice of wood that’s used to impart both steam and flavor into the food.  While they can be used on a number of foods, cedar-planked salmon is not to be missed.

Using the plank is simple.  Just soak it in water for a few hours before using then brush with olive oil before placing on the grill.  Set the plank directly on the cooking surface and add salmon to the wood, skin side down.  Cover and cook.  Oh, and when the fish is done, it will tell you – look for a color change and small beads of moisture on the top.  The flavor and tenderness of the fish will be more shocking than a postdoc’s salary.

Rain stopped your transition to BBQ master?  No problem, the plank can be used in the oven as well!  A perfect back-up.

So call up some friends and fire up the grill – and relax, you’re a pro.

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Prefer pan-cooked salmon?  You’ll love Bill’s Perfect Submission Salmon!

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