10 Tips for outdoor cooking
Outdoor cooking was once considered to be a summer activity enjoyed with friends and family. Times have changed for sure and so has the outdoor cooking activities and now more than half of Americans claim to be cooing outdoors year around. Increase in outdoor cooking is more about fun and can be cherished in the sun and the snow. Finally you can find these outdoor cooking tips useful for you when it comes to enjoy the serenity with responsibility.
Tip1 handling the food: To make it a wonderful experience of great outdoor cooking make sure that you avoid the food contamination and preserve the food quality by handling and storing it properly. Keep the cold food cold and avoid mixing meat or poultry products with other food (this avoids the cross contamination).
Tip2 keeping things ready: To avoid the last minutes hassles (which may spoil your mood completely) keep the things ready like defrosting the refrigerated food before cooking reduces cooking time and helps the food cook evenly.
Tip3 cooking away from home: Most of you may find it more interesting to camp in a park area and cook food in the company of nature. While selecting a camping location, find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. Also pack clean cloths, and wet towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.
Tip4 transporting food outdoors: While transporting the food outdoors carry the food in different containers which should not only separate the food but should be able to keep them in the best temperatures. Like when carrying cold food like meat it should be carried in coolers with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep it fresh.
Tip5 cooking preparation: The secret of all great food is in the preparation and grilling steaks. Before you get ready to grill, marinade your steaks for at least a few hours. Some of you may find it more beneficial to marinade the steaks overnight for the best flavor and tenderizing. Keep the meat refrigerated until you are ready to put it on the grill. Cutting some small slices in the steaks allows the marinade to get all through the meat. Then rub some spices on the meat before you put it on the grill.
Tip6 keeping the grills clean: Keep the cooking clean before you start cooking. You can also prepare your grill by rubbing it down with oil before you grill so that the meat doesn't stick to it. This is especially true for grilling fish, chicken, or burgers.
Tip7 Precooking: Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.
Tip8 safe smoking: Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of a fire. It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of water is placed beneath the meat on the grill; and meats can be smoked in a "smoker," which is an outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking foods. Smoking is done much more slowly than grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates the meat.
Tip9 Pit roasting: Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole, dug in the ground. A hardwood fire is built in the pit, requiring wood equal to about 2½ times the volume of the pit. The hardwood is allowed to burn until the wood reduces and the pit is half filled with burning coals. Hence it’s better to light up the pit a handful of time before you start cooking the food.
Tip10 Serving the food: It tastes like its being served. Take your time to serve the food as it takes to cook it. Serving the food in a proper manner increases the appetite and wins you the accolades of being a wonderful cook. Remember to clean the plates before you serve the food.
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