Use decent coals. Do not purchase unknown brands that are difficult to ignite. Place the coals by hand once they are poured in from the bag. Make sure there is an even square or rectangular pattern and no large gaps between coals are present.

In order to avoid later problems use a liquid as opposed to a jelly-type liquid fuel. This type starts burning faster. Do not economize with the fuel. Use it liberally and make sure every piece of charcoal is well saturated. Wait about a minute for the fuel to penetrate the coal before throwing in a couple of matches in different areas of the coal.

Wait until the fire goes out and the coal begins to smolder and turns gray. Do not wait too long or you will not have enough time to cook the meat, especially if you are cooking a lot of it. You will then have to add coals and fluid and the process will become annoying.

Do no use the pre-soaked charcoal. You do not know what they used and you might be waiting too long before being able to put the meat on. The same goes for the attached pieces of coal that look like egg cartons.

To begin, it’s important to prepare the grill properly. Many types of seafood tend to stick to the grill, and a tender fillet of sole could be lost between the grates. Clean the grates well, and spray the grates well with a non stick cooking spray. Some fish will need to be grilled wrapped in a foil packet, while other kinds of seafood such as shrimp can be placed on a skewer before grilling. When cooking the fish, the grill itself should be very hot, allowing the fish to sear and become firm enough to turn safely on the grill.

Another important tip to remember is to know about the cooking times for fish. Undercooked fish is not good for anyone, and no one wants to make their guests sick. Tuna and swordfish steaks need more grilling time than fillets or shrimp. Plan about 8 minutes for every inch thick of fish. Shrimp will usually need only a few minutes on each side. A fully cooked piece of fish will be firm to the touch and will be flaky rather than wet and soft.

You are going to have to ask yourself how much time you want to spend smoking. Will you just do this on an occasion, or is this going to become a hobby. Answering these questions will determine the type of smoker you are going to use. Make sure, however, you get a smoker that has an offset heat source. What this does is allow your food not to be directly cooked by the heat source and allows that great and flavorful smoke to pass over and permeate the food being cooked.

Allow plenty of time to smoke the food of your choice. Smoking is not like grilling. You need to allow for a slow cooking process. Start early in the morning and allow the food to be smoked throughout the morning or even into the afternoon if you are preparing very much.

Add flavorful wood like mesquite or pecan wood to the fire. The smoke from this wood makes the food very flavorful. In addtion to added flavor, it also has a great smell while cooking the food.

Smoke your food to the proper temperature. If you are smoking pork, make sure you smoke it to a temperature above 160 degrees. If you are smoking chicken and other poultry make sure it is smoked to a temperature of over 180 degrees. And for red meat, make sure it is smoked to over 145 degrees.

A good BBQ tip is to consider a theme for your outdoor BBQ party. This will make your part ore interesting. Consider a luau or a retro get -together. Pick a location. How about a beach party if you live near a beach? Beaches can be a fun location. You will likely need a charcoal grill.

The most important of all BBQ tips is to check the weather. Of course, before you plan any BBQ party outdoors, you will want to make sure it isn’t going to rain. There would be nothing worse than having your outdoor BBQ party ruined by weather. Weather is unpredictable so be ready with aback-up location.

Another important consideration among BBQ tips is planning the menu. If you are planning a theme party, plan the menu to match. For instance, prepare coconut fried shrimp, Laulau, or BBQ beef patties for a luau type get-together.

Purchase the kind of meat you want to use. It is wise to offer two types of meat. For a traditional BBQ, hot dogs, chicken , and hamburgers are top choices. Marinate and defrost the meat one day ahead. Don’t leave out side dishes. Macaroni salad and baked beans work well for most parties.

The BBQ tips above should make your party a success.

Have your cooking utensils, serving platters, sauces and anything else you may need close by.

Prep your grill by using a grill brush to clean off charred bits and baste the grill with vegetable oil or Pam grilling spray to keep food from sticking.

Use the correct cooking method to avoid meat that is undercooked or charred. The indirect cooking method, which is placing meat away from the heat, is required for thick cuts of meat such as ribs, roasts and chicken. For faster cooking meats, such as hot dogs and burgers, use the direct cooking method, in which the meat is placed directly above the heat source.

Turn your meat only once, otherwise, the meat could become tough and dry. Also, leave enough space around the food so that it cooks evenly.

If the fire is too hot or if you have a flare-up, open the grill vents, close the lid or use a squirt bottle filled with water to damper the flames.

Apply any sweet sauces during the last ten minutes of cooking to prevent the sauce from burning.

Cook fruits and vegetables on the cool edge of the grill, since they cook quickly.

Want to turn your grill into a smoker? Place a pan of water on the coals and close the grill vents and lid. Monitor the heat because you may need to add more coals.

Lastly, practice to improve your grilling skills!

After the steak has been prepared, you may then decide to do steak kabobs and add onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes or any other vegetable of your choice and alternate the steak and vegetables on the kabob. Place on the grill until the steak is rare, medium rare, medium or well done. The vegetables will have the perfect crunch and flavor. The mushrooms may be placed in a foil pouch with butter and sauteed on the grill and place on top of the steaks.

Baking potatoes are great with steaks. The potatoes will need to be placed in foil and wrap them tightly and place on the grill before the steaks are put on the grill. Red potatoes, Golden potatoes, or even sweet potatoes can also be placed on the grill. If a charcoal grill is used, choose a flavored type of wood chips in the grill to add an extra hint of flavor, if you like.

1. Cook it low. As with our barbecued meat, we have learned to simmer sauces rather than using the popular method of “bring to a boil, then…” The ingredients blend with a lot less chance of overheating, and ruining your effort.
2. Write it down! We have all made that great dish everybody just loved, and have no clue to exactly what we added!
3. Use fresh ingredients. Follow our Barbecue Rub Secrets advice on spices to attain the results of the “pros”.
4. Use non-reactive cookware for mixing, and the saucepan for cooking. We are basically referring to any cookware made of stainless steel, enameled ironware, glass (like Corning Ware), or plastic (for mixing). Do not use aluminum or copper cookware, for mixing or cooking, as tomato based ingredients, as well as chili powder and hot sauce, will chemically react with these soft metals, changing the flavor and color in a nasty way.
5. Refrigerate! All barbecue sauce is perishable (yes, even the bottled versions) and must be refrigerated for longevity. Any leftover sauce made with fresh ingredients such as onion, garlic, butter, etc. will spoil more rapidly, so keep track of that stuff!

Mix together thoroughly the following:

* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup Paprika
* 2 tblsp coarse Salt (sea or kosher)
* 2 tblsp Black Pepper
* 1 tblsp Cayenne Pepper
* 4 tsp Cumin
* 2 tsp dry mustard
* 2 tsp Onion Powder
* 2 tsp Garlic Powder
* 2 tsp Thyme Powder
* 2 tsp Sage
* 2 tsp Coriander Powder

Prepare the meat…

NOTE: Pork should be always kept in the refrigerator (below 40°F/4.4°C) prior to preparation.

* Rub the mixture on the pork chops liberally.

* Wrap meat in plastic wrap, or a covered glass/plastic container, and place in the refrigerator for 2-48 hours. The longer the better!

Get the Grill Ready

* For the gas grill folks, fire-up all burners, and get the temperature to hold around 275°F/135°C. We found it to be imperative that a good oven thermometer, placed on the meat side of the cooking grill, is used to ensure that the cooking temperature is true. Note that the lid thermometer will indicate a higher temperature, and that number should be used only as a reference.

* Place the chip pouch over one burner (far left or right) and shut down the other burner(s). Close the grill and let the smoke get started. This will be the last time, during the cooking cycle, you will have anything to do with the smoke.

NOTE: Charcoal grill folks, if you use a charcoal lighter fluid, allow the coals to burn to a grey ash coating. There are several good “fire-starters” on the market that will not taint the meat, or impart potentially dangerous chemicals to the food.

* For the charcoal grill, Use about 100 briquettes (6 lbs./2.7kg.) and fire-up the charcoal…we like the chimney charcoal starter because it’s the quickest and easiest way to start the coals. If you use the pyramid method of starting the coals, bank them on one side of the grill.

* Smoked pork chops on a charcoal grill require you control the temperature with the bottom/side vents on your grill. Open the vent for more oxygen (heat). Adjust the top vent half open.

* Place the chip pouch over the coals, close the lid and allow the smoke to start.

Cook ‘Em

NOTE: Always use tongs! Never use that forked, sharp, pokey-thing that seems to come with all backyard barbecue tool sets. It will pierce the meat, and allow the juices to run out.

* Place the meat on the grill, bone side toward the fire, opposite side of the fire. When cooking pork chops, never let the meat overlap the fire. You cannot undo crispy or burnt chops! Close the lid and…

* Resist peeking! You’re loosing precious heat and smoke. Open the lid only far enough to do the job.

* Gas grill: Use your oven thermometer to maintain the temperature at 275°F/135°C.

* Check the pork with your instant read thermometer at the thickest part, looking for 145°F/63°C.

* When temperature is “right there”, move the chops over the fire, lid open, and let them brown-up (about 2 minutes each side).

Time to eat

16 tablespoons = 1 cup
12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
6 tablespoons = 3/8 cup
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 1/6 cup
1 tablespoon = 1/16 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
48 teaspoons = 1 cup
U.S. to Metric
Capacity
1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 fluid oz. = 30 ml
1/5 cup = 50 ml
1 cup = 240 ml
2 cups (1 pint) = 470 ml
4 cups (1 quart) = .95 liter
4 quarts (1 gal.) = 3.8 liters
Weight

1 oz. = 28 grams
1 pound = 454 grams
Metric to U.S.
Capacity
1 militers = 1/5 teaspoon
5 ml = 1 teaspoon
15 ml = 1 tablespoon
30 ml = 1 fluid oz.
100 ml = 3.4 fluid oz.
240 ml = 1 cup
1 liter = 34 fluid oz.
1 liter = 4.2 cups
1 liter = 2.1 pints
1 liter = 1.06 quarts
1 liter = .26 gallon
Weight
1 gram = .035 ounce
100 grams = 3.5 ounces
500 grams = 1.10 pounds
1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
1 kilogram = 35 oz.

Cooking Temperatures:

IMPORTANT:After desired cooking temperature is reached, remove meat from heat
source and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. The amount of time required
for resting varies with the size of the cut of your meat. During this resting time, the
meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 20 degrees after it is
removed from the heat source) and the juices redistribute.

Beef and Lamb
Roasts, Steaks & Chops
Rare 120 to 125 degrees F center is bright red, pinkish toward the exterior
portion
Medium Rare 130 to 135 degrees F center is very pink, slightly brown
toward the exterior portion
Medium 140 to 145 degrees F center is light pink, outer portion is brown
Medium Well 150 to 155 degrees F not pink
Well Done 160 degrees F and above steak is uniformly brown throughout
Ground Meat 160 to 165 degrees F no longer pink but uniformly brown
throughout

Poultry
Chicken & Duck 165 degrees F cook until juices run clear

Turkey NOTE: A 12-lb turkey can easily handle 60 to 90 minutes of resting. During
that time, temperature can rise 30 degrees if not exposed to drafts. 165
degrees F juices run clear – leg moves easily

Pork ribs, pork shoulders, and beef brisket
160 degrees F and above medium to well done

Sausage (raw) 160 degrees F no longer pink

Ham Raw
160 degrees F
Pre-cooked 140 degrees F

Seafood
Fish (steaks, filleted or whole) 140 degrees F flesh is opaque, flakes easily

Tuna, Swordfish, & Marlin 125 degrees F cook until medium-rare (do not
overcook or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Shrimp
Medium-size, boiling 3 to 4 minutes cook until medium-rare (do not overcook
or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor
Large-size, boiling 5 to 7 minues cook until medium-rare (do not overcook or
the meat will become dry and lose its flavor
Jumbo-size, boiling 7 to 8 minutes cook until medium-rare (do not overcook
or the meat will become dry and lose its flavor

Lobster
Boiled, whole – 1 lb. 12 to 15 minutes meat turns red and opaque in center
when cut
Broiled, whole – 1 1/2 lbs. 3 to 4 minutes meat turns red and opaque in
center when cut
Steamed, whole – 1 1/2 lbs. 15 to 20 minutes meat turns red and opaque in
center when cut
Baked, tails – each 15 minutes meat turns red and opaque in center when
cut
Broiled, tails – each 9 to 10 minutes meat turns red and opaque in center
when cut

Scallops
Bake 12 to 15 minutes milky white or opaque, and firm
Broil milky white or opaque, and firm

Clams, Mussels & Oysters point at which their shells open – throw away any
that do not open