What Not To Do When Using Your Barbeque

There are a number of things to be aware of when using your barbeque at home. Even though barbequing itself is pretty simple, there are some things that beginners do that experts don’t, and this can make all the difference between a great tasking BBQ meal, and one that is rather bland. If you’re unsure as to whether your barbequing technique is up to scratch, read on. Here are 3 things you shouldn’t do at your next BBQ.

1. Don’t start cooking until the barbeque is hot enough.

Before cooking anything, it’s important that you pre-heat your barbeque. Why? Because without waiting for the cooking surface to heat up properly you risk your meat being scorched on the outside and undercooked on the inside. Not an ideal situation to be in at all. This would have to be the most common mistake made by those new to the world of the barbequing, and you’d be wise to not be one of them. Indeed, even with the best barbeques out there (head on over to BBQ's Galore for a fantastic range) cannot help you if you don’t allow them sufficient time to heat up properly. So the next time you use your barbeque, turn it on, close the lid, and wait a little. After it’s heated thoroughly, and you see glowing embers instead of flames, oil your grill racks and start cooking your food.

2. Avoid cutting into the food.

Try and avoid cutting into your food to see whether it’s ready or not during the cooking process. Doing so will allow all the internal juices to ooze out, and this will only dry out your meat and/or poultry. Plus, it will give your food a tough, chewy texture. And except for a rare few, nobody wants that. To help you judge when it’s time to remove your food from the grill, pay attention to the firmness of the meat. As a general rule, food gets firmer as it cooks. For example, meat starts out very tender when it’s raw or rare, and gets firmer as it cooks. If it seems hard, then you know it’s very well done. You can use a thermometer or timer to help you in the beginning stages, but once you know what you’re looking for, you won’t need these tools at all.

3. Don’t apply the sauce at the onset.

It’s important that you apply sauce (if any) at the right time to ensure a well-cooked, great tasting piece of meat. Not knowing when to apply barbeque sauce is another big mistake made by beginners, and you’ll need to master this if you want to be a barbequing king or queen! As a general rule, you don't want to apply the sauce right at the onset, as the sugar in the sauce will burn quickly. What’s better is applying it in the last few minutes of cooking. This will allow the sauce to quickly warm without burning or drying.

There you have it. Make sure you’re not guilty of the above the next time you host a BBQ, and no doubt you’ll have delicious food on your grills that your friends and family will love you for.