Do you love the taste of smoked meat or fish but do not know how to get that terrific smoky flavor you crave? Not sure if you are able to get the flavor you want on your current barbecue grill, but don’t desire to spend the money on an expensive smoker?

You will be happy to learn that you can actually smoked meats quite well on both gas and charcoal grills. One thing you need to bear in mind is that the size and style of your burners on whatever type of grill you own, will directly have an impact on whether or not you will succeed in smoking on your grill. The reason for this really is that it is necessary to maintain a consistent 225° in order to properly smoke food.

If you do choose to buy a meat smoker, they’re available in many different sizes, styles and price ranges. Depending on what your needs are it may be possible for you to make use of a small gas grill, but if you do a great deal of smoking it may be necessary for you to purchase a large trailer mounted pit smoker. You can decide if the purchase is going to be worth the reward!

You are able to also choose a vertical water smoker. This works by keeping a water pan between the food and heat source. What this does is regulates the temperature to a steady 212° in order to properly smoke. Your choices with these type of models vary between electric, charcoal, and propane.

Another cool thing about water smokers? Some can even double as barbecue grills – talk about getting the most bang for your buck!

Fish can be smoked either using hot smoking or cold smoking. Any smoker can be used for hot smoking, but if you are interested in cold smoking for fish you will need to purchase a cold smoker. While hot smoking is accomplished at temperatures which vary from 212-225 degrees Fahrenheit, cold smoking requires a temperature of no more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Salmon for example is cured in a solution of salt and sugar before it is smoked with the smoking process, taking anywhere up to three weeks. The amount of time it is smoked is personal preference and based on the kind of flavor you want to achieve.

Smokers are designed to fit every need and budget. It is possible to buy a smoker at a garage sale for just a few dollars or buy a top of the line model that costs thousands of dollars. Certainly, the more you pay for meat smokers determines the quality of the product.

However, if your budget does not allow you to spend a great deal of money; you can still purchase a decent quality smoker for a price within your budget. Conducting some research will help you find the best meat smokers to use for smoking meats and fish that fit into your budget and personal needs. In addition, you are able to find delicious smoked meat and smoked fish recipes in various cookbooks or on recipe online sites.

Charcoal used to be the only option for people who wanted to grill. Now, with the availability of gas grills, people have more of a choice in how they cook in their backyards. This isn’t typically a problem, but for those who have grown accustomed to use gas to grill, they may be surprised when they go to a park or other public place and find there are only charcoal options.

You will probably be a bit caught off guard knowing that you do not have charcoal or starter fluid; after all, you wouldn’t need that for a gas grill, now would you? You can always avoid this situation by simply checking the area where you are going to see what they have in advance. Most parks and beaches do still offer grills, however you can pretty much be safe in assuming that they will be charcoal.

If you have never cooked on a charcoal grill before, this can be daunting. One important thing you need to know is that gas grills cook much faster than charcoal, so you must be prepared and adjust your cooking time as necessary. The heating process of charcoal is almost twice as long as gas. Besides that, many charcoal grills do not have covers – so there can be weather obstacles to account for as well. Keep in mind you want the coals to be completely white before you begin grilling, and this can take between 30-60 minutes depending on the elements.

If you have a choice, always pick a grill that has a lid. This will allow the charcoal to become ready quicker. It will also keep the grill more evenly heated, as well as give it the ability to remain hot longer. Sometimes, you won’t have a choice to have a lid. In this case, just shelter the grill from the wind and other elements as much as you can.

If you are having guests, you will probably desire to serve them something more exotic like hot dogs, maybe another meat like steak or ribs. Remember the cooking time – these will take much longer. Charcoal grilling takes a longer time, but there is no denying the marvelous flavor that cooking this way provides. And if you are on a time frame, this marvelous flavor is just as good on hamburgers and hot dogs!

Do you love to barbecue in the summer? If not, I’m sure you know someone who does. The funny things about those who do, is that there are so many differing ways of doing things!

It’s kind of like that old saying; one man’s trash is another’s treasure. What may seem completely odd to one cook may be completely natural to another. For instance, a lot of people will leave the husk on their corn, and throw it on the grill. Others put it on the grill in a pan of water. Same thing goes for potatoes, except with them a lot of people wrap them in aluminum foil.

One tip you’ll wish to remember is if you are using a gas grill you wish to remember the cooking time is much quicker than with a charcoal grill. Another tip with a gas grill is to cook your food on a medium or low setting. Do not attempt to rush things by cooking on high or you will actually overcook your food and even run the risk of burning something.

If you’re cooking more than one type of food, such as steak with hot dogs, keep in mind that one will take longer to cook than the other, and adjust your cooking schedule as necessary. You cannot put them on at the same time and attempt to speed up the cooking of one to keep up with the other. To accompany these different times, simply put the food that takes longer to cook on first.

Does your grill have a warming area? If so, don’t use it to cook the foods that don’t take as long. For instance, if you’ve to make chicken and hot dogs, don’t put the hot dogs on the warming area to cook. Cook the chicken first, then put that on the warming area, and the hot dogs on the main part of the grill.

You can also use the warmer to keep sauces, like your barbecue sauce – warm, or for other things like butter for the corn and potatoes. What else can you do for an awesome barbecue? Try using non-stick spray on your grates or aluminum fire – just make sure you do not spray it on after the grill is hot or you may have a huge flare up. There are also special non-flare grilling sprays you could try.

If you’re interested in trying new flavors but wish to stay away from the added calories and fat they may provide – you have an alternative: grilling sprays. Located in your grocer’s aisles, these can lend new and exciting flavors to an already awesome meal!

Summertime: warmer weather, no school for the kids, and barbecues. The scent of charcoal in the air is sufficient to make most people salivate. And once the grill is brought out for the season, for many people, cooking inside becomes a faint memory for a few months.

But with all of the grilling comes an increased fire hazard risk, especially for those with gas grills. The culprit is in the cleaning – many folks simply don’t clean their grills properly; sometimes not at all.

You must clean your barbecue grills before every use. This is true whether you’re using charcoal or gas. Re-using charcoal can cause your fire to build rapidly and larger than you need, so do not do this.

And remember, while bonfires have their place, that place is not in your grill to cook your food! This can pose not only a fire hazard, but can create harmful carcinogens in the food which can in turn harm the bodies of those who ingest them.

When cooking on a gas grill, there are certain distinctive precautions one must take. For instance, cobwebs can be formed in them during storage that might catch on fire and burn the cook.

To avoid this, make sure to clean the grill thoroughly both before putting it up for the season as well as before using it the first time of the season. Another potential hazard is using any type of fluid or paper. This isn’t necessary for these types of grills and can be quite dangerous.

As a habit you should also clean your grill before you begin cooking. You can do this quickly with a grill brush or by simply rubbing balled up aluminum foil over the grates. Any leftover residue from previous use can add fuel to the fire in the form of grease.

Even if you cover your grates with aluminum foil as many people do it’s still necessary to clean them. Aluminum foil does not prevent grease from getting on the grates but just prevents any leftover grease and grime from getting on the food you’re cooking.

Cleaning and maintaining your grill properly will help you avoid any fire hazards or disasters due to a dirty grill. In addition, it can help you create delicious meals on your grill every time you use it!

Making your own barbecue sauce might have never crossed your mind before, with many different varieties of BBQ being available at your local grocery store. However, if you want to try something new this year making your own barbecue grilling sauce is a great idea. Get the kids involved and show them that sometimes the best tastes don’t come from a bottled sauce sold at the store! There are many different BBQ sauce recipes but here are a few you can try to get you started.

Classic Barbecue Grilling Sauce

* 1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
* 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
* 1/4 cup of minced onion
* 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons of vinegar
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic crushed
* 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
* 1 teaspoon of cayenne
* fresh ground pepper

Cook minced onion and garlic in olive oil until onions become dense. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce and takes a total of 30 minutes from preparation to cooking.

Southern BBQ Sauce

* apple cider vinegar (2 cups)
* tomato paste (4 ounces)
* sugar (1.5 tbs)
* peanut oil (1.5 tbs)
* salt (1.5 tbs)
* steak sauce (3/4 tbs)
* Worcestershire sauce (3/4 tbs)
* hot pepper sauce (1/2 tbs)

To start, mix all of the ingredients together in a sauce pan. Allow the mixture to simmer on medium high for about ten minutes. If you have time, marinate the meat in 2/3 of this mixture overnight before you cook it and use the remaining mixture to baste it while you’re cooking it. However, if you don’t have time to marinate the meat overnight you can do a quick 15 minute marinating or you can simply baste as you cook.

While it might be easier to simply reach for the cheap bottled BBQ sauce at the grocery store, there are benefits associated with making your own barbecue sauce. You can choose high quality or even organic ingredients, which can help keep your family healthy. You can also choose to add more or less of what you’d like, depending on your own taste preferences or the taste preferences of your family. If you want to turn barbecue sauce making into a family event, let the kids help and create your own family recipe to share.

Are you looking for a great gift for an almost impossible gift recipient? If so, you’re likely frustrated because they seem to have everything! But, if they seem to grill outdoors quite frequently you can use this hobby to your gift buying advantage.

Barbecue accessories are hot gift items, for almost any occasion. Instead of thinking in boring terms of grilling tongs or cleaning brushes, think more creatively. There are many BBQ gadgets on the market that make perfect gifts.

Which BBQ Accessories Make Amazing Gifts

What kind of barbecue accessories could you give someone as a gift? You only need to look online at many of the different websites to discover the many different accessories that are available. It doesn’t even have to be for someone who does the cooking on the grill but just for someone who hosts a lot of outdoor barbecues.

You can find various items such as cups, plates, grill covers, grill toppers, griddles for the top of the grill, plates and much more. The supply of barbeque accessories is limited only by the budget and imagination of the giver.

If you are someone that hosts many barbecues during the summer or live in a place where it is always warm enough to barbeque, you are likely to appreciate the many barbecue accessories that are available.

These items certainly make great gifts, and if you include them on your list for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas you will soon have all of the many “fancy” gadget that make your backyard parties more fun. Wouldn’t it be easier to make your burgers in a hamburger press instead of doing it yourself or buying them already prepared? A grill press would certainly make it easier to hold those burgers in place on the grill.

What To Give The Person With Everything

The key to buying a great gift is to know the person you’re giving it to. If you know the gift recipient loves to grill out every evening, a BBQ accessory seems like an ideal choice of gift.

Just remember to buy something unique, such as potato racks or a personalized spatula to ensure they don’t already have the item. You can help them collect all of the things they would love but never get around to purchasing.

Summer is the time of year when everyone is doing some kind of barbecuing whether it is in the backyard, at tailgate parties or in a park with the kids, family and friends. With portable propane and charcoal grills there is no longer the need to tote hot dogs and hamburgers that are cold by the time you reach your destination.

With portable grills you can even have a tailgate party during the college football season and wait until you are ready to eat to cook the food. There’s no more eating cold hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken.

A portable grill is not only great for cooking meat when you’re tailgating, having a beach BBQ or are camping with the family. Sure, they cook hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and other meats to perfection. However, they can also be very helpful in preparing side items like baked potatoes or grilled corn on the cob.

For families who love to camp in the great outdoors, portable grills can also be great for cooking breakfast. Simply bring along a griddle to fit the top of the grill and you can easily cook bacon, sausage, pancakes, eggs and French toast.

Portable grills can make a camping trip a lot easier, especially if you are tent camping. Many families today choose to use campers (complete with stoves and bathrooms) during their camping excursions.

However, those who still love the idea of sleeping under the stars in their sleeping bags or in tents often use an open fire to cook their meals. This can be difficult if the weather doesn’t cooperate (rain) and using a fire can make it difficult to cook things evenly. However, portable propane or portable charcoal grills can make cooking a breeze while you’re out in the wilderness.

Thus, to have a barbecue picnic or cookout you must go elsewhere where they have community grills. Portable charcoal grills and portable propane grills allow you the freedom to host your picnic wherever you’d like to do so.

You can bring a portable grill to a sporting event tailgating area, to a park, to the beach or even to an amusement park picnic area and have tasty food you, your family and friends can enjoy.

As the 4th of July holiday is getting ready to hit, many party hosts are looking for easy barbecue recipe ideas. After all, most people don’t want to serve the same thing at their summer cookout, year after year. While some of the traditional barbecue cuisine should certainly be included annually, here are some new ideas for you to try at this year’s party.

Watergate Salad

1) 16 oz can of pineapple (crushed)
1) 4 oz box of Jell-O™ pudding (Pistachio)
1) 8 oz tub Cool Whip
1) 16 oz of bag miniature marshmallows
Maraschino cherries (your choice to include or not)
Coconut (your choice to include or not)

To start, begin by draining the juice from the can of pineapple. Mix the ingredients all together in a bowl. Leave the salad in the refrigerator overnight for best results. You can choose to add in cherries or coconut, if you wish. If you want, you can double the recipe for more guests. However, this single recipe should feed about ten guests.

Healthy Homemade Pasta Salad

1 Box of Rotini (Whole Wheat or Vegetable)
1 Bottle of Fat Free or Reduced Calorie Italian Dressing
Black Olives
2 or 3 Cucumbers (peeled and quartered)
Grape Tomatoes (as many as you’d like)
Grated Cheese (Optional)

For those who are used to picking up a box of pasta salad in the grocery store, this recipe will change your mind. You can adjust everything to your individual tastes and even substitute cubed cheddar cheese for the grated cheese if you so desire. Some people also like to add sliced pepperoni as well.

Almost Homemade BBQ Party Baked Beans

1 drained can (46 oz) of Pork & Beans
Brown sugar (simply substitute Splenda™ Brown Sugar for less calories)
Optional: Chopped Onion
Honey (to help with desired thickness)
Yellow Mustard, Catsup or BBQ for spicy flavor
Enough bacon strips to cover the top of the pan

To begin, mix all ingredients in a dish which can be placed in the oven. After it is mixed well, cover the top of the mixture with uncooked bacon strips. Then bake the dish at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes (bacon must be well done). This recipe serves approximately 10 guests.

To create a memorable 4th of July holiday, invite your family and friends over for a holiday picnic or barbecue. You can easily add a different flair to a typical barbecue menu by including these easy and delicious recipes this year.

If you want to dress up your boring barbecued food with an easy to use product, grill spray might be your saving grace. Grill spray has become extremely popular this year because it offers home cooks an easy way to add flavor to their grilled foods without requiring any additional time or skill.

Why grill spray is so popular

Inexpensive grill spray is a great way cooks and chefs can add flavor to their food while they are cooking or grilling it. It’s basically artificial flavoring, although you can certainly find all-natural grill sprays to utilize as well. The product is sprayed directly onto the food and allows for a tastier flavor to emerge as the result.

Some common flavors include hickory and mesquite which are two of the most well-loved tastes associated with the act of barbecuing. Of course, not everyone can capture these mouthwatering tastes, and so grill sprays like those from Grill Magic ®, serve to provide the flavor for which so many people yearn. In this way, grill spray can be quite addictive…in a good way!

Grilling spray works well with so many foods, and has even inspired recipes that revolve around the spray, as if it were a food beyond its mere seasoning function. Some recipes involve BBQ pork chops, asparagus, egg noodles, Asian poached salmon, shrimp, fettuccine, turkey, BLTs, hot and sour baked chicken, shish kabob, spare ribs, steak (T-bone, sirloin, etc), frittatas, hamburgers and sausage. Recipes even extend to non-cooked favorites such as strawberries and other fruits, smoothies, cookies and cream, almonds, ice cream and even donuts and cakes. Fruits such as strawberries are very popular with grill spray because of the mixed flavors, especially mochaccino. The possibilities are endless!

In addition to being easy to use, versatile and tasty, grilling spray is also very safe to use. It can work with any type of cooking fuel, such as charcoal, lump coal, propane, gas, wood, wood chunk or electricity. Of course, the can of spray won’t last forever so when it’s empty you will need to take care to dispose of it like any other aerosol can. However, the spray itself poses no risk to health and can often give you more flavor with much fewer calories.

While grill spray can take boring food and turn it into a fantastic meal in only a few seconds, it also can help you stay within your family’s food budget quite easily. Grilling spray can save your health (due to it being low in calories and fat) and also save your wallet! Most cans can be found at your local grocery store for less than $3 each which can help you have more luxury to try various flavors without feeling the financial burden. Your family will love the new tastes, you will feel great knowing you’re giving them something healthy and your budget will stay right on track when you choose to use grill spray.

Since the days of caveman cooking, wood has been the most popular source of fuel for outdoor cooking and grilling. When cavemen were living, they found wood quite abundant which is likely why they used it for fires.

However, today it’s also used most often because it’s inexpensive and can effectively and safely help people cook their food.

When it comes to the safety of wood, the way the wood is processed means quite a lot. It can determine how safe the wood is for the environment and for humans. In addition, it can determine how well the wood will burn.

One of the most performance-efficient wood fuels in the world currently is the Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) because it has very little effect on the environment and on the health of humans. Thus, it’s very popular and commonly used.

Wood is widely used as a source for fuel in grilling, despite is chemical properties that could potentially be harmful.

However, the processing of woods for grilling minimizes the chemical output and can even minimize the burning consumption. The fact this has made wood a renewable energy source is likely one of the greatest advantages of wood.

As mentioned, wood is widely available and inexpensively processed so naturally it is low in cost. Wood can be purchased in a variety of locations in either log form, slabs or even in chips.

Wood chips have become a prevalent source of fuel in industry as well, due to its cost effectiveness. In addition, wood chips are popular due to its applicability to an array of energy purposes, such as automatic heating systems, which are contingent on continuous, easy burning fuel to meet their programmed quotas.

Wood chips and wood pellets are both small and facilitate the ease of storage, transportation and consumption.

As far as grilling goes, the multiple flavors in which wood is available make this use of this fuel source even more tantalizing. Food prepared gains enhanced flavor from the burning wood.

When various types of wood are combined, the ultimate taste is unique and heavenly. One can imagine how meat will taste when cooked over a mixture of mesquite wood, hickory wood, apple wood, maple wood and cherry-flavored woods, for example.

The thought can get your mouth watering in seconds. Other flavors of wood commonly used in grilling include: guava, kiawe, pecan and oak.

While you can certainly use gas or propane for your preferred grilling fuel, the advantages to using wood still outweighs the others. It has been used effectively since the days of the cavemen, is inexpensive and is widely available.

It can even be used to add extra flavor to foods, via flavored wood chips or planks. Using wood can also be great for the environment, with the newest wood processing methods removing chemicals from the wood before it’s burned.