Saturday, March 3, 2007

Enjoying Fish And Meats With A Cold Smoker

Smoking meats and fish is a way of cooking that has been around for generations, yet few people know how to cook in this manner or how tasty it can be to use this method of cooking. When fish or meat is smoked, the flavors from the wood or wood chips used blends with the meat, creating a wonderful and unique aroma and taste.

This fashion of cooking is popular in many European countries, yet there are many smoking enthusiasts in the United States that enjoy this type of cooking as well. There are many types of smokers available, such as propane, gas, and electric, yet a cold smoker is a bit more uncommon than other varieties.

How To Cook With A Cold Smoker

When using the cold-smoker method of smoking fish and other meats, the temperature one uses is far lower than the hot-smoker method. Fish is most often used with this type of smoking, and should be frozen prior to the process in order to kill any susceptible parasites within the fish.

The fish must stay in a brine solution for a longer period of time as well, and the cooking time is much longer than with the hot-smoker method. Often, a cold smoker cooks very slowly, from one to five days, depending on the amount of fish that is in the smoker itself.

Different kinds of fish can be placed within the cold smoker, most often salmon or cod. Herring can also be used, as well as eels. This is a popular item in European countries, but generally not as well accepted in the U.S.

A homemade cold smoker can be built using a refrigerator, yet it is usually more time consuming than it is worth, and there are many quality brands available on the market. When cooking fish in this way, the fish can last for many months in the refrigerator, whereas using the hot smoker method, the fish spoil in just a few days.

If one desires to preserve their meats or fish, a cold smoker is the better option. Wood chips or powder is used in the cold smoker as well. Choosing between a cold or hot smoker is solely based on individual preference and needs, yet both should provide delicious and satisfactory results to the avid meat or fish lover for years to come.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Barbeque Grill Covers

When you have paid for a barbeque grill, one of the first things you are going to want to invest in is one of the barbeque grill covers that can be found. This is something that is very important for you to get for your barbeque grill. There are many reasons that barbeque grill covers become very important when you are taking care of your property, for many reasons.

Why Use Them?

It is very important that you use barbeque grill covers when it comes to the upkeep and maintenance of your grill. First of all, the barbeque grill covers will protect your grill from the elements. This is perhaps the most important thing that a cover can do for you. A good grill cover is going to protect your grill from water, snow, and other moistures, as well as from heat and sunlight. All of the things in nature can really wreck havoc on your barbeque grill, so it is most important that you also invest in a good barbeque grill cover when you are purchasing your grill.

What Type To Use

There are several different types of barbeque grill covers that you can choose from. When you are deciding what type is best for you, the first thing that you should think about is what kind of weather your barbeque grill is going to be exposed to. If you are in a situation where there is a lot variance in your climate, you are going to want to purchase a much heavier and much stronger barbeque grill cover than if you are in a place where the climate is basically the same all year long.

You should also think about where your grill is going to be stored. If you are planning on keeping it in the garage or another covered place when you aren’t using it, then the barbeque grill cover will become more of a dust cover, keeping the dust away from it and not letting small animals into it.

In these cases, you don’t need a very heavy or very strong grill over. However, if you are going to be storing it outside all year long, you are going to want to invest in a grill cover that is going to be able to withstand the elements that will be forced upon it. In the end, it all comes down to what your grill needs to be protected from, and what type of grill cover best protects your grill from whatever that is.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Great Barbecue Grill Secret

I like to share with you something about Barbecue Grill and what recipe make the best barbecue.

Everyone who has a backyard or even an outside patio probably owns a barbecue grill. The grill is as important as anything else lying around the house. Most men consider the grill and the area surrounding it “man land.” Cooking meat on an open flame satisfies the caveman part of the brain.

The smell of the meat on hot coals will make anyone hungry. A barbecue grill comes in many shapes and sizes. Small grills that can be placed on a table can cost very little and they work just the same as the big ones.

On the other end of the spectrum, one can find large stainless steel models that cost, in some cases, over two thousand dollars. When it comes down to the basics, a barbecue grill cooks meat. Everything else that is built into one is either a cooking aid or nice to have accessories. Some grills also come attached with smoker accessories so the unit can accomplish more than just grilling.

Whatever the customer wants, there is probably a grill that suits his or her taste. Something to consider when shopping for a grill is: What size does one want or need? Meat racks can be small, maybe enough to cook two steaks, or large enough to cook for a large party.

Tips To Aid The Cooking Of Meat

It doesn’t matter what kind of meat one is cooking. Whether its beef, pork, fish, or chicken, there are some things that can enhance the flavors. One way is to marinate the meat overnight in whatever one chooses. When it is taken out to the barbecue grill, the aroma is mouth watering.

Also, one can use spices while the meat is cooking. There are many spices available to the customer. Some even mix spices together designed for each type of meat.

Something else that will aid the cooking is to watch out for flare ups. They can very quickly ruin a nice cut of meat. Every barbecue grill has a lid. When cooking meat that drips often, keeping the lid closed while cooking will stop the flare up. One still has to keep an eye out for trouble, but with the barbecue grill lid down, flare ups are minimized. Finally, knowing the amount of time it takes to cook a specific type and size of meat, the individual can then cook the meat to whatever one likes.

All meat will taste bad if overcooked so have a rough idea of the time it takes to cook whatever meat one is having, and keep a knife handy to check the current condition of the meat.

Try it out yourself. Having a great barbecue with the whole family.