Summertime brings easy living, evening breezes and traditionally primetime to fire up the grill. However, grillin' season now extends well into the Fall and in some areas of the country it is a year 'round activity. In fact, the aroma of outdoor cooking drifting from a neighbor' place will send you to fire up your own grill or next door to join the food fest.

Though pork is a popular choice for outdoor cooking, food found on grills today include poultry, seafood assort fresh fruits, vegetables and even pizza! The selection of foods from local markets makes it easy for time-challenged homemakers to select quick cooking and convenient items for the grill.

Although barbecuing is steeped in tradition, personal and "secret" family techniques, simple grilling basics are the foundation for years of a great grilling reputation. The following grilling tips will help fine tune or develop new skill when firing up the grill.

How to Choose a Grill

Grill selection depends on your specific needs and personal preferences. Consider (1) where you will grill; (2) what types of food you will cook and the quantity of food you will cook.

Basic Outdoor Cooking Techniques

• Grilling: Food is cooked over direct, intense heat. This cooking method is similar to oven broiling.
• Covered Kettle Cooking: Very popular with the creation of the covered kettle grill. This cooking technique is like roasting and uses larger cuts of meat that roast over indirect heat.
• Spit Roasting/Rotisserie: A technique used to preclude turning the meat; instead of roasting over indirect heat, food is skewered to turn constantly over direct heat.
• Smoking: Achieved in a special "smoker" or in a covered grill; food is cooked very slowly in a low-heat atmosphere, with the addition of water vapor and wood smoke.

Fuels and Flavors

There are many types of charcoal and aromatic woods which can be used for cooking and flavoring grilled foods. Charcoal briquets burn evenly and consistently. Mesquite charcoal is made by charring the wood of mesquite trees; it burns cleanly and hotter than briquets, imparting a subtle flavor to foods. When lighting, mesquite produces more popping and crackling than regular briquets. Hardwood chips and chunks are readily available from supermarkets and hardware stores. Soaked in water for about 30 minutes, then drained, they can be added directly to a charcoal fire to add flavor to grilled foods. (Softwoods and evergreens should not be used; they can give a bitter flavor and leave a residue in the grill).

Another popular way to add flavor to grilled foods is with sprigs of fresh herbs such as bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sage. Moisten herbs with water, and place them directly on the coals or on the grid next to the food to add flavor during grilling.

With grilling basics out of the way, it's time to don that chef's hat, turn up the volume and start cookin' that 'cue. The above recipes can be new additions to your file of time tested outdoor specialties.

Source: Charla L. Draper
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