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F ir e
U p
f o r
G r e a t
M e a ls
a ll W i n t e r
D o n ’ t b e f r o z e n o u t o f t h e f u n . K e e p t h e g r i l l
g o i n g w i t h t h e s e t o o l s a n d t e c h n i q u e s .
BY N AN CY
BYAL
|
PHOTOS ANDY
LYONS
S e a s o n a l
s t r a t e g y
S a fe ty firs t Keep the grill
in a well-ventilated area at
least
1 0
feet from the house and
protected from wind. Lightweight
grills (like this Weber Q
1 2 0
$
1 9 9
,
weber.com)
can be stored out of the
weather, then wheeled out for cooking. Because
of the danger of fire and carbon monoxide, never
grill in a garage or under an overhang. And you
don’t want to slip carrying a platter of T-bones,
so remove snow and ice around your work zone.
Finally, use barbecue mitts, not winter gloves or
mittens, which can melt in the heat.
G ear u p Look for ways to cut
time out in the cold with tools
such as a vegetable grill basket
(which lets you flip all the vegetables
at once). A potato rack, with stainless-
steel spurs that conduct heat to the center of
the spuds, cooks them about
2 0
percent faster
(Potato Grill Rack,
$
1 0
, Sur La Table stores
and
surlatable.com).
Using thinner cuts of meat and
boneless poultry also speeds up cooking time.
F ire s m a rts For propane grills, a full or nearly
full propane tank works better in cold weather.
For charcoal, keep a chimney starter full of
charcoal ready to light
in case cooking takes
longer than expected. Use a grill thermometer
to monitor cooking temperature, and preheat
the grill
1 0
minutes longer than normal. When
food is on, keep the lid closed to retain heat even
when grilling over direct heat. Either way, food
cooks slower on windy and very cold days; count
on one-third to twice as long.
B u i l d
f l a v o r
R ubs ru le Choose rubs over sauces.
A fiery blend of spices put on before
cooking means no basting or grill-
tending out in the cold
and
warms
up taste buds. (Urban Accents rubs:
Argentina Steak, Bayou Barbeque,
and Mozambique Peri Peri; (
2
-
0 2
.
jars, $
7
; urbanaccents.com).
Z est it u p Take advantage of the abundance
and low price of seasonal citrus; grill lemon or
lime halves along with chicken, fish, or lamb.
Squeeze over meat just before serving.
E n d sw e e tly Winter appetites crave
hearty desserts such as crème brûlée.
Meet the challenge with barbecue
guru Steven Raichlen’s crème brûlée
set for the grill
($
3 0
; grilling
4
all.c
0
m).
Join us for the weekend
Get a head start on sum m er w ith two days of
great food, fam ily fun, and live m usic in Chicago’s
Lincoln Park. The event, scheduled for M ay
21
-
22
,
features dem onstrations
by celebrity chefs and
B e tte r H om es a n d G ardens
editors, a celebrity chef
g rill showdown, tastings
from local restaurants,
and fam ily activities.
Look for more inform ation
in upcom ing issues. ■
c h i l i
G r i l l
g»
CD
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<
p
9 0
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS | JANUARY
2011
BHG.COM
