The Barbeque Accessories You Need to Become a Master Backyard Griller
Now that warmer weather is just around the corner, you know what that means. It's BBQ season! You're probably already itching to bring out your outdoor grill for everyone's favourite summer pastime. But before you do so, you may want to consider upgrading your grilling game with some new accessories.
No matter how great your grill may be, achieving that juicy and crispy burger isn't easy. It takes a whole lot of work. But with the help of the right grilling accessories, you can become the master griller that brings all the boys and girls to the yard. The only downside to this? - Your dog might not get to feast on your mistakes.
A Remote Barbeque Thermometer
A digital thermometer is one of those tools that every home cook should have in their arsenal. It takes the temperature of the dish you're making to let you know if it's properly cooked. This way, you can ensure everything you're making doesn't get burned or undercooked, and doesn't carry any dangerous bacteria.
It takes a lot of grilling experience to determine whether the meat is ready just by looking at it and feeling it. And when it comes to grilling meat, a barbeque thermometer is especially important to ensure that it's evenly and safely cooked. A barbeque thermometer is a small and foldable device that can be easily stored away with your other kitchen tools.
However, using a thermometer may mean needing to stand over the grill for the entire cooking process. Luckily, you have the option to purchase a remote barbeque thermometer. The remote barbeque thermometer can read the internal temperature of the food thanks to its digital electronic food probe. It then sends the information to a wireless receiver that can be up to 100 ft away. In other words, you can lay back next to the pool and oversee the steaks cooking several meters away from you.
You don't even need to actively look at the screen for the entire time. Simply program the remote barbeque thermometer to send an alert once the food has reached the desired internal temperature. In fact, some remote barbeque thermometers even have specific settings you can use for different kinds of meat. You can choose from beef, turkey, pork, veal, lamb or chicken settings and not have to worry about. You can also set a selection of “doneness” of the meat, for each preference – rare, medium, etc. This way, everyone will be treated to a perfectly cooked meal.
A Grill Grate
You've heard that charcoal grilling results in a crunchier, more delicious flavour. But unfortunately, you own a more eco-friendly gas grill. So, does that mean your steaks can never get that well-known charcoal flavour? Well, here's some good news for you. The beloved taste that meat cooked on a charcoal grill gets has nothing to do with the charcoal itself. In fact, it comes primarily from the rendered fat dripping off the food, hitting the coals underneath and then turning to smoke. This way, it flavours the food.
But this effect can be replicated even on a gas grill. All you need to do is cooked the meat using grill grates. The grill grates will serve the same purpose but without the charcoal – trapping delicious juices in their deep groves where they burn off and give the food a mouth-watering scent. What's more, using a grate also prevents flareups which can happen when cooking flare-prone foods such as bratwurst.
A Pizza Stone
Well, not everyone is a fan of steaks, kebabs and hamburgers. Especially small children. So, to make everyone happy at your backyard party, you can include an extra item on the menu – pizza! Yes, it's completely possible to make a tasty pizza using nothing but your grill and a good pizza stone. Although it's not like a wood-fired pizza, the stone still allows you to make a pretty good pie over your grill. Just be sure that it fits your particular grill. In addition, some pizza stones also work as well in the oven.
Stainless Steel Skewers
Greek souvlaki, Turkish kebabs, Japanese yakitori, Indonesian sate, Peruvian anticuchos – what do all these traditional dishes have in common? Skewers, of course. It seems as though every culture has it's own version of food threaded on a stick and roasted over a flame. And us Australians love all of them! There's something so exotic to eating food on a stick cooked over a grill.
If you want to add food on a stick to your barbeque party, you can get stainless steel skewers which are reusable. As opposed to wooden skewers, metal skewers heat up significantly, which can help speed up the cooking time. And once you've finished your food, they can be washed and reused again, which makes them a longterm investment.