| “Preparing a perfect barbecue is not as simple | | | | Barbecuing is the art of cooking food on a grill. How |
| as one might think.” | | | | one does this can range from simply barbecuing over |
| I have been a guest at many barbecue parties, all | | | | some wood surrounded by three pebbles and then |
| over the world, but rarely have I had the good | | | | skewering a piece of meat on a small branch held |
| fortune of enjoying properly grilled meat! Perhaps it is | | | | over the fire, to using the most up-to-date electric or |
| not generally known that barbecuing is a definite skill | | | | gas grill. In between are all kinds or techniques like |
| with specific rules to doing it well. | | | | using a stove top grill. The methods of barbecuing |
| I do remember, however, a wonderful barbecue at | | | | are just infinite! |
| the home of a good friend of mine in the south of | | | | Whatever equipment you are using, anything in this |
| France. John cooked up and served one of the best | | | | chapter could be done with any of them. What you |
| barbecues of my life! The meat was first marinated | | | | really need to do a good BBQ is a rack and a source |
| in a wonderful choice of spices, was tender and | | | | of heat. |
| perfectly cooked! This was a wonderful several | | | | You can BBQ almost anything: meat of course, but |
| course meal served in a magical evening toward the | | | | also fish, seafood, vegetables, bread, even cheeses |
| end of the summer in the south of France! A | | | | and fruit. In fact, if you are using the BBQ for a meal, |
| wonderful memory, for me! | | | | you could actually prepare the entire meal on the grill |
| I also remember a restaurant in Moscow where great | | | | (except the raw parts of the salads, of course)! |
| big skewers were grilled on huge barbecue, in the | | | | At the beginning of the chapter, I told you all about |
| dining room itself! | | | | my disappointment with grilled food. The main trouble |
| Another great barbecue that I can remember was in | | | | a non-expert usually has with using a BBQ to cook |
| Douala in Cameroon, in western Africa right out in the | | | | with is that they tend to get the grill too hot and |
| street! The barbecue consisted of a big steel barrel | | | | then burn the food on the outside. With burnt meat, |
| with wood burning inside and then the chicken was | | | | you can see all the black lines on the food. Grill marks |
| slowly being cooked on a sheet of heavy brown | | | | should be brown or dark brown but not black. When |
| paper, which allowed the chicken to be half smoked | | | | you see black lines on BBQ-ed food, know that that |
| while also being grilled. The result was quite delicious | | | | food was cooked at too high a temperature or was |
| and I ate there often during by stay in Douala. | | | | cooked for much too long. |
| In Asia where people barbecue enormously and the | | | | Something else that is very important when grilling is |
| choice of recipes is huge, barbecuing is generally done | | | | not to burn the fat. Frequently during cooking, fat |
| very well. I have very fond memories of women, | | | | melts onto the fire and catches fire. Even if it seems |
| sitting on the sidewalk barbecuing tiny bananas with | | | | professional to look at and fun when the fat burns |
| barbecued chicken wings available a little further | | | | like this, burned fat or meat are said to be a cause |
| down that same street! | | | | of cancer and the burn taste takes away from the |
| Grilling, or barbecuing meat is an art in itself and this is | | | | taste of good BBQ-ed food. |
| why I wanted to write this to helping you to do a | | | | Get into the habit of trimming off excess fat before |
| better job and also to give you some basic recipes | | | | cooking on the BBQ. Even if this has been done |
| that you can try. I hope that by trying them, | | | | before you buy the meat, it is a good idea to check |
| I’ll give you the desire to barbecue more | | | | this point before cooking. Make sure that all gristle, |
| often and also to create your own recipes! | | | | extra bones and extra fat have been removed or do |
| Basic Information on how to barbecue | | | | it yourself. |