| In any craft or art form, you need the right tools in | | | | 3. MEAT THERMOMETER |
| order to create a masterpiece. Barbecuing is no | | | | One of the most difficult and challenging aspects of |
| different. You need the tools of the trade to get the | | | | barbecuing is the knowing when the meat is done. |
| job done right. This article list the top five most | | | | Overcooked, the meat will be to dry and tough. |
| useful and essential tools that any barbecuer worthy | | | | Undercooked, and the meat is potentially unhealthy |
| of that name ought to have. | | | | (and having a guest cut into a steak only to find it |
| 1. LONG-HANDLED GRILLING TOOLS | | | | still bleeding is rather embarrassing). You can avoid |
| Anyone who has tried to flip burgers with a table | | | | this with a simple, cheap meat thermometer. Just |
| fork knows the sting of first-degree burns and the | | | | poke it into the center of the thickest part of the |
| smell of singed hair. To avoid this amateur mistake, | | | | meat, and you can get an accurate temperature |
| find barbecue tools with the longest handles you can. | | | | reading within seconds. When using a metal |
| Make sure the grip is made of wood, plastic, ceramic, | | | | thermometer, be careful they can heat up quickly. |
| or some other heat-resistant material. Also make | | | | 4. GRILL BRUSH AND CLEANER |
| sure the grip material completely surrounds the | | | | Maintain your grill. Maintain your grill. Maintain your grill. |
| handle, not just sandwiches the metal between two | | | | Got it? |
| grip pieces. Heat from the grill quickly travels up the | | | | Simply putting the lid back on your grill and assuming |
| metal handles of the tools, and can burn your hand if | | | | the coals will bake off any char and food particles off |
| you're not careful. | | | | the grate is not good enough, as you will quickly |
| The basic barbecue tool set includes a spatula, tongs, | | | | discover the next time you go to use your grill and |
| and turning fork. Make sure the tongs are spring | | | | find mold-covered fat dripping from the grate. |
| loaded so you can operate them with one hand. | | | | Although steel wool is fine for anyone willing to do a |
| Another long-handled tools you'll want is a | | | | little work, a metal-bristled grill brush can quickly |
| long-handled basting brush. This is often overlooked, | | | | knock char and food particles off your grate. Many |
| but during grilling and barbecuing you often have to | | | | come with a scraper blade built into the handle, which |
| baste the meat at least once or more while it's | | | | can come in handy for particularly stubborn char that |
| cooking. If you try to baste it with the short little | | | | refuses to leave its new home. |
| basting brush from your kitchen, you'll have a hot, | | | | If you want your grate to maintain its stainless-steel |
| nasty surprise waiting for you. Look for the | | | | shine, use oven cleaner or better yet, a cleaning |
| silicon-bristled basting brushes, as natural hair and | | | | solvent specifically designed for cleaning grills. |
| nylon bristles tend to melt or burn. | | | | 5. CHARCOAL CHIMNEY |
| 2. OVEN GLOVES | | | | Using lighter fluid to light your charcoal leaves behind |
| Using the corner of your apron to lift a hot grill is | | | | chemical fumes that have an unpleasant way of |
| neither smart nor safe. If you plan to do a lot of | | | | finding their way into your food and tainting the |
| barbecuing, invest in a good pair of oven gloves. The | | | | taste. Avoid this by starting your coals in a Charcoal |
| cheap padded mittens used for baking are better | | | | Chimney. Cheap and easy to find, the chimney is |
| than your apron, but are also clumsy and can catch | | | | essentially a metal bucket with a wooden handle on |
| fire if you're not careful. Specialized, fire-resistant | | | | the side an holes in the bottom. Shove crumpled-up |
| oven gloves are the best option, but are more | | | | newspaper in the chamber at the bottom, dump the |
| expensive. If you can't find these, then look for | | | | coals on top, light the paper... and wait. Your coals will |
| silicon oven mitts. They are heat resistant, thinner, | | | | soon be gray and glowing without any lurking |
| and offer a much better grip than traditional fabric | | | | chemical fumes. |
| oven mitts. | | | | |