All Outdoor Patio Furniture

In the coming months, millions of people will be hosting backyard parties, and cooking all sorts of meats on their grills.  Whether they are charcoal grills, gas grills, or electric grills, they will produce tempting aromas that will have all of the guests who are sitting around picnic tables, on porch swings, gliders, and patio chairs, waiting eagerly for the main course to be done.

Of course, that aroma will be even more tantalizing if the food is being smoked.  Indeed, smoke has been used for centuries, to preserve meats for long periods of time; and now, using barbecue wood chips is seen as the ultimate way to enhance their flavors.  Moreover, the variety of woods that can be used is just as extensive as the assortment of meats that can be grilled or barbecued.

Hickory, which is commonly used for most of the brands of bacon, and other meats, that we always find in grocery stores, is probably the most familiar of all, and is recognized as the leader among the smoking woods.  It smokes intensely, for long periods, and penetrates deep into the meat, giving it a nice, pink hue, and a savory, smoky flavor.  It’s great for smoking pork, red meat, poultry, and game.

Certainly, however, hickory is not the only option, as there are tons of other chips, made from all kinds of woods.  Each one creates its own, distinct flavor, and is thought to be particularly suited to specific types of meat.

One popular choice, mesquite, is a southwestern wood that’s ideal for use with beef, chicken, fish, pork, and lamb, and is ideal for making jerky.  You have to be careful when using it, though, because it is one of the hottest burning of all of the smoking woods, and has an extremely bold, rich flavor that can rapidly overpower the taste of the meat.  To prevent this from happening, many experienced outdoor cooks recommend mixing it, in equal parts, with hickory, unless it’s being used to make jerky.

Cherry wood smokes for a fairly long time, and creates a delicate, fruity, sweet smoke, that does not overwhelm the flavor of the meat.  It can be used for burgers, steaks, chicken, pork, seafood, quail, and game hens.

Oak is also a well-known and widely used wood.   Although, like hickory, it smokes strongly for long intervals, its flavor is not as strong.  Considered one of the most versatile of all of the smoking woods, oak can be soaked in anything from wine to whiskey, to create various flavors on all kinds of meat.  Wine barrel oak, which has been aged in wine for at least ten years, adds a wonderful, fruity smoke to burgers, beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and wild game.

These are but a few of the woods that can be used to make any meat more succulent and delicious.  You can experiment with these, and many more, to add diversity to your outdoor fare.

So, if you can’t afford that trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, you will, at least, be able to enjoy some great, smoky flavors.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy.

Tags: charcoal grills, gas grills, gliders, grills, patio chairs, picnic tables, porch swings

Regarding the difference between barbecuing and grilling, I mentioned recently that a quick way to sum it up is to say that grilling is high and fast, while barbecuing is low and slow.  To be a bit more explicit, grilling is usually done on charcoal grills or gas grills, when one is cooking hamburgers, or tender, thinner cuts of meat, at 500° or more, for an hour or less.

The intense heat and the rapid cooking process help to seal in the juices, which makes the meat more succulent.  If you’re going to use any kind of barbecue sauce when you’re grilling, don’t put it on until the meat is nearly done, or the sugar in the sauce may burn.  It’s also important that you stay close to the grill at all times, as the meat cooks so quickly that it can go from juicy to dry in a matter of minutes.  You can also keep the meat from drying out by turning it with tongs, as a fork will just make a bunch of holes through which the juices can escape; and, believe me, it will be a fast getaway.

Barbecuing, which is normally done over wood or charcoal, is used when cooking larger, tougher cuts of meat, at 225° or less, with smoke, for over an hour; and I mean well over an hour.  As a matter of fact, in some instances, such as when you’re cooking a whole pig, you may have to barbecue overnight.  The good part about a situation like this, however, is that you won’t have to tend to the meat – or even stay awake – the whole time.

Of course, most people who do the pig-cooking thing at least once a year (and I think we all know someone who does) like to make it a marathon event.  Even if the pig won’t be done until Sunday afternoon, they generally like to start getting things ready on Friday evening, right after work.  Besides preparing their picnic tables, they’ll want to make sure that there are enough Adirondack chairs, chaise lounges, garden benches, settees, and folding chairs for everyone to be seated comfortably.  Furthermore, most of them enjoy tending to their barbecues throughout the night, and often end up sleeping in their swingbeds.

When you’re barbecuing, you can brush on sauce as often as you wish, as it will create a delicious glaze on the meat.  You can also give it a great, smoky flavor by putting damp wood chips into the fire.  The long, slow pace of this method dissolves the connective tissues that make meat tough, causing it to become tender enough to fall off the bone; and that’s the goal of all outdoor chefs.

There are many types of wood that you can use, and each lends its own, unique flavor to the meat.  Furthermore, just as certain wines are thought to ideally complement specific foods, various kinds of wood are recommended for use with particular meats; and we’ll explore some of these in upcoming blogs.

In the meantime, I hope that I haven’t made you too hungry!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: adirondack chairs, chaise lounges, charcoal grills, folding chairs, garden benches, gas grills, grills, picnic tables, settees, Swingbeds

While you’re getting your patio furniture, picnic tables, and grills ready for all of the cookouts that are in store this summer, remember that you’ll also have to be prepared for the arguments that will inevitably take place at many of these gatherings.

Now, I’m not talking about nasty squabbles, or drunken brawls.  No-o!  I’m referring to the disagreements over the cooking of the food, which always seem to arise, especially when there are a lot of “armchair quarterbacks” (or, in these cases, “Adirondack chair chefs”) present.  These are normally friendly debates, which can be about anything, from the best cooking techniques, to whether gas grills or charcoal grills are better, to whose barbecue apron has the funniest saying.

Among the most common disputes, however, is the difference between barbecuing and grilling.  While many people use these words interchangeably, they really do have separate meanings.  One of the best ways to describe the two methods is to say that grilling is high and fast, while barbecuing is low and slow.  Naturally, to some, these distinctions are unimportant; but, to those who consider themselves barbecue aficionados, they are crucial.

With all of the varying opinions about the real meaning of the word, barbecue, it seems only appropriate that its etymology is also a source of heated discussion.  Of course, it’s no surprise, as this is the case with countless other words in this language.

Although several theories have been offered, most authorities agree that the word, barbecue, is derived from the West Indian word, barbacoa, which is a raised platform or framework for supporting meat that is being slow-cooked over hot coals that have been placed beneath it.  It is believed that the colonists adopted this way of slow-roasting meat, and that barbacoa became barbecue in the vernacular of the early settlers.

While the natives, who were first observed using the barbacoa, often cooked venison and whole turkeys, in the South, where many claim that the barbecue, as we know it, originated, pork became the staple of the spit.  This is understandable, because, in the “barbecue belt” states, which include Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, pigs were an omnipresent source of food.

They were also low-maintenance, as there was little or no cost involved in feeding them.  They carelessly roamed free, uh, pigging out, on whatever they found on their own.  Oh, yeah, that was the life!  Unfortunately, they didn’t realize that they were effectively fattening themselves up for their own slaughters, which were festive occasions, wherein entire communities were invited to share in the food and celebrations.  This is thought to be the way that the traditional Southern barbecue originated.

In the ensuing years, all of the ingredients of the barbecue, including rubs, sauces, woods used for smoking the meat, the types of meat, and everything else involved in its preparation, have varied, not only from state to state, but from region to region.

So, it’s no wonder that the definition of a true barbecue is such a bone of contention!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: adirondack chair, charcoal grills, gas grills, grills, patio furniture, picnic tables

Right now, millions of people are preparing for summer, and their upcoming backyard parties, by setting up their outdoor furniture, picnic tables, and patio umbrellas, and making their yards, gardens, and outdoor décor look spectacular.  While that may seem like an awful lot of work, in many cases, it’s the easy part.  After all, once porch swings, patio chairs, outdoor sofas, and accent tables are in place, they’re good to go.

Grills, on the other hand, are a different story, because cooking on them – safely and successfully – requires some know-how, and even a degree of finesse.  No matter how fantastic a grill is, or how many wonderful features it has, if the person who is cooking does not know how to use it correctly, the food can still turn out to be, well, disappointing, to say the least.

The first thing to be aware of is that all grills are different; so, if you’re getting a new grill, whether it’s your first, or your fifth, read and heed the manual that comes with it.  Actually, the more experienced you are, the more you realize how important it is to become acquainted with your grill’s specific characteristics, and that it takes some time to do so.  For example, only after using it for awhile will you find out whether it has hot spots, where they are, and how long it takes to heat to proper cooking temperature, especially on windy or chilly days.

Indeed, weather is another factor, as it will affect cooking times, not only on charcoal grills, but on electric and gas grills as well.  While your manual may offer tips for using your particular grill in various climates and conditions, there are some general rules that apply in every situation.

For one thing, even though you should never use the grill indoors, it should be placed where it will be shielded from the wind; otherwise, neither it, nor the food, will stay as hot as necessary.  Food will cook faster on charcoal grills on warm, calm days, than it will on windy and/or cold days, when you will need more coals, which will take longer to heat.  Even gas grills will take a bit more time to heat, and you may have to use higher heat settings.

Like everything else, in order to obtain top performance from it, you must keep your grill clean.  One easy way to do this is to prevent foods from building up on the grill rack, by coating it with a non-stick cooking spray, or brushing it with vegetable oil, before you use it.  After cooking, remove any remaining bits of food from the grill rack with a wire grill brush, or a piece of aluminum foil (unless your manual says otherwise).

Usually, you can clean the racks in electric and gas grills by closing the covers and turning the burners on to a high setting for about 15 minutes.  If you line the bottom of the firebox with heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side up, it will catch any drippings (and, if it’s a charcoal grill, ashes), and act as a heat reflector.  Then, after everything has cooled off, you can just bundle up and discard the foil.

Truly, there are dozens of fine points to learn about outdoor cooking; and I will be touching on many of them in upcoming entries.  So don’t worry; before you know it, you’ll be able to thrill with your grill!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: accent tables, charcoal grills, gas grills, grill, grills, outdoor decor, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor sofas, patio chairs, patio umbrellas, picnic tables, porch swings

Unlike spring, summer, fall, and winter, cookout season has no official beginning.  It all depends upon where you live, and what you consider suitable weather for cooking outdoors.  Sometimes, even people in cold climates do it year-round; but, for most of the country, the period that is generally viewed as cookout season is quickly approaching.

Millions of people are looking forward to firing up their grills, and eating at their picnic tables.  However, before they cook their first burgers, everyone should make sure that their grills, whether they are gas grills, charcoal grills, or electric grills, are in good operating condition.

Remember, a grill that is kept in a shed over the winter often has company, other than stored patio furniture.  It may be visited by rodents and bugs that are looking for a place to hole up during the cold months; and, while they can cause some damage, the grill can also be adversely affected simply from standing idle for a long stretch.

So, if your grill has been in storage, see that it is in top working order before you use it.  If it’s a gas grill, check the tubes that lead into the burner for blockages that may have been caused by spiders, insects, or grease; and if you find a clog, use a pipe cleaner to push it through to the main part of the burner, where you can remove it.  Although a wire will work, too, it can also damage the tube if you’re not extremely careful.  Examine hoses for brittleness, and make sure that there are no cracks, holes, leaks, or sharp bends in them.

Inspect gas cylinders for leaks as well, by applying soapy water to their hoses, and looking for bubbles; don’t count on being able to smell gas escaping.  If you find a leak, turn off the gas tank and grill, wait for the leak to stop, and have the unit serviced by a professional.  If the leak doesn’t stop, call the fire department.  Likewise, if you smell gas while you are cooking, get away from the grill, and call the fire department.

Any gas cylinder that was manufactured after April 2002 will have an overfill protection device (OPD) that will shut off the gas flow before it reaches capacity, decreasing the potential for the release of propane gas if the cylinder heats up.  The OPD will have a triangular hand wheel.

If your grill is in questionable shape, or needs costly repairs, it may be time to get a new one.  Look for features such as stainless steel cooking grids, drip pans, lid thermometers, and rotary igniters.  Of course, even a basic charcoal grill, or a simple fire ring, can work just fine.  The important thing is to get a grill that will serve your purposes and suit your lifestyle.

By the way, if your grill has suffered any ill effects from being stored, you may want to get a grill or barbecue cover; or, perhaps, a new shed!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: charcoal grills, fire ring, gas grills, grills, patio furniture, shed