How To
Check out the best way to master some of the barbecuing
techniques used in our recipes.
The natural gas barbecue can be used in place of an oven for baking.
The following foods are all suitable for baking on the barbecue: fruit
crisps, cornbread, muffins, one-bowl cakes and brownies.
When baking on a natural gas barbecue, first place a brick directly on
barbecue grid. Set baking pan directly on top of brick. This
will increase the distance of the pan from the heat source and prevent
overbrowning. Bake, with lid down, for time specified in recipe.
Turning the pan occasionally may be necessary to ensure even cooking.
Baking times will be approximately the same as the time specified for baking
in the oven. 
Prepare any fruit pie recipe. Place a brick directly on grid on natural gas
barbecue. Place pie pan on top of brick. Bake, with lid down, over medium
heat for 40 - 45 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly.
Turn pie one quarter turn every 10 - 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
When feeding a group of people at a family reunion or other special
event, consider cooking a large roast beef on a natural gas barbecue.
Barbecued Roast Beef
for a Crowd
A basting sauce, glaze or marinade brushed onto food as it cooks adds its
own special flavour. Some basting mixtures can be brushed onto food as it
grills. Some, however, have a high sugar content and may burn easily. Brush
sauces, glazes or marinades with a high sugar content onto food only during
the last 10 - 15 minutes of grilling.
The natural gas barbecue can easily be used as an oven to roast a
turkey. This will give the convenience of having a second oven.
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Weather conditions (temperature, wind and humidity)
may influence the time required for cooking a turkey. The ATCO Blue Flame
Kitchen does not recommend barbecuing at temperatures below -16°C
(3°F).
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Prior to cooking the turkey, check first to make sure
the turkey and roasting pan will fit on the natural gas barbecue when
the lid is down. There should be at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space
between top of turkey and lid. Do not barbecue turkeys larger than 12
lb. (5.5 kg).
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Preheat natural gas barbecue on high for at least 10 -
15 minutes. Turn control down to medium or to a setting that maintains a
temperature of 325- 350°F (160- 180°C). When using a dual burner
natural gas barbecue, it may be necessary to adjust the control to low
or off on the side where turkey is to be roasted. On a triple burner
natural gas barbecue, turn center burner off. If barbecue does not have
an accurate heat indicator, place an oven thermometer on grid to monitor
temperature.
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Prepare turkey for roasting; do not stuff.
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Place turkey, breast side up, in a roast holder or on
a rack set inside a large foil pan. For increased stability, place foil
pan on cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan.
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Rub turkey skin thoroughly with softened butter,
margarine or oil. Sprinkle with seasonings, if desired. Insert meat
thermometer into the middle of thick thigh muscle parallel to bone and
next to body or into thickest muscle of breast. Be sure thermometer does
not touch bone.
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Place pan with turkey on barbecue grid. Cook, with lid
down, until meat thermometer registers 180- 185°F (82- 85°C).
Baste turkey occasionally.
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If desired, 1 cup (250 mL) water may be added to
roasting pan periodically to prevent fat from splattering. A 12 lb. (5.5
kg) turkey will generally require 3 - 3 1/2 hours cooking time on a
natural gas barbecue.
Direct grilling is a high heat method of cooking on the barbecue. Food to be
grilled is placed directly over the heat source. The lid on the barbecue is
usually left in the open position during grilling. Cooking temperatures
often exceed 500°F (260°C) thereby searing the food and producing a brown,
caramelized crust with a concentrated flavour. This method is well suited to
the weekday cook. Foods which cook in 25 minutes or less, such as steaks,
burgers, boneless chicken breasts, hot dogs, fish and most vegetables, are
ideal for direct grilling. This method may also be used to sear
larger cuts of meat prior to indirect grilling.
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An oyster knife and a thick kitchen towel or pot
holder are essential pieces of equipment for shucking oysters.
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Keep oysters refrigerated until ready to shuck as they
will open more readily when they are cold.
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Scrub shells clean under cold running water. Discard
any oysters that are not tightly closed.
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Hold oyster, flat side up, with a folded towel. Place
tip of oyster knife near hinge at pointed end of the shell. Twist and
push the knife to bore into shell until it pops open. If shell crumbles,
move the knife a little further along the side of the shell and try
again. Brush off any crumbled bits of shell.
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Using a sharp knife, carefully loosen oyster meat from
top and bottom shell.
Indirect grilling is a slow, low heat method of cooking
which transforms the barbecue into an outdoor oven. The food is not placed
directly over the heat source. The lid on the barbecue is always closed
during cooking. Heat is reflected inside the barbecue which results in the
food cooking slowly and evenly on all sides. The indirect method is ideal
for cooking chickens, turkeys, roasts and ribs. Pies, cakes and breads may
also be baked on the barbecue using this method. To use the natural gas
barbecue for indirect grilling, preheat the barbecue according to
manufacturer's instructions. Turn off one side of burner. Place food on
"off" side of barbecue. Close lid and regulate heat setting using
the opposite burner. Maintain a medium heat setting in the barbecue of about
350°F (180°C).
To prevent pieces of food from spinning around on the
skewer, use double skewers instead of a single one to secure the pieces.
For each kebob, pierce each piece of food with two parallel skewers.
The kebobs will be easier to turn and the food will cook evenly. Make
double skewers using two parallel skewers or use dual prong skewers, which
may be purchased from some barbecue retailers.
When using bamboo
skewers for grilling or broiling foods, the skewers should first be soaked
in hot water for 30 minutes. This helps prevent the skewers from
burning during cooking.
Tropical Fruit
Kebobs
A marinade is a seasoned liquid used for soaking meat,
poultry, fish or vegetables in order to tenderize or to add flavour. Most
marinades contain oil, herbs and spices, as well as an acid ingredient which
serves as a tenderizer. Acid ingredients may include vinegar, lemon juice,
wine, beer, tomato juice or citrus juice. For variety, experiment with
different ingredients, as each will give the marinade its own distinct
flavour.
Keep the following tips in mind when using marinades.
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Marinate meat, poultry, fish and vegetables separately. Reserve a small
amount of unused marinade for basting purposes, if desired.
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As most
marinades contain an acid ingredient, marinating should be done in a glass
or plastic container. Marinating food in a double plastic bag or heavy
zip-top plastic bag is both convenient and effective. Do not use metal
containers for marinating food as the acidic mixture may react with the
metal.
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A marinating time of 8 - 24 hours is usually required for
tenderizing meat. If a marinade is to be used only to flavour food,
marinating times are usually in the range of 1/2 - 2 hours.
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Marinades do
not prevent bacterial growth. When marinating food for longer than 30
minutes, marinating must be carried out in the refrigerator.
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Marinating
for too long may produce a product that is mushy or has an overpowering
flavour. Follow recipe directions for marinating time.
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Previously used
marinades should not be saved or reused for another occasion as the marinade
will contain juices from the raw food which could be contaminated with
bacteria.
Prepare pizza as desired and place onto a well-greased
metal pizza pan. Set brick(s) onto Barbecue grid. Preheat natural gas
barbecue to medium heat
or 425°F (220°C) on heat indicator. Place pizza pan on brick to increase
distance of pan from heat and prevent overbrowning of crust. Cook with lid
closed for approximately 20 - 30 minutes or until crust is browned and
cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Turning pan may be necessary so that
pizza browns evenly. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent cheese
from overbrowning.
When garlic is slowly roasted, the cloves steam inside
their skins until the centers become creamy soft and deliciously sweet. Use
the following method for preparing roasted garlic on a natural gas barbecue.
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Cut the top 1/4 inch (6 mm) off each garlic head. Place
each garlic head on a piece of foil. Drizzle each head with a little olive
oil and sprinkle with thyme. Twist foil around each head to enclose
completely.
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Place foil package off to one side of natural gas barbecue
grid. Do not place in center of grid.
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Cook over low heat for 30 - 45
minutes or until soft. Squeeze softened garlic out of skins and puree.
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Roasted garlic puree may be frozen for up to 1 month.
Serving roasted garlic . . .
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Serve as an appetizer by
squeezing cloves and spreading softened garlic onto toasted French bread
slices.
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Use in recipes calling for roasted garlic, such as roasted garlic
mashed potatoes.
Place whole bell peppers directly on grid on natural gas barbecue.
Grill peppers over medium heat, turning occasionally until blackened on all
sides, about 15 - 20 minutes. Place hot peppers in a bowl; cover with
plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam for 5 - 10 minutes. Peel
peppers under cold running water. Remove stems and cut peppers in
half. Remove seeds and ribs. Use as directed in recipe.
Grilled
Pepper and Onion Salad
Vegetables are delicious when grilled after marinating in
this savoury mixture. For marinade, combine 2 tbsp (25 mL)
Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic or red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp
(25 mL) soy sauce, 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil and 3/4 tsp (3 mL) pepper.
Allow vegetables to marinate for 15 minutes before grilling. Marinade
may be prepared and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
The natural gas barbecue can easily be used as an oven for
roasting poultry or meat, baking or reheating food. This will keep the extra
heat outside on a hot summer day and give you the convenience of having a
second oven.
For barbecues with a dual burner control, use the
following indirect cooking method:
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Preheat on high for 5 - 10 minutes.
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Turn off one side of burner.
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Place food on "off" side of
barbecue.
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Close lid and regulate heat using the opposite burner. The
temperature gauge on lid will assist in adjusting settings.
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To ensure
even heating, turn food occasionally during cooking.
For barbecues with a single burner control:
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Preheat on high for 5 - 10 minutes.
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Turn heat to low.
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Place pan containing food
on a brick set directly on the barbecue grid.
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Close lid.
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To ensure
even heating, turn food occasionally during cooking.
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