While many people purchase a BBQ they really don't use it to its full potential. The BBQ's the Comfort Shoppe sells feature different cooking methods. Lets look at some of them right now.

Grilling

This is also called direct cooking and involves cooking directly over the heat source. Some. foods best cooked this way are steaks for example: The best way to retain juices in steak is to always preheat your BBQ on a high heat setting for approx. 5 minutes or until the temperature gauge is 400-500°F. If your BBQ has stainless or cast iron grids brush the cooking grids with a light layer of vegetable oil before grilling to prevent food from sticking. Place the steaks on the BBQ for approx. 1 1/2 minutes, then flip them over once to the other side. If enough heat was in the box you should be able to see classic sear lines when you flip them. After another minute or two drop the heat to medium or 375° - 400°F to continue cooking until done to your taste.

Other meats suitable for direct grilling include chops, burgers, kebabs, and vegetables. A BBQ with a flavourizer balance system is essential, as these vaporize the juices that drip off the meat and the smoke resulting in lots of flavor to the food being cooked. These BBQ's also reduce flare up that can ruin your food if you let it go on for very long.

Foods with a higher fat content like burgers and pork should be, cooked at lower grilling temperatures to prevent excess juice dripping off and flaring up. Try to buy the leaner cuts of meat as they BBQ the best. Grilled foods take on exciting distinctive flavors; by placing fresh herbs such as rosemary or sage on the flavorizer bars during cooking. Soak herbs in water for 20 minutes prior to sprinkling them, buy smoker bodes, or use aluminum foil and place smoked hickory or mesquite chips that have been soaked in water to create distinctive flavor in your foods.

Indirect Cooking

Indirect cooking is a slower method of cooking utilizing the air circulated around the food using the convection method. This is similar to how an, electric or gas oven works and as a result the food takes longer to cook but is the best way to cook it. Types of food ideal for this method are whole turkey, roast chicken, or duck where slow cooking keeps the juices in and imparts lots of flavors in the food. Using a drip pan under, the food is an excellent way to add flavor. Simply put a drip pan directly under the food and turn on the two outer burners on the left and right and keep the center burner off. This method requires approx. 30 min per lb. to achieve good results. Other foods cook at different rates. Consult the cookbook that comes with each unit for best directions. Keep your drip pan from running dry or else the fat dripping off may cause a flare up which can quickly ruin your food!

After removal from grill roast should be allowed to stand covered for 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the interior temperature of the roast to rise resulting in a more evenly cooked product.

Rotisserie Cooking using Redo Burners

A favorite of mine and great for demoing a BBQ, nothing looks more appetizing than a delicious smelling food turning on the BBQ.

Place a drip pan underneath the food to be cooked with any combinations of basting juices to add to the flavor. Because the food is rotating and the heat is coming from the rear, flare ups are avoided, and the meat-is constantly bathed in its own juices. Roasting is virtually fool proof using this method. After the food is cooked you can make great gravy. Add water, beer, juice, wine or consommé to the pan. Make gravy as you would on your stove after the food is removed off the BBQ by putting on the bottom burner and bringing the gravy up to boiling and adding a thickener just before to get your desired viscosity.

Also many grilling baskets, are available, which will enhance the rotisserie method using chicken wings, thighs or-ribs for example.