BBQ With Propane
Barbecuing with a Propane grill or smoker can be a quick and effective way to grill your food to perfection. It is generally easier than grilling on charcoal, and can obtain the same results.
Steps
- Ensure you have enough propane in your tank, that you are connected to the grill properly and have sufficient lava rocks in your grill (evenly distributing them with tongs on either side of the propane burners spread across the grill) to get started.
- Your burners should remain in the off position while you turn on the flow of your propane bottle (turning the valve clockwise). Now you should open the burners to the light position (low) and hold the automatic ignition button in.
- Once your burners are lit, adjust the temperature accordingly. Your lava rocks will ensure the grill gets warm and heat distributed. You will notice that your rocks will start to glow as they retain the heat.
- Place your food directly on top the grates, being careful to grill certain foods in certain areas to avoid cross contamination.
- Continue to grill the foods on medium heat and thoroughly in conjunction with the National Health Standards of internal cooking temperatures. (Example: Beef should be grilled to 165 degrees internally.)
- Remove your food when it is done, and turn your propane bottle off (turning valve in counterclockwise position) Don't forget to then turn your burners to the off position.
- You will notice the lava rocks are still hot and may be glowing, still dispersing heat. This is the perfect time to clean the grates with your grill brush while the grate is still hot.
Tips
- Many people complain that their food does not have the same "woody" flavor as grilling on charcoal or wood briquettes when using propane. You can alleviate this problem by using faux smoke flavor, barbecue smoky spice, or smoky barbecue sauce on your meats or vegetables.
- The key to grilling on propane is to do so slowly and steadily, having pre-marinated your meats or vegetables so that they retain moisture and taste when doing so.
- Most newer propane pits or grills have an electronic ignite buttons, and some must have batteries in the ignition area in order to work properly. If the batteries are dead, this may prevent you from firing up the grill. It is highly advisable that you replace the batteries rather than try to ignite the grill yourself.
Warnings
- Never leave the grill unattended.
- Flavor Chips should be used sparingly, as using wood or briquettes in a propane grill can cause large and dangerous flames.
- In the event of high winds, your burners could blow out, in which case you should turn the bottle off, set your burners to the off position and after a few minutes, restart from step one.
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