The Method Preparing Your Barbecue for It is indirect cooking method that distinguishes barbecue kettle from or barbecues. When roasting or baking, food is placed on upper grill between two fires, directly above a foil tray. This method cooking is called indirect cooking. It will be used for majority recipes in this book (see phograph on page 2). If your barbecue is equipped with a Basket lighting system go directly using a basket lighting system on page 9. 1. Open p and botm vents on barbecue, and remove lid. 3. When positioning charcoal rails, make sure that hooks on rails hook over outside straight rungs botm grill. The front charcoal rails will n slip over third rung botm grill and click in place. Fire 1. Having positioned charcoal rails correctly, place two on each side so that y about 80-100 mm apart. Position botm grill so that its steel rungs run across botm barbecue from front handle back handle, and set charcoal rails in place. Add required number barbecue briquettes (for quantities see table on page 11) so that y completely cover. 7
3. Light by passing a lighted match or taper through charcoal rails, and uching lighters with flame. Make sure that all burning well before leaving barbecue (sometimes a strong wind can blow m out if y not burning well). Stage 1. The firelighters burn with a yellow flame for about 10 minutes. Do not attempt cook in this time. The temperature will not be hot enough, and food will absorb kerosene fumes giving it an unpleasant taste. Stage After cease burning, fire will appear go out. This is not so, coals in fact burning below, and fire will continue grow. There is insufficient temperature cook at this stage. 4. The barbecue may now be left until coals ready cook. It will take about 45 minutes for fire establish itself. During this time, make sure that lid is left f barbecue. This allows more oxygen reach coals. On no account should you place lid on barbecue while fire is getting ready cook. Stage 3. 20-25 minutes after lighting, some coals will be glowing and coated with a brownish ash. To achieve correct cooking temperature, all briquettes should be ashed over, so don t attempt cook yet. The fire will now progress through following stages. 8
Stage 4. 40-45 minutes after lighting, all coals will be ashed over and ready for cooking,. This completes fire preparation for indirect This completes fire preparation for indirect cooking. cooking. page page 11). 11). The inside your barbecue kettle should now The inside your barbecue kettle should now look like this. look like this. Fire Fire - Quick Quick Method Method The The time time taken taken establish establish fire fire can can be be shortened shortened from from 45 45 minutes minutes about about 30 30 minutes. minutes. This This is is done done by by using using 4 on on each each side side instead instead This This quick quick method method should should only only be be used used in in emergencies, emergencies, due due increased increased cost cost involved. involved. using using a Basket Basket System. System. 1. 1. Open Open p p and and botm botm vents vents on on barbecue, and remove lid. barbecue, and remove lid. Position botm grill so that its steel rungs run Position Position across botm botm barbecue grill grill rar so so that that than its its steel steel from rungs rungs front run back, across this ensures barbecue that rar hot than baskets from front not back, located this under ensures that handles hot when baskets your fires not alight. located under handles when your fires alight. 3. Place 4 (2 on each side) in 3. cavities Place 4 provided in your (2 on each grill. side) in cavities provided in your grill. 4. Place metal baskets on grill 4. and Place fill m metal baskets with on required number grill and briquettes. fill m (For with quantities, required see table number on briquettes. (For quantities, see table on Fire Fire using using a Basket Basket System. System. 1. 1. Light Light using using a lighted lighted match match or or taper. taper. Make Make sure sure that that all all burning burning well well before before leaving leaving barbecue barbecue (sometimes (sometimes a strong strong wind wind can can blow blow m m out out if if y y not not burning burning well). well). Once Once alight alight move move metal metal baskets baskets centre centre grill grill over over flames. flames. 9
Stage 1. The burn with a yellow flame for about 10 minutes. Do not attempt cook at this time. The temperature will not be hot enough and food may absorb kerosene fumes, giving it an unpleasant taste Stage After cease burning, Stage After cease burning, fire will appear go out. This is not so, fire will appear go out. This is not so, coals in fact burning below, and coals in fact burning below, and fire will continue grow. There is fire will continue grow. There is insufficient temperature cook at this insufficient temperature cook at this stage. stage. 3. The barbecue may now be left until coals ready cook. It will take about 35 minutes for fire establish itself. During this time, make sure that lid is left f barbecue and all vents open. This allows more oxygen reach coals which helps establish fire faster. On no account should you place lid on barbecue or close vents while fire is getting ready cook. (Your barbecue is not same as an oven.) The fire will now progress through following stages. Stage 3. 20-25 minutes after lighting, some Stage 3. 20-25 minutes after lighting, some coals will be glowing and coated with coals will be glowing and coated with brownish ash. To achieve correct a brownish ash. To achieve correct cooking temperature, all cooking temperature, all briquettes should be ashed over, so briquettes should be ashed over, so don t attempt cook yet. don t attempt cook yet. 10
In a 57 cm (22 1 /2") barbecue kettle se temperatures achieved by using following barbecue briquette quantities: Briquette Quantities. 4. About 35-40 minutes after lighting, all coals will be ashed over and ready for cooking. It's now time separate metal baskets. Using long handled ngs and mittens, move m as far as possible out sides. This completes fire preparation for indirect cooking. Controlling Temperature - The temperature inside barbecue is determined by number barbecue briquettes burning inside. In Australia re two sizes barbecue briquettes available consumers. If you using smaller size briquettes you will need more m achieve correct cooking temperature than larger size briquettes. Originally all barbecue briquettes were about golf ball size or a little smaller. More recently larger barbecue briquettes (about twice that size) have been introduced Australian market. In this book, cooking temperatures described for various recipes in following way: Hot fire Normal fire Low fire Low smoke fire Normal fire Fill charcoal baskets or rails p. Hot fire Add about 20% more fuel than a normal fire. Low fire Fill charcoal baskets or rails two thirds full. Low smoke fire See image on page 13. As we mentioned earlier, temperature is always higher at commencement cooking, and as fuel gradually burns away, temperature falls. As a rule thumb, after approximately 2 hours cooking with lid on, a hot fire will become equivalent a normal fire, and a normal fire will become equivalent a low fire after same period time. Knowing this can be very useful when planning cook a second course. 11
Using Method Use Foil Drip Trays When fire is ready for cooking, a drip tray or trays will need be placed on botm grill between two fires. These trays will catch any fats, juices and bastes which fall from food during cooking. When selecting a drip tray, it is important that tray be large enough catch all drippings from food above. In this book, we have suggested two configurations for use drip trays. A single drip tray is used for smaller roasts, and is adequate for most meals. For larger meals 1 1 /2 drip trays should be used by placing one large and one small tray on botm grill as shown in illustration. Positioning Grill Place cooking grill on barbecue with grill handles directly over fires. You will notice that re holes in grill located beneath handles. These facilitate addition eir smoking wood chunks or, should need arise, extra barbecue fuel. A wonderful innovation in design cooking grills was introduction hinged doors in grill for this purpose. These hinged cooking grills can now be purchased as accessories. The Hinged cooking grill in action. 1 drip tray Smoke- Smoke-cooking adds a beautiful change aroma and flavour many foods. Throughout this book, we have provided many recipe suggestions using smoke-cooking. Smoke-cooked foods particularly delicious when combined with sweet glazes. The great advantage this type cooking is that it is so simple. 1 1 /2 drip trays 12
Normal indirect fires transformed in smokecooking fires by adding just 1 or 2 chunks hickory wood (or or smoking material) coals on each side barbecue. The more smoke flavour you require, more hickory chunks you add. It is a good idea leave lid f for a little while when adding hickory. This allows it catch fire. Once it is burning, replace barbecue lid, and it will begin smoking quite intensely. It is important use chunks smoking wood rar than chips or sawdust. The chunks smoke longer and require less attention, resulting in a far superior smoke flavour. Lower temperatures created inside barbecue by using less fuel. We have found The Low Smoke Fire creates an excellent temperature for smoking small fish. Preparing a Low Smoke Fire Preparing 1. For this a type Low Smoke fire, only Fire 1 fire-lighter is used. 1. For Place this type fire-lighter fire, only behind 1 fire-lighter a charcoal is rail used. on Place one side fire-lighter barbecue. behind a charcoal rail on one side barbecue. 4. Position drip tray on botm grill and add 1 dry hickory chunk coals on each side. Leave lid f until hickory is smoking well. 5. Place cooking grill in position, and commence cooking as recipe directs. Count out required number barbecue Count briquettes out and required cfully number pile m barbecue over briquettes firelighter. Ignite and cfully fire-lighter pile m in over normal firelighter. manner. Ignite fire-lighter in normal 3. manner. Allow all barbecue briquettes ash over 3. Allow (about all 40 minutes), barbecue n briquettes use ngs ash transfer over (about half 40 minutes), briquettes n use or ngs side transfer half barbecue. briquettes or side barbecue. 13
The Direct Method This method cooking differs from indirect cooking method because coals which provide heat placed on botm grill directly under food being cooked. In barbecue kettles, direct cooking is used for grilling steaks, eir on wire grill provided or a cast iron cooking grill. Foods containing lots fat, such as chops and sausages, should never be cooked using this method. The fats dripping from such foods cause excessive smoking and grease build-up inside barbecue. They should be cooked using indirect method. The direct cooking fire is also used for hotplate and wok cooking. We never use a direct cooking fire for any application or than steaks, ast, hotplate or wok cooking. front charcoal rails will n slip over third rung botm grill, and click in place. In case direct cooking charcoal rails keep coals centrally located on botm grill. Preparing Barbecue for Direct 1. Open p and botm vents on barbecue and remove lid. Direct Fire 1. Having positioned charcoal rails correctly, place 3 or 4 on botm grill between charcoal rails, and add barbecue briquettes (not heating briquettes). Position botm grill so that its steel rungs run across barbecue from front handle back handle, and set charcoal rails in place. 3. When positioning charcoal rails, make sure that hooks on rails hook over outside straight rungs botm grill. The Light with a match or taper, and using a pair ngs, cover m with barbecue briquettes. Make sure that all 14
burning well before leaving barbecue (sometimes a strong wind can blow m out if y not burning well). 40-45 minutes after lighting, all coals will be ashed over and ready for cooking. This completes fire preparation for direct cooking. Controlling Temperature - Direct The The temperature a a direct cooking fire is determined by number barbecue briquettes used. In this book, direct cooking fires described in two ways: Direct fire Low direct fire In a 57 cm (22 1 /2") barbecue kettle, se temperatures achieved by using following barbecue briquette quantities: 3. The barbecue may now be left until coals ready cook. It will take about 45 minutes for fire establish itself. During this time, make sure that lid is left f barbecue. This allows more oxygen reach coals. On no account should you place lid on barbecue while fire is getting ready for cooking. The fire will now progress through 4 stages previously described under section dealing with lighting indirect fire (see pages 8-9). Briquette Quantities. Direct fire Place barbecue briquttes 1 1 /2 layers deep form a base over a you want direct cook. Low direct fire Place barbecue briquettes 1 layer deep with gaps between briquettes. Positioning Grills, Hotplate or Wok Place wire cooking grill on barbecue so that handles directly over charcoal rails. If you using a cast iron cooking grill or hotplate, it is placed centrally on p wire grill - see phograph page 6. When cooking with wok, wire cooking grill is not required. Position wok on barbecue so that base wok is just above hot coals. Make sure that wok is level, and that it rests on 4 internal lugs inside kettle. 15