Memorial Day
Firstly, a prayer:
Dear God,
Today, help us remember those who have sacrificed their lives, in order to protect us, and to fight for all we hold dear. We do not know why they gave their lives; for some it was love of country, for others love of their loved ones, and still others merely the love of doing the right thing. We know that you understand how we feel; you yourself did not hesitate to give your son, your only son, to die so that we might be free. Of the gift that has been bought for us at such a high price, let us remember, and take it so that we might be a blessing unto others.
We mourn death, yet have hope; we look forward to that day, when the last battle has been won, and your kingdom comes on earth, with peace everlasting.
Amen.
On Barbecuing
Really, that's the first thing people think about during Memorial Day. For myself that only makes sense because I know that there is hope on the other side of death.
But on with the show now, so to speak.
There really is nothing more enjoyable than a good barbecue. Holiday or not. As Food Network host Alton Brown put it, it's ironic that in our increasingly technological day and age, that one of our most popular cooking methods is one of the most ancient. To make the point, I am making this entry on a laptop while wirelessly connected to the internet, watching my rack of ribs get done on the grill.
So what makes a good barbecue? In my opinion, the foundation for a good barbecue is:
Meat + Fire = Barbecue
Meat's really the centerpiece at a barbecue, isn't it? That's why it's important to start with good meat, otherwise, you might as well turn that piece of meat into charcoal. If you can, prepare the meat the day before -- make sure it's well defrosted -- or, buy the meat fresh the day of the barbecue. It's good to plan ahead -- nothing's worse than running out of food during a barbecue, right? Anyway, it's okay to spend a little extra to ensure you get good quality.
Next to the meat, fire makes or breaks the barbecue. The one thing that's hardest to understand is the importance of fire control.
Fire = Oxygen + Heat + Fuel + Ignition
Ignition, well, that's the one thing you get out of the way. You gotta light the fire first, right? If you have a gas grill it's pretty simple. Gas grills are quick to light. Using charcoal, you got your lighter fluid... but I recommend a chimney starter. It's safer and ensures even ignition.
Fuel: I'm going to focus on charcoal grills. I learned the other day that the average charcoal briquette is made out of old furniture parts, sawdust, wood chips, adhesives, and various petrochemicals. Doesn't sound like something you wanna cook your food on. I recommend buying lump hardwood charcoal -- basically, burnt dead trees. It burns hotter too!
Heat: You must maintain a level of heat in order to keep the fuel burning. You must also maintain the proper cooking temperature for the appropriate cut of meat. The one thing to remember with a charcoal grill is, the fire starts out REALLY hot, and then goes down. What that means is: quick food goes first. If you're serving, say, hamburgers, steaks, and chicken, you put the hamburgers and steaks on first. Then after you're done with those, you put the chicken pieces on.
Oxygen: Controlling the oxygen level plays a good part in heat control. That's why your grill has vents, louvers, and (hopefully) a lid. The lid turns your grill into an oven, basically. It won't go as fast, but it'll cook more evenly. Think about it this way: more oxygen = hotter fire.
Now the thing that I'm going to describe doing is potentially dangerous: How do you speed up the initial ignition reaction in your charcoal grill? Because you wanna get to the cooking part, not waiting for the coals to get hot. One thing I tried is by using a fan. Get an electric fan, or hair dryer. Make a pile of glowing hot coals in the grill. Now, point the fan/hair dryer at one of the vents and turn it on. What you're basically doing is using forced air induction (like "turbocharging" ) your grill. Watch the coals flare up -- be careful, you don't want to get it TOO hot. But it'll save you a few minutes, and get your grill up to temperature.
One thing about barbecue is.... it's slow. Compared to the microwave, some of the things you cook (like ribs) will be s-l-o-w. So plan your time -- don't get ahead of yourself, pick a seat in the shade, and grab a beer. Good times for all.
Now when you're finished up grilling, what do you do?
You should clean the grill while it's hot. Use a stiff bristle brush. Then close all the air vents, put the lid on, and wait for the coals to die out and cool down. DO NOT try to take the hot coals out of the barbecue (or God forbid, put it into a paper bag) -- it's an accident waiting to happen.
Have fun in the summertime! | 
