Mouths will water as barbecue masters from Canada take their grills for the Cloverdale Cowby cook of BBQ Competition during this weekends Cloverdale Rodeo Country Fair. More than 25 teams competing for $10,000 cash prizes.Misko who is a world professional Barbecuing said he will be bring his “A” game to Cowboy cook-off. Misko said hat it was amazing to get the thrill of the grill while travelling in the southern U.S for work where he attended the championship event in Texas. He started practising his cooking techniques under the guidance of “Rockin Ronnie ” Shewchuk.

Strange article unless you think someone is news worthy just because they’re in a competition.  There are some good lines though: at one point he describes a competition he witnessed but could not sample the food.  I have been to barbecue competitions like that and there’s always some disgusting hot dog and pizza trailer selling awful food while everyone walks around smelling amazing smoking meat.

One of the competitions is:

Each team will be given five pounds of Johnston’s BC Bacon and the teams can make anything they want using bacon

Read the full article here:
Cowboy Cook-Off fires up Cloverdale’s Misko – Surrey Now

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At a time when a majority of the people are getting for summer parties, it’s quite relieving to come across a great vegan recipe by AOL Kitchen Daily. Made with hot  peppers, thyme, basil, and other ingredients, the Tunisian sauce Harissa promises to treat the taste buds like never before. The directions on preparing the simple but special recipe are quite easy to follow.

For most of us who love to barbecue with low heat and to grill with high directed heat the term “vegan” sometimes seems synonymous with “healthy but bland” and sometimes crazy.  However, from an odd (and eventually tragic) dating experience I can tell you there is a lot of variety in vegan cooking.  I will usually stop and look at anything prepared on a grill and will definately pay attemtion to anyone using the grill for hot, crunch vegetables.  Most of this stuff is badly cooked and ends up soggy but eggplant, zuccini and peppers can all be put right in the flames of a charcoal grill or griled fast on an infrared gas grill to create this receipe with some real heat.

…also it should be assumed without needing to point it out every time that anything vegan is made better with a healthy dollop of hot sauce.

Read the full article here:
BBQ Recipe: Grilled Veggies with Lemon-Harissa Dressing – Patch.com

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There are 5 things you have to consider while buying a grill.

1. whether to buy a charcoal or a gas grill.

Charcoal grills cook more flavourful food. But gas grills save time and are easier than charcoal. It also takes longer time to clean charcoal grills.

2. how often you are going to use it.

If you are not going to use the grill often you can get grills in a $75 range. But for high performance barbecues start at approximately $500. and can cost as much as 10,000.

3.How much cooking surface you need

Barbecues, smokers and grill models are generally distinguished by the size of the grilling surface.  How many people we’re cooking for and how often matters.

4. How can you store it

If you store your grill from rainstorms properly you can use it longer. Cover them during rainy season.

5.Do you need any extra options

Most of the grills contains add-ons like side burners, extra heating elements, or large warming racks. But they are only for experienced grillers. The grills can cook very well without them also

Read the full article here:
5 things to know before buying a grill – First Coast News

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Memorial Day is fast approaching and Sam’s Club is capitalizing on backyard gatherings with membership incentives and advice from one of the top BBQ pit masters in the U.S. Troy Black has come on board to give cooking tips for all ranges of grill chefs. His biggest tip is to buy quality ingredients. Sam’s Club offers quality cuts of meat for members to raise the level of taste during summer get togethers.  

There are some cooking techniques in this article and also a few receipes for use based on the sam’s club purchases.  There are different frames of mind on this.  Many people put a lot of weight on the type of meat and the quality of meat used to barbeque.  A lot of others believe there is a big difference in flavor based on how food is cooked so the education of the chef and the tyoe of grill matters more than the food (i am in this group!) but even these will not want to buy really bad meats.

Of course the truth is somewhere in the middle and I guess if a particular un-named retailer is selling poorly made imported barbecues they better be selling good cuts of meat!  Learn the “edge” and exploit it for great cuts of meat.

Read the full article here:
Ready, Set, Grill! Sam’s Club Enlists Barbecue Champion To Reveal Grilling … – NEWS.GNOM.ES (press release)

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instructions for adding gas line for control valve

In a typical barbecue the control valve attaches to the manifold pipe and the manifold pipe is attached the the gas line.  The control valves attach to the manifold so the valve is able to pull from the gas flow and spit gas into the barbecue burner.  On the tip of the control valve, inside the control panle and opposite the knob we turn for gas the orifice is attached to the valve and the orifice inserts into the burner so the gas flows right into the burner.

There have been barbecues that needed an extension.  Some models of kalamazoo, turbo, captain cook and others have the control panel set forward so the valve is not close enough to the burner for the orifice to attach the valve and the burner.  In these instances the valve will have a gas line attached to the tip instead of an orifice.  The gas line is generally luminum or copper and will bend and extend to wherever the burner needs to be mounted.  On the far end of the gas line the orifice is mounted so it can insert into the burner venturi tube and spit gas right into the burner.

When this style of connection comes from the factory the gas lines are cut to size and threaded to fit the valve on one side and the orifice on the other side.  However, years later when these items need to be replaced and the manufacturer is out of business or the true manufacturer is in China and does not have replacement parts available how do we repair these grills?

Compression fittings can be used in place of flared fittings or threaded gas lines and will attach to a smooth sleeve of aluminum gas line without leaking.

Imaage one above shows the tip if the gas line and the compression adapter.  This adapter is 1/4 inch compression on one side and 1/8 inch threaded pipe connection on the other side.

Image Two:  When the compression fitting is unscrewed there is a small flare inside the hew-head.  This is soft brass and designed to be smashed inside the fitting when attached.

Image Three:  Slide the hex-head onto the aluminum or copper gas line and then slide the flare nut as seen in this image.  The flare should be 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch from the edge.

Image Four: Attach the two sides so the soft brass is set in from the edge inside the hex-head nut and the adapter so when these two pieces are tightened the brass will be smashed between them and flare into place.  When loose the entire assembly will slide off the aluminum gas line but once tightened the soft brass will smash into place holding tightly to the aluminum gas line.  You could force it to break the seal so be gentle but this will stop gas from leaking around the fitting.  The soft brass squeezed between the nut is the gasket.

Image Five:  Now the adapter is tightly attached to the gas line and will not leak so we can screw on the control valve.  Different control valves have different threading.  This control valve is threaded inside and outside the opening for the orifice so a hood style orifice or a spud style orifice could be used.  Likewise a 1/8 inch pipe thread can be attached as we have done here or a 1/16 inch male

adapter could have been used for the other side of the adaptor instead.

Image Six:  Using the exact same steps: we have attached a compression-to-1/8 female on the side where the male thread of the valve will attach to the female thread of the compression adapter and on the other end of the aluminum gas line we will attach an adaptor that is 1/4 inch compression on one side and 1/8 inch male thread on the other side.  The steps are the same to attach the compression side to the gas line tightly.

Image Seven:  Now the threaded end of the gas line has the exact same threading the original control valve for the gas grill has and the orifice can be attached to the fitting.  This has extended the length of the control valve and allows us to move the connection up, down, right, left or wherever we have to insert the orifice into the barbeque burner.

As a last note propane is always in a cylinder of some kind and is regulated closely at 11″ water column displacement.  Liquid propane is a liquid with a low boiling temperature (a boiling temperature that if considered freezing for humans) and the liquid boils into a vapor inside the cylinder.  Propane is a tight, cold, small-molecule gas that requires only a small gas line, a small hole in the orifice.  Natural gas is always already a gas pumped throughout entire neighborhoods, entire cities.  Natural gas is a large-gas, meaning the molecules are large and natural gas lines are often several miles long.  NG will be pressurized much higher than LP in order to push across town to its various locations and the inner diameter of a NG line is often double and triple the inner diameter of a LP gas line.

The aluminum or copper gas line we use is usually not more than a few inches long but it is smarter to use a larger inner diameter hose than a smaller one and hope it works so the gas pressure does not bottle-neck at the connection and stop the gas barbecue grill from cooking properly.

For additional tips and for assistance with barbecue repairs and gas grill replacement parts contact Majestic Grill Parts at:

http://www.Grill-Repair.com

or visit our blog site which is full of useful grill repair instructions at:

http://www.Grill-Repair.com/blog

or contact us at:

954-2-Grill-2

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As you may have noticed, the barbecuing season is upon us. But before you go out and make a big purchase, make sure you know these 5 things about grills: (1) There are charcoal and gas grills—both have advantages and disadvantages; (2) Your anticipated amount of use should influence how much you spend; (3) There’s no use having a huge grill if you’re not going to use the space; (4) You’ll need to consider where your grill will be stored when not in use; and (5) Take time to consider whether you want the extra (more expensive) options.

Read the full article here:
5 things to know before buying a grill – USA TODAY

Normally these articles read like superficial fluff invented just to put something on a page.  Too bad the old fashioned cartoons went out of style because this is head-hurting superfluous.  however, towards the end of the article there are some “categories” of “best” barbecues and grills that is interesting.  

Certainly the “most innovative” is simply silly because the charbroil gas and charcoal is a knock off of many, many American made products that are much better.  For most innovative take a look at firemagic, alfresco, lynx and many others that are truly innovative — and will last outdoors more than a year, more than 10 years.

What is interesting is what they got right.  Both the Big Green Egg and Primo kamado’s are listed here as “best charcoal” and  ”best investment”.  While the Primo Oval Kamado cooker won the best charcoal grill (and it is!) Primo should have also won the best investment as it is the only kamado still made in America.  If you’re not buying an American Kamado it should be because you’re spending $5K to get an original from japan.

I like the fact that this article that abviously took less than 20 minutes way from the author at least mentioned two amazing barbecues.  Usually these “fluff” articles only mention whatever is recently bought ranking in consumer reports like weber and weber and charbroil and weber.  I gues it is a safe bet and has been for decades but now that weber has sold so many shares and set up distribution from overseas …. i think we’ll see room for someone in the low-end price range to take the title very soon.

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If you’re looking for a way to spice up your barbecue this season, look no further: wine pairing is the way to go. There’s always the classic Cabernet Sauvignon, a great match for a perfectly grilled steak. Or you could go for a smokier flavor with a Petit Sirah and saucy ribs. Just know that with any wine you try, there’s a perfect meat to go along with it.

Read the full article here:
Wine picks for barbecue season – Victoria Times Colonist

I guess canadians don’t drink beer?  

I am kidding!  we always have a few bottles of wine around.  This article seems to be a way to put some brandings out there to make advertisers happy; like a “top 10″ format.  i mentioned it only because in  a much younger incarnation i waited tables working my way through college and i have a better education about wines than most people.  I also believe that whole business about white wines with this food and red wines with that food is a bunch of silliness.

We generally drink wine because it is wine and know nothing about what we like (and end up looking ridiculous with a glass of pink zin because we were afraid to grab a water bottle) or we drink the wines we prefer.  I like a full-bodied spicy wine like a dark zinfandel and i can drink that regardless of what i am eating — or if i am eating.  I also think the french Beaujolais can be absolutely amazing with anything.

If you are being picky about wine please make sure it is because you are making your own reduction or adding it to a barbecue sauce.

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Before buying a new grill we have to make our own decisions about the type of grill we should buy. Gas grills do not require a lot of maintenance but charcoal grills add better flavor. The gas coming in small tanks is convenient to use and gas barbecues are easier to clean. Charcoal fuels take more time to reach higher temperature whereas gas grills are ready within minutes.

I saw this article online but it is clear the author has next to no experience at all with barbecues, grills or smokers.

Read the full article here:
Tips for choosing an outdoor grill – GoErie.com

For most the option for a new barbecue grill is a gas appliance.  There are those who do not care enough about what they buy and they buy charcoal because it is cheap.  There also those who already have a useful grill and they are able to buy something to specifically add flavor or they are fed up with the dry heat of a gas barbecue and they buy charcoal because the purchase is a luxury for them, an extravagance.

Most of us buy gas appliances for cooking outdoors.  One day I’ll write an actual post about the different strengths and weaknesses but for now it is sufficient to recognize that 85% of all barbecues sold are gas fueled.

However these are not gas barbecues.  they are broilers, convection ovens.  In fact at the yearly HPBA (Hearth Patio Barbecue Association) shows Weber often bakes cookies and pies to demonstrate the type of cooking and heat to expect from theor appliances.

A typical gas bbq is not hot enough to cook food while the hood is open.  Even 20 minutes later a typical gas bbq is not hot enough to cook until we close the hood and allow the heat to build up in the barbecue below the hood.  this is like using the oven in doors except we can cook outside with all the pleasures of being outdoors.  Unfortunately an oven allows moisture to drip through the grate and hot air causes the food to “sweat” dripping moisture and flavor into the flames below to flare up.  This is why so many of us eat meat rare and medium rare — we are trying to keep the moisture in the food.

With a barbecue that cooks with wood and/or charcoal the smoke adds flavor and there are thousands of techniques for doing this.  With a gas grill the grilling surface will get hotter than 800 degrees so food can be grilled.  Current infrared gas grills wil reach grilling heat above one-thousand degrees inside of sixty secinds of lighting the grill.

Most gas barbecues available today in the bog box stores are not truly barbecues at all but broilers designed to heat up the air trapped in the hood and as such they make it necessary to learn a good deal about barbeque sauces and rubs.

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grilled and barbecued fish tastes great, but sometimes cooking it is not so easy (or fun). One way to simplify this process and always guarantee great-tasting fish is to use a grilling basket. Just get the fish settled in the basket, place it on the grill, and flip the fish as desired. And before you know it, voila! A fish that’s been cooked over an open flame without the usual sticky mess.

Personally — and widely discussed in the blog — i love to grill fish on a grill that is capable of cooking at temperatures over 1000 degrees.  the texture and cohesiveness are different than the typical flaky-fall=-apart fish.  However, for the flaky fish filet and for the halibut  and other fish that can be cooked without filleting them the basket is perfect.

A grill basket clamps in place, usually has many locking location for thicker or thinner grilling and the basket can be used over and over again providing it is maintained.

Read the full article here:
Test Kitchen tips: Fish grilling basket – Los Angeles Times

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Have you ever seen grill masters using cedar planks to add flavor to their barbecue? You can achieve the same result, but with an ingredient you might already have in your house—pineapple skin. Just place your meat on top of a slice of thick pineapple skin and set the whole thing on the grill. Before you know it, you’ll have an earthy, savory, flavor infused in your meat. So next time you’re slicing up some tropical fruit to go with your barbecue, save the skin and use it to liven up your barbecue!

Read the full article here:
Don’t toss the pineapple skin; use it on the grill – Colorado Springs Gazette

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