Do you know how to prepare your barbecue for perfect cooking?

The barbecue it is one of the Stars of Spanish gastronomy. We all like celebrate barbecues with family and friends we order meat or vegetable grills when we go to a bar or restaurant. But... did you know that before we start cooking on the grill or barbecue, it's essential to prepare the food, the coals, and the utensils we're going to use?

In this case The order of factors does indeed alter the result, and a lot, too. That’s why, from Jumaco Maestro Ovens, barbecue and grill manufacturers we tell you How you should prepare your barbecue, whether you are a cooking enthusiast or a professional, so that you achieve perfect dishes and leave your guests or the diners at your restaurant speechless.

Preparing the food

When preparing the food that we are going to cook on our barbecue We must take several aspects into account:

• The menu before we start cooking we will have to have thought about what our menu will be. For example, are we going to cook Vegetables, meat or fishWill we also have to plan if we want to accompany the main product with any Garnish as a salad or vegetables.

• The number of diners it is essential to know in advance the number of diners you will be cooking for, as you will need more or less food depending on this. Furthermore, once we know how many diners there will be, we must also calculate the amount of food we are going to prepare per person taking into account whether we will also be serving any starters or desserts to complete the menu, and if there will be children, as the latter will eat a smaller quantity than an adult. And, if our barbecue will be attended by more than 20 diners, you may need pre-season some of the food and then give them the final touch before serving them so that you can serve all the diners at the same time.

• The temperature of the meat para que la carne no se pegue a la barbacoa o a la parrilla debe estar a room temperature (20 ⁰C) for this reason, you should take the meat out of the fridge at least an hour before you start cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

• The sides: vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, peppers, onions, etc.) and potatoes and sweet potatoes are excellent accompaniments for both meat and fish. If you opt for vegetables we recommend that you cut them into Slices or strips And if your barbecue is big enough, you can cook them on one area of the barbecue at the same time as the meat. The Potatoes and/or sweet potatoes can you prepare them the same way as the little vegetables or can we also wrap them in foil and place them directly among the embers. Another food that makes a brilliant side dish is cheeses. You can cut them into wedges, slices or slivers and grill them. So that they don't melt, we recommend taking them out of the fridge just before you're going to cook them and to coat them in flour before placing them on the grill.

Controlling the embers 

Controlling the embers is essential if we want to achieve impeccable cooking of our food, as controlling the flames and temperature will greatly influence the final result.

If your barbecue runs on gas or electricity, you won't need to do any preparation as you'll only need to turn on the tap and you'll have heat. However, if we're going to cooking with embers yes, we must prepare and have both on hand firelighters how can they be, for example, firelighters, wax and straw starters or pine cones the choice of one fuel or another will depend on the cook's tastes and preferences) fuels to help us keep the fire going and creating good embers like coal or firewood.

Also, if we are going to work with embers it is very important to know When should the barbecue be lit so that the food is ready on time?. It should be highlighted here that Times can vary depending on the type of fuel, the type of barbecue and the airflow.

However, as a point of reference, you should bear in mind that with traditional ignition systems, some 30 minutes to prepare the fire y 40 – 50 minutes for the coals to be ready. To this we must add that once we have the fire and the embers, it is necessary to let some time pass a couple of minutes for the grill to heat up and reaches the right temperature to be able to cook.

Don't forget to also keep in mind the the time it will take for the food to cook and will vary depending on the types of food, their fat content, the thickness and the quantity of food to be prepared.

Utensils always to hand

As important as preparing food or managing the coals is having at hand the necessary utensils For each step of the cooking. No good barbecue can be without: a glove to protect our hands from fire, an iron to remove the embers, pliers to manipulate food, a knife in case we need to make a cut, a brush to clean the grill and trays to remove the food once cooked.

Finally, it should be highlighted that to make a perfect barbecue, you must Having a good barbecue. If you don't have a barbecue yet and are thinking of buying one or want to upgrade the one you have, don't hesitate to consult our catalogue barbecues of work y Grills. Furthermore, we also manufacture Industrial barbecues for restaurants, bars and grills. And best of all, we can custom-make one for you bespoke barbecue so that it meets all your needs and objectives.

From Jumaco Ovens We hope you find this article of interest and that it helps you prepare the best barbecues. For more information, don't hesitate to contact with us. Our team of professionals will be delighted to advise you on choosing the ideal barbecue for you.

Source:

Benayas, J. M., Celada, E., & Hernández, A. (2018). Among burning embers: the secrets of fire cooking. Planet.