Clebrity Night Shot

Although summer doesn't officially arrive until June 21st, at the end of May, we'll be marking its unofficial beginning. Of course, Memorial Day is just the first of the "Big Three" holidays of the upcoming season. With Independence Day in the middle, Labor Day at the (once again, unofficial) end, and countless celebrations and parties in between, our picnic tables, outdoor furniture, and grills will be getting lots of use.

While the furniture basically just has to sit there, the grills are appliances, which will be used constantly and mercilessly, functioning under great temperature extremes, and fueled by flammable substances. Therefore, it's important for those who are using them to know how to operate them safely, and cook the food to perfection.

Aside from the safety issues, some of the biggest, and most common, problems arise when people are unfamiliar with proper cooking techniques, correct temperatures for the food they are making, or even the characteristics of their own grills. Naturally, a lot of these mistakes are made by those with little or no grilling experience; however, even veteran outdoor chefs can slip up when they get new grills, but don't bother to become acquainted with all of their features.

So, the first thing to remember is that not all grills are the same. When you get a new one, whether it's your first, or your fifth, take the time to read the manual that comes with it, and follow the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for its use. Of course, it will still take some time cooking on your grill to really get to know certain things about it, such as whether or not it has hot spots, where they are, and how long it takes to reach the necessary cooking temperature.

Even then, you'll have to find out what other, outside factors, can affect your grill. Inclement weather, for example, can increase heating and cooking times. On charcoal grills, food will cook faster on warm, calm days, than it will on windy, chilly, or damp days; not only will the coals take longer to heat up, but you will have to use more of them as well. Gas grills can also heat up more slowly, so you may have to use higher heat settings.

Weather conditions can even have an impact on charcoal when it's still in the bag; and if it gets damp, it can take an eternity to light, and will not burn evenly. Therefore, especially in humid climates, it should be stored in a tightly-closed plastic bag.

A little bit of charcoal goes a long way, because it produces a lot of heat. There are 15-20 briquettes in a pound, and it takes approximately 30 of them to cook one pound of meat. They should be arranged under the rack, in a solid bed that's a bit larger than the area that the food will cover. If it's going to take more than 60 minutes to cook your food, you will have to add about ten more briquettes per hour. Place them around the edges, in contact with the coals that are already burning, or get them going ahead of time, by lighting them in a can, or a charcoal chimney starter, first.