Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [13]
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GRILL FORK. We prefer not to use grill forks because they poke holes in food, especially the skins of poultry and sausage. A relatively insignificant amount of fat and juices escape, but it’s often enough to cause flare-ups. And they feel awkward to use on the grill. Forks are for the table. Sturdy tongs or heat-resistant silicone gloves can do the job of most grill forks. But you may like to have a grill fork on hand for the odd roast that turns best when stabbed. Some models feature a built-in instant-read thermometer.
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GRILL BASKET. This long-handled tool encloses food between two hinged wire grids, creating a shallow basket. Lift the basket by the handle and you can easily flip the food without it sticking or falling apart. It’s very useful for grilled sandwiches, fish, and other delicate foods that are prone to sticking or falling apart on the grill. For the best protection against sticking (and the best searing), preheat and oil the basket in the same way you would preheat and oil the grill grate. Put food into a hot basket rather than a cold one.
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RIB RACK. A rack is essential for grilling lots of ribs on a small grill. This simple metal accessory positions four racks of ribs parallel to one another on their long edges. With two of these tools, you can simultaneously grill eight racks of ribs on a standard charcoal kettle grill.
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V-SHAPED ROASTING RACK. These resemble oven roasting racks and help roasts hold their shape during grilling.
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VERTICAL ROASTING RACK. Excellent for chicken and other poultry, these racks hold birds in an upright position so that they cook and brown evenly and drain fat easily. They’re available in various sizes for small to large birds.
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THERMOMETER. Instant-read thermometers give you the precise internal temperature of foods within seconds of inserting the probe. They’re unbeatable for judging the doneness of thick meats and roasts. Available in digital or analog models.
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TOOLS FOR FLAVOR
BASTING BRUSH. Need flavor on the surface of your food? Brush it on with a basting brush, whether it’s a baste, a glaze, or a sauce. Natural bristle brushes won’t melt on the grill as nylon will, and they work well with all bastes, glazes, and sauces. Silicone brushes work best with thicker sauces because thinner bastes tend to slip right off the silicone bristles. Long-handled basting brushes protect your hands, but we often baste with short-handled natural bristle paint-brushes from the hardware store.
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GRILL MOP. Resembling a diminutive kitchen mop, this tool is useful for dabbing or drizzling thin mop sauces onto large pieces of meat without brushing off any seasonings that may already be there. Barbecue caterers, restaurateurs, and competitors actually use full-size kitchen mops to accommodate their larger quantities of food; hence the name.
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SPRAY BOTTLE. These standard, readily available plastic bottles filled with a nozzle and hand pump are handy for spraying flavored liquids onto slow-cooking foods to keep them moist and deepen their flavor.
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INJECTOR. A marinade injector (also known as a kitchen syringe) looks like a large hypodermic needle. There’s no easier way to inject flavor deep into the muscle tissue of meats. Any flavored liquid can be used, but those with no solids work best because they don’t clog the needle. Metal ones tend to last longer than plastic models.
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F. Grill Fuels and Fire Starters
Your grill’s fuel source determines its cooking characteristics more than any other factor. Understanding how that fuel is manufactured and exactly what it’s made of will help you to