SouthEast Camper

Archive for the ‘Grilling’ Category


We all make mistakes. It is human nature to do so, and cannot be prevented each and every time. When it comes to barbequing, this rule is no different. We often make mistakes that we do not even realize until we taste our food, or something potentially dangerous happens.

Some mistakes just mean that the food you cook is not going to taste very good, while others could potentially mean a trip to the hospital, or a visit from your claims representative on your home insurance policy. No matter the severity of the mistake, you should do your best to try to avoid them whenever possible.

Cooking Mistakes

You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave. The meats should be at room temperature prior to cooking. If the meat is cold the meat will cook on the outside and steam on the inside making your meats chewy and dry.

Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate when it was raw. This could cause the spread of unwanted illnesses.

Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. Alternatively, Use a charcoal chimney to get the job done. Tear small strips from the charcoal bag starting at the top and work your way down as the charcoal is used up.

Never poke the meat while it is cooking. Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbeque grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your grill, which will make cleanup harder.

Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid to many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly.

Remember that the higher the heat is not always the better. While it is ok to quickly cook food, turning the heat up will just cause the meat to dry up and potentially burn.

While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

Dangerous Mistakes

Never, under any circumstance, should you leave a grill alone when it is in use. Grilling does have fire involved, and accidents can happen. Fire spreads quickly, so being aware of your grill could mean the difference between a small fire that is quickly extinguished, and a visit from the fire department.

Never place a hot grill against a wall, even if the fire is already completely out. A hot grill can heat up an exterior wall to the point of combustion. Also, do not put the grill cover back on until you are sure that the grill is completely cool.

You grill should be cleaned after each and every use, no exceptions. While no one likes cleaning the grill, it is essential for the life and safety of your grill. If you allow your grill to sit dirty, not only are you causing a potential fire and health hazard, but you are ultimately making it harder on yourself when it does come time to clean your grill.

Make sure that your grill is completely cold before cleaning it. Spraying oil and cleaning agents on a hot surface could cause it to ignite. Be careful, because the grill may seem cool, but may still be hot in certain areas. You do not want to sustain a burn.




My grandkids love this. Think of it as a Pizza Roll.

Pizza Crust in a tube.
Tomato Sauce
Oregano
Basil
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Pepperoni
Cheese

Pat out dough. Layer sauce, spices, pepperoni, sauce, spices, then cheese. Leave 1 inch or so on the seam side for sealing. Roll up and put it seam side down. Pull top part of dough out and tuck under end to seal. Use kitchen scissor to cut vents. Cut at least half way down bread. Grill with 15 briquets per side for 20 mins or more using indirect heat.

I did not list amounts as I think everyone has thier own taste.

I’m posting this to give you the idea. It’s fun to make.

This recipe can be changed around anyway you want. Change the Tomato Sauce for Salsa and add Ground Beef for a Southwest Roll.

Enjoy!




This is very fast and easy. Eat like a King on your next camping trip.

1 Ham Steak
1 can Pineapple Slices (rings)
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Brown Mustard
2 – 4 drops hot sauce

Use a can opener and pop 2 holes in the can of pineapple, drain thoroughly into 5” Dutch oven and place inside grill. Bring pineapple juice to a low simmer, add brown sugar, mustard and hot sauce. Stir until ingredients are completely dissolved. Reduce liquid by half making a simple syrup. Open ham steak package and can of pineapple. Place on grill over medium heat and baste with sauce. Cook long enough to warm through and achieve those wonderful grill marks. Baste as much as needed to keep ham and pineapple moist.

The sweet potato was grilled along with the ham and pineapples. Cut the sweet potato in half length wise. Brush the cut side with a small amount of olive oil. Take a small amount of brown sugar, pinch of cinnamon, pinch of salt. Mix and apply to the sweet potato. Grill cut side down till brown. Move the potato away from the heat and cook indirectly till done, about an hour.

My kids go wild over grilled pineapple. This will taste like the big hams many mothers would cook all day in the oven without all the hassle.

Yum!




1 Large Onion
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Cut the top off the onion. Cut just enough off the bottom of the onion, so it will stand up straight. Peel off the remaining skin. Cut the onion into 4 to 6 wedges stopping just short of going all the way through. This will keep it together. Tear off two pieces of aluminum foil 10 to 12 inches long. The double layer will protect the onion from burning while on the grill. Place the onion centered on the foil pulling foil up tight and around onion. Crimp foil so the top of the onion is exposed. Add salt and pepper and brown sugar. Then drizzle the olive oil over onion to moisten the brown sugar.

Place the onion directly over medium high heat until it is hot. Then move onion away from heat and bake indirectly for 20 minutes or till desired softness. Using tongs to reach into foil and pull out onion wedges.




This is great way to have onions on your steak, burgers or chicken sandwiches. You can add other seasonings to make an ordinary onion fit any main dish you want.

We hope you enjoy this simple grilling recipe.