Advice on barbecue is as close as books and experts

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 22, 2002 by Linda Laird Capital-Journal

Charcoal hints

Charcoal should be ready in about 20 minutes, with 70 percent covered with ash and displaying a slight red glow. To estimate the temperature, hold your hand, palm side down, about 6 inches above the coals. The longer it takes for your hand to feel hot, the cooler the coals:

- Two seconds --- The coals are at a high temperatures, 375 degrees or higher.

- Three seconds --- Coals are medium-hot, about 350 to 375 degrees.

- Four seconds --- Coals are medium, about 300 to 350 degrees.

- Five seconds --- Coals are at a low temperature, about 200 to 300 degrees.

When coals are ready for cooking, spread in a single layer or bank them. Set the grilling grid in place and put on the food.

Source: K-State Research and Extension

By Linda Laird

The Capital-Journal

Barbecue is a sport, and the summer games are about to begin.

With Memorial Day on Monday marking the beginning of summer, the old grill has been cleaned and fueled or the bag of charcoal is handy.

In these parts, barbecue is Kansas City-style. Barbecue is an all- American way of cooking, but the country is divided into four regions for flavor and method according to Dotty Griffith in her new book, "Celebrating Barbecue" (Simon & Schuster, $24).

We all know about KC-style because most of us have grown up with it and probably prefer it. Griffith's book defines the other three -- - Carolina-style, Memphis-style and, of course, Texas-style, her home state.

In her book, she names a few other styles and tosses in a number of interesting recipes like Peach Cobbler and Lemon Chess Pie.

Once the definitions and history are down pat on barbecue, Pamela Rice Hahn offers up some "Lazy About Grilling" tips --- actually hassle-free tricks to using a grill for more than hamburgers and hot dogs.

From equipment assistance to food tips, Hahn includes recipes for just about everything on the grill including pizza. Yes, you heard it right --- pizza.

The book also includes a number of recipes for packet meals --- food wrapped in foil and grilled over the coals.

And if you are worried about fats, she has a chapter about grilling that allows the fats in meat to drain away.

Barbecue is often smoked foods or coals, but Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby have put together a guide for grilling over a "live fire."

In their book, "Let the Flames begin," (W.W. Norton Co. $30), they offer more than 250 recipes for items from hot smoking to grilling with all the fuels and the tools necessary for creating great eating with the challenge of cooking with live fire.

While barbecuing, smoking and grilling can bring families together to enjoy a great meal, food safety is just as important a priority.

If food is handled or cooked improperly, health risks can dampen the experience, according to Karen Blakeslee, Rapid Response Center coordinator with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

She outlined the following suggestions:

- Keep meat cold until ready to grill. Don't leave it out at room temperature.

- Pre-cooked meats can be grilled to add authentic flavor and shorten grilling time.

- If starting with frozen products, thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Grill immediately after thawing in the microwave.

- Don't use the same platter or utensils to handle raw and cooked products.

- Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperatures. Ground meat should be 160 degrees, poultry at 180 degrees, poultry breasts at 170 degrees, pork at 160 degrees and steaks at 145 degrees.

- Once taken from the grill, keep the meat hot until serving in a warming tray or slow cooker.

- Place leftovers in the refrigerator. Discard anything left out more than two hours.

Following are grilling safety Tips:

- Pick a safe area --- Position the grill in a well-ventilated, flat surface away from overhangs, deck railings and shrubbery. Keep children and pets away from the grill when in use.

- Handle charcoal carefully --- Never add lighter fluid directly to hot coals because flames could travel up the fluid stream. Instead, place several new briquets in a metal can and apply lighter fluid. Transfer the briquets into the pyramid in the grill with pair of long-handled tongs and light with a match. Use proper utensils for safe handling of food and coals.

- Putting out the fire --- Place the cover on the grill, close the vents and allow the coals to burn out completely. Let ashes cool for at least 48 hours, and dispose in a non-combustible container.

Following are additional grilling tips:

- Before placing food on grilling surface, preheat the grill. Remove charred food debris to reduce exposure to possible cancer- causing substances formed during high heat cooking.

- Avoid fire flare-ups by using lean meats and trimming away all visible fat. Raise the rack to the highest position away from the heat, and keep food on one side of the grill and coals or other heat source on the other side.

- Marinades enhance flavors, tenderize and keep foods moist. If you plan to use the remaining marinade later as a table sauce, it must be boiled for at least three minutes to eliminate bacteria.