HANDY BARBECUE EQUIPMENT Cooking around a barbecue is the smart thing to do nowadays and the right equipment for it addsto its picturesque charm. : Stores are filled with tools and supplies for outdoor cookery, most of them in bright colours andgay designs. They all add to the fun of cooking a meal in your own backyard. Most of the items are essential for a smooth technique you will find. Expense can be spread over several years, for the barbecue equipment can be stored for the winter and used again and again. Here are lists of suggested equipment: FOR THE FIRE Gravel (round or crushed stones) Charcoal briquets Commercial fire starter A kindle can A fire rake and shovel Fire tongs (2 pairs handy) Sprinkling can, water pistol or laundry sprinkler Asbestos gloves for adjusting spit, moving grill or other hot jobs. i Cotton gloves for handling briquets Heavy oven mitts Shovel for coals Smoke chips Matches FOR THE SPIT Pliers for tightening spit-holding forks Heavy duty foil Thermometer Basting brush with long handle (Dish mop not satisfactory as it makes splatters and is difficult to clean). Skewers and heavy twine (for preparing poultry and meat for the spit.) Extension cord (heavy duty out-door type) FOR HANDLING FOOD Long-handled fork, spatula and tongs: Tongsare necessary for turning broiling foods, lifting potatoes from coals, corn from grill and pots from hooks. Two pairs are ideal. Hinged broilers: A shallow-hinged box of wire with long handle, ideal for thick whole fish, lobster, chicken, etc., and any food difficult to turn. It’s quicker to load the hinged broiler with chicken and turn them at once than to turn them separately. Hinged broiler with fine grids: Useful for oysters, kidney, chicken livers, shrimps, etc. Hinged grill with medium grids: Useful for thinner pieces of meat, fish fillets, slim steaks, etc. Drip pans: For catching fat from meat cooking on spit or grilling. (See FOIL DRIP PANS, Page 3.) Skewers: Metal skewers for shish-kebabs or foods enbrochette. OTHER ITEMS Barbecue carry-all: Wicker basket with handles or other sturdy but light container to keep all patio knives, forks, spoons, extra salts and peppers, serving dishes and seasoning salts in one place. Easy to carry out to patio and bring back filled with dishes for washing. - Basket can be packed after using and kept filled with barbecue items. Table: Sturdy one of comfortable working height. Cutting boards: Can be brought from kitchen. Apron: Plain, heavy denim protects chef’s clothing. Paper towels: Have a good supply of paper serviettes, hot and cold paper cups, paper serving plates, stainless steel forks, knives, etc. (These latter can be sterilized by boiling whereas wood and plastic, as a rule, cannot be boiled). Pot Holders:Holders should be well-insulated ones, First aid equipment: Lotion for scalds or burns. Bandage tape, antiseptic for cuts, etc. WATER SUPPLY: Since backyard dining became the fashion, outdoor cooks have been demanding running water at the side of the barbecue pit. With polythene piping, it is not much more difficult than connecting up a garden hose, Piping is placed ina shallowtrench leading from the house to the side of the pit. Because the plastic pipe is flexible this trench can be directed around gardens and trees as necessary. One end of the pipe is fastened to the water outlet on the house and the other to a faucet attached to the side of the barbecue, The sod is laid back in the trench, the tap is turned and presto -- running water! Polythene will not deteriorate in the earth and there’s no danger of anyone tripping over it. Taps, couplings and the pipe itself can be bought in most hardware and department stores. COOKING OVER COALS BUILDING THE FIRE: No matter what type of barbecue you have, a good fire is essential for successful cooking. Your fire depends on many things: the fuel used, the ventilation, the location of the barbecue, the way you light it, the arrangement of the coals, the distance of the food from the heat and the control of flare-up as the food cooks. Check your barbecue instruction booklet for operating instructions. Keep a note book handy as you practise making and using the fire so you can jot down the most satsifactory way of operation. WHEN TO START THE FIRE: Allow plenty of time to build your fire, It takes 20 to 45 minutes or even longer to have the coals at the right heat for broiling, longer for spit roasting, and perhaps, 5 or more hours for campfirecookeryor large crowd barbecues, Practice makes you an expert at timing. Briquets develop grey spots when first lighted. They must be covered with grey ash before the fire is ready to use, They look ash grey in daytime and glow red after dark. IMPORTANT: Knock off grey ash before starting to cook by raking briquets carefully. This ash acts as an insulator and prevents the heat from reaching the cooking food. Knock the ashes off as they form during cooking. FUELS AVAILABLE: Hardwood charcoal briquets are favored, They’re packed in handy bags, are slowto take fire but provide a constant glowing heatanddonot spark. They have a minimum of tar, therefore produce less smoke and have little odour. CHARCOAL CHUNKS: These are made by charring soft wood or wood scraps in a kiln. Lump charcoal catches fire quickly, burns faster and has more charcoal flavor, but has a tendency to spark and smoke. HICKORY AND FRUIT WOOD CHIPS: These chips are added wet to the established fire to give attractive flavors to food, FOR OTHER FUELS: Follow instruction on package. Check your equipment instruction book. ARRANGING THE FIRE; The arrangement and amount of fuel depend on the equipment you have, its location, and the foods you wish to cook. The amount of fuel needed is something you learn through experience since units vary in size, location and rate of fuel consumption, For portable grill or hibachi you may need 12 to 24 briquets. For large wheeled type or permanent grill, perhaps 30 to 40 briquets. ; Check your booklet for instructions. Here area few general pointers: FOR BROILING: Build a shallow fire allowing about 1/2 inch between briquets. Let them cover an area just a little larger than the foods you cook. Place foods about 3 inches above source of heat.