Tips For Preparing a BBQ You are Catering
If you’re a BBQ caterer, sometimes you will receive requests to deliver BBQ wholesale for an event. Whether you’re already a grilling veteran, or just received your first request, here are some essential tips to guide you on how to prepare the BBQ appropriately:
Keep Your Meat Clean
Safety should be at the top of your agenda as you plan to prepare your BBQ. Keep the meat clean and cold until it is cooked and ready to be served. The essence of good food, safety, and preparation, you should never take short cuts.
If you’re a BBQ catering service provider, ensure your services are synonymous with hygienic food preparation and practices.
Proper BBQ Seasoning
Start by preheating the clean grill before using a spray or brush to coat it with cooking oil properly. Afterward, cover the grill and let it settle for about twenty minutes, then use a fresh damp cloth to wipe the grill clean. Appropriate seasoning will make your BBQ taste great.
Lid Position of the BBQ
Your choice of BBQ and how you intend to spice it will determine if you will cook it on the kitchen cook-top or in the oven. As such, the BBQ lid could be up or down. A useful tip is for you to consider what you would have preferred if you were cooking indoor.
Cooking Over the Burner
If you intend to prepare veggies, burgers, or steaks that require been seared or cooked from the outside inward, it should be positioned directly on the burner. To stop it from sticking, brush a little olive oil on the steak. Avoid salting the meat before cooking; salt dries the meat by drawing out the moisture. However, to get a nice salty crust, consider using coarse salt. Some coarse black pepper would taste great too.
Crosshatching and Searing the BBQ
Make sure you remove the meat from the refrigerator, not less than fifteen minutes, and preheat before cooking. Afterward, the meat should be seared for about 90 seconds on a relatively high heat and carefully rotate it 1/8 of a turn (45 degrees) before burning again.
Doing so will give the meat an appealing crosshatch pattern if you’re not cooking on a flat plate grill. Also, it will seal in the natural juices. Don’t forget to reduce the heat to a reasonable or appropriate cooking temperature after searing.
Give the Meat Time to Cook
Don’t be that person that flips the meat over and over again. Give it some time and space to cook properly. Turn the meat just once. Avoid overcrowding the grill to prevent uneven cooking. Also, leave at least 2 inches between each piece of meat and the others. Before you start cooking, check your gas to ensure the cooking session will not be interrupted due to a lack of gas.
Don’t Poke Holes in the BBQ.
Avoid poking holes in the meat to retain its natural juices. Also, avoid piercing the sausage skins. Instead of forks, consider using tongs or spatulas. Avoid mashing down on burgers and meat, doing so forces the natural juice out of them and leaving you with merely dried meat.
Give It Time after Cooking
Give the grilled meat some time to settle for about five minutes after cooking. Cover the cooked meat loosely with foil to guarantee more tender and juicy BBQ. Other grilled or cooked meat should also be allowed to rest. Give your meat time to breathe before you devour it.
Consider Indirect Heating
Roasts, whole chicken, and many fish fillets need indirect heat. Consider preheating the grill with all burners. When the grill is still hot, turn off one side of the grill, then place the slow cooking food over the unlit burners. Then you close the lid and let it cook. Consequentially, it becomes an oven. Grilling this way will allow the meat to cook evenly. Also, it will keep the meat brown, tender, and juicy. Consider using a meat thermometer where suitable to figure out when it’s cooked.
Use Aluminum Foil
To create little cooking pouches for delicate foods such as fish fillets, you can use aluminum foil. Also, consider cooking it away from the lit burner or put the bag on the warming wrack if you have it. The warming rack can is used for toasting bread, keeping cooked food warm, or cook delicate food. So put it to good use.
Use Wood Chips
You can improve the flavor of your food by using wood chips to smoke. Within the BBQ, Place the wood chips in a steel smoker box or a small aluminum foil tray. However, if you’re new to BBQ preparation, consider using hickory wood chips. These chips on Amazon are great for beginners! You can purchase smoker boxes and wood chips at BBQ specialty stores. Amazon has a pretty inexpensive one here with tons of great reviews!
Consider Using Marinades
For more concentrated or varied flavors of BBQ, try using meat marinades. Follow the instruction of the marinade maker or recipe. If possible, use large freezer bags whenever you intend to marinade. Put in the marinade and meat, seal the bag, and then shake it. Shake it like an old Polaroid picture. Hey, I made an Outkast reference!
Make sure you refrigerate and shake it once in a while until you’re all set to BBQ. Also, before cooking, do not forget to drain off any excess marinades. Make sure you avoid pouring it over the meat while it’s still cooking on the grill.
Avoid flare-ups
You should cut away most of the fats in your meat to avoid flare-ups. Also, ensure the grease tray is empty before you start, and avoid very high temperature. Nonetheless, if you experience a flare-up, carefully flip down the grill lid and turn all burners off as well as the gas bottle if possible.
Never spray water on a BBQ flare up or any other grease fire. If you have a flare-up that you cannot control, turn off the gas. If the fire has gotten out of control, call the fire department at once. Fire is dangerous!
However, if you’re not a BBQ caterer and you’re planning for an event, you can save yourself from all the stress of trying to prepare meat cuisines for your event. You can hire a BBQ wholesale service provider in your area, so you can relax and attend to your guests while they take care of the food.
If you are planning a party, check out this post on Smoked Party Wings Recipe | Smoked Hot Wings on Ole Hickory Smoker
Happy Grilling!
