We were at the lake recently and enjoyed summer temperatures, a campfire and steak supper. What a wonderful beginning to summer.
Barbecue cleanup
It’s a good time to give the barbecue a thorough cleaning and check for gas leaks. Only clean after the barbecue is cool and the gas or propane has been turned off.
Before cleaning, remove the barbecue from your deck or place a sheet of plastic and newspapers under it to catch grease and charred residue.
Clean the grill using a brass bristle brush and scraper. Remove the grill racks and place them in a large plastic garbage can or pail. Fill the container with hot water and a grease cutting dish detergent and let the grills soak while you clean the rest of the barbecue.
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If the grills are extremely dirty, lay them on newspaper on the driveway or grass and spray with an oven cleaner while wearing rubber gloves. Leave for the recommended time, then scrub with a scouring pad and wipe away grime with newspaper. Put the grills in the bucket of hot water to rinse off the grime and cleaner.
To clean the inside of the barbecue, carefully remove the ash and charred residue from around the burners. Use some of the hot water to scrub the barbecue cabinet inside and out.
Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual on how to clean and check the burner, connections and controls of the grill. It is good to check gas connections with a one-to-one mixture of dish detergent and water. Smear over the connections. Bubbles indicate a leak.
Contact a service person to check and repair gas leaks. Reassemble the barbecue and use a paper towel to rub the grills with oil.
After each use, turn the barbecue on high for 10 minutes with the hood closed to burn off the food residue. Then brush and scrape the grills to remove the char. After the barbecue is cool, re-oil the grills and wipe the hood and side trays with a soapy cloth. Cover to keep clean.
Dressing up burgers
Additions to the cooked burger can dress up its flavour and appearance, whether you make your own burger patties or buy them pre-made. Onions and mustard are basic burger additions.
The following recipe combines these flavours in an easy and attractive way to cook and serve onion slices.
Mustard grilled onions
2 large sweet onions
1/4 c. butter, melted 60 mL
1/4 c. Dijon mustard 60 mL
1/4 c. honey 60 mL
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 7 mL
1/4 tsp. savory, crumbled 1 mL (optional)
Cut the onions into half-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices. To secure the onions for grilling, run two thin metal skewers one inch (2 cm) apart parallel to each other through the onion, then cut off the slice. Insert two more skewers and cut off another slice of onion. Repeat this until the onions are all slices. I found it is much easier to insert the skewers before slicing the onions.
Melt the butter and add the mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce and savory. Stir to mix. Brush some of the mixture over the onions.
Grill the onions over medium heat on a barbecue, basting with the mustard and butter mixture until they are tender and golden brown, about seven to 10 minutes. Turn once during cooking. Place on top of a burger and then hold the onions with a fork and remove the skewers.
This mustard sauce makes an excellent basting sauce for the burgers. Serves six to eight.
Adapted from Atco Blue Flame Kitchen Hall of Flame barbecue cookbook 2007.
Gilled tomato slices
Tomato slices can also be seasoned and grilled before topping a burger.
2 large ripe tomatoes
4 tsp. basil pesto 20 mL
Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Wash the tomatoes well and cut into half-inch (1 mL) slices. Top each slice with pesto and spread to cover the top of the tomato, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat seven to 10 minutes until heated through. Don’t turn. Serve on burgers or as an accompaniment.
Grilled asparagus
This first spring vegetable is easy to grill. Snap off and discard the tough stems of one bunch of asparagus, wash and pat dry. Brush lightly with olive oil or with a balsamic vinegar dressing. Grill for about four minutes or until tender and lightly charred; turn once. Cut the asparagus spears in half and lay across the top of a burger or serve them as an accompaniment.
Grilled burgers
When grilling burgers, turn them once to prevent the loss of juices and flavour. Wait for the juices to bubble to the surface of the burger before turning. When adding a grilling sauce, add it near the end of cooking to prevent burning.
Add cheese slices after the burgers are done. Close the barbecue lid for about a minute to melt the cheese. Try different types of cheese such as mozzarella, cheddar or colby.
Slice the burger buns and place on the grill to toast.
Check the internal temperature of a burger by inserting an instant-read meat thermometer horizontally into the centre of the burger. Cook beef, lamb or pork burgers to at least 160 F (71 C) and chicken or turkey burgers to 175 F (80 C).
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
