If Johnny Hallyday shouted loudly that we must light the fire, we most often adopt a very different philosophy when cooking on the barbecue! Indeed, once the fire is lit and the embers are heated, we generally try to avoid the flames. In addition to the risk of burns, they actually make the meat dry and this can quickly char it. Additionally, overcooked meat is not good for your health and burnt food really doesn’t taste good. Also, before sliding your grills onto a freshly cleaned barbecue grill, discover all the little tips to avoid flames! Your steaks, sausages, skewers and other pieces of meat, fish or vegetables will be perfectly cooked, all without suffering a micro-fire and without “burning”.
Become a barbecue ace!
1) Take care of the meat to avoid flames
Very often, the meats that are cooked on the barbecue are high in fat. When cooking, fat tends to ooze, which tends to encourage flames. This is why you should not hesitate to run a knife over the fat line to remove some of it before cooking. This will limit seepage.
If you are using a marinade, remember to take the skimmer to drain meat or fish before placing them on the grid so that there is no spillage. And if you have planned a sauce, perhaps prefer to spoon it onto the plate when the cooking is finished. This will preserve all the taste and avoid fanning the flames. Finally, forget the habit of poking meat. This dries it out, because it will lose all these juices in the embers… increasing the volume of the conflagration in the process!
2) Successfully cook on the barbecue without igniting
The best known tip for avoiding flames is to carry out indirect cooking. It allows the fat to fall next to the embers, especially if a tray has been installed to collect the fat. To carry out this type of cooking, you need a fairly large barbecue and a limited number of grills. We then heat the embers, then we move them apart a little and we place the meats in the center of the grill. This prevents fat from leaking into the embers and therefore works very well against the flames. IF you have a lot of grills, perhaps prefer use a lid. The combustion gas will thus smother the flames. However, remember to check the grills from time to time. Indeed, it is more difficult to monitor cooking with a lid;
3) Bring a handful of coarse salt to avoid flames
Whether in anticipation of or to tame flames that arise during cooking, a handful of coarse salt is an excellent ally. Very effective, it can be thrown directly onto the embers for perfect cooking.
4) Bicarbonate to avoid inflammation
A fire fueled by oil cannot be extinguished with water. This is why it is necessary avoid throwing water into the barbecue hoping to lower the power of the fire. Wetting the wood can cause steam and smoke. All it’ll do is annoy the neighbors and spoil the taste of the meat. However, you may want to consider using a water spray bottle to douse the embers sparingly. Here, the most effective trick is to use baking soda. Mix 2 large spoons of baking soda in a liter of water in a sprayer. Then keep this product on hand for spray directly on the flames. This will help reduce them and calm a fire that is too intense.