Winter Barbecue

There is nothing like the warm, smoky smell of barbecue on a winter’s day to instantly make your mouth water!

Barbecuing isn’t just a summertime thing and more and more people are now using their barbecues and smokers year-round.

With a few good tips you can enjoy ribs, chicken, vegetables and juicy steak grilled in the middle of winter!

Keep these tips in mind for your safety and well-being while barbecuing in the cold:

❄ Dress for the weather. Take time to put on boots, a coat, and a tuque. If you’re underdressed, chances are you’re going to rush and be careless.

❄ Watch for little critters. Some animals will crawl into barbecues in the winter as their refuge, so give your grill an inspection before you start it up.

❄ Make sure you have all of your barbecue tools close by and because it gets darker sooner, you may want to invest in a clip-on light or a headlamp so you can see what you’re doing in the dark.

❄ There is nothing worse than running out of fuel halfway through grilling and because of the cooler temperatures your grill will lose heat quicker. So, make sure you have lots of fuel and it’s a good idea to have a backup propane tank or bag of charcoal just in case.

❄ Keep a bottle of warm water and/or a fire extinguisher on hand just in case of a grease fire. In cool weather, grease can pool at the bottom of your grill and catch fire so be prepared for flareups.

❄ Always cook in an open space and never cook inside a garage. Place your grill at least 10 feet away from surrounding buildings and be sure you clear the area of snow so you don’t slip and fall.

❄ Because of the colder temperatures, you will need to preheat your grill. It will need more time to warm up than in the summer and you need to melt away any residual grease on the grill.

❄ Just like in the summer, cook with the cover down. It may seem harmless but every time you open the grill you add 10 minutes to the cook time. And not only do you lose heat but you also expose your food to the elements.

❄ Make sure that when you’re ready to take the food off the grill you put it on a plate that hasn’t been in the cold, so your food doesn’t cool too quickly.

❄ Buy a remote digital thermometer that you can leave in the meat. That way you can spend less time in the cold and it will be worth every penny spent!