Tag: cooking

Tips for Grilling in the Winter

You don’t have to say goodbye to the grill once winter gets here. Really if you’re willing to brave the elements, then there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to grill outdoors all year long! This tip comes in handy if there is an emergency situation. Here are some grilling in the winter if you are going to try to cook outdoors.

Tips for Grilling in the Winter

Make sure you have a good quality grill.

While grilling with coals really gives food a unique taste, you’re better off for winter grilling going with a gas grill that has a cast iron grate and the highest BTU (British Thermal Unit) rating you can afford. You need something that will heat up fast and retain that heat because you’re going to lose a lot of heat every time you open the lid.

Get the tips that you need for grilling this winter from the people who know grills- Weber!

Be prepared for longer cooking times in the winter.

If you position your grill at a 90-degree angle to the wind, then you will have better temperature control. And remember, patience is a virtue when it comes to winter grilling.

Clear any snow and ice from the grill’s surface before you start cooking.

Letting it melt off will take longer for it to get to temperature. Plus, it will make for a very slippery surface later when it freezes over. So clear that area of snow to make sure you can safely get to your grill the next time you want to use it.

grilling in the winter

Grills can be harder to start in the cold winter months.

Don’t turn the propane all the way on; instead, give the wheel one turn to make starting easier.

Make sure the gas lines are clear too for proper gas flow.

Checking the gas lines, burners, and jets for blockages is a good idea year-round, really to stay safe when grilling.

Make sure your grill is not near anything combustible.

Also, a place that is sheltered from those cold winter winds is a good idea.

Dress for the weather.

But be careful that you don’t have any dangling fabric that can light on fire. So skip that scarf and any tie closures that you might accidentally lean into the grill and start a fire.

When you’re all done grilling outdoors, make sure you correctly shut down your grill.

Cool completely and clean the grease trap. Make sure you protect it with a proper cover.

When all else fails, bring the grilling indoors.

No, not with your outdoor grill, but with an indoor grilling machine like a George Foreman grill. Some newer ranges even come with an onboard grill. So if by chance you’re in the market for a new stove, check out one of those if you can’t resist grilling and would like to keep it going year long without freezing your fingertips off outdoors.

Ultimately grilling in the winter isn’t too much different than cooking in the summer. It’s just colder, and you have some challenging elements to contend with. If you can get past all of that and stay safe while you’re outdoors grilling, then you can truly enjoy your favorite grilled foods all year round.

If you are looking for a good cookbook to help a beginner – try How to Grill for Beginners on Amazon. While I am usually a huge fan of Steven Raichlen for grilling books, the one I suggest will help the starter chef from burgers and beyond!

After an introduction to best practices, common terminology, and tools, this grilling cookbook helps you get started by teaching the four main techniques that will serve as the foundation for your outdoor cooking journey. Once you master the fundamentals, you’ll be amazed at the range of dishes you can tackle with relative ease, including Classic Burgers, Kansas City Style-Smoked Baby Back Ribs, and Garlic and Lime Shrimp.

How to Grill for Beginners: A Grilling Cookbook for Mastering Techniques and Recipes

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How to Cook on a Wood Stove

Not too long ago, stoves were people’s fireplace. Now they have become more of a lovely thing to sit around for a romantic evening or just to relax. However, you can still put your fireplace or wood-burning stove to use for more than just heating your home and providing ambiance. It’s always a great way to cook! It’s useful to have should you lose power during a winter storm as well. So here are some tips for how to cook on a wood stove or fireplace for winter cooking.

Cook on a Wood Stove

How to Cook on a Wood Stove

What You Need to Cook on a Wood Burning Stove/Fireplace

You will want to make sure you have the right utensils to cook on a wood-burning stove or fireplace. The stuff you usually use in your kitchen might not be good enough. You’ll want things with long handles. Try some of these necessary implements:

• Roasting fork
• Corn popper or chestnut roaster – has a wire basket you use to hold what you’re cooking over the coals
• Pie irons for grilling sandwiches
• Dutch oven – go for a cast-iron one as it distributes the heat better. This pot will hang over the fire and cook
• Cast iron trivet – to help regulate the amount of heat your Dutch oven gets
• Aluminum foil
• Tongs
• A fireplace shovel
• Potholders

CORN POPPER FOR A WOOD STOVE

These are all beneficial tools when you want to cook on your wood-burning stove or fireplace this winter.

Judging the Fire for Cooking

Knowing when the fire is ready might seem quite simple, but it’s not really like cooking on your charcoal grill outside. You will need a fire that has been burning for about 30–45 minutes.

A fire in its first stages is very unpredictable in temperature. With all the leaping flames and embers burning, it is not the best fire for cooking by. It will either burn your food or leave parts uncooked.

Once those flames die down, and you have a beautiful bed of coals, you have the perfect temperature for cooking with on your wood-burning stove or fireplace.

Now you can rake and distribute the coals to make for an excellent cooking surface. Placing a few coals on the lid of your Dutch oven will make things cook faster. Get at it from all directions. Remember, you must keep adding fuel to the fire to keep it burning hot.

Cooking Inside the Box of the Wood Burning Stove

You can bake white potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and apples inside your wood-burning stove. Just double wrap them in aluminum foil and lay the box right on the coals. Pile some coals on top and close the box. Allow to cook for half an hour and then turn over. If one area of your box is hotter than another, then move things around to give them a chance to use all of that heat.

Josh demonstrates how to fire up a wood cookstove for cooking throughout the day.

Cooking on the Stove of a Wood Burning Stove

This is where the Dutch oven comes into use. You can use the stove of your wood-burning stove as a slow cooker! It’s great for making stews, soups, casseroles, and roasts. Place all of your ingredients in the Dutch oven and place it on the stove uncovered. Allow it to come to a boil, and then place the trivet on the stove, and then move the Dutch oven on top of the trivet. Put the lid on top and cook soups and stews all day.

dutch oven for a wood stove

A roast will thoroughly cook in about 3-4 hours. Just check every hour or so that nothing is sticking, and the fire is hot. Should the fire die down, just build it back up again? If the food cools, then take it off the trivet and allow it to heat up directly on the stove (uncovered) as you did initially. Once heated, put it back on the trivet.

These tips are how you can use your wood-burning stove and fireplace for cooking – killing two birds with one stone by heating your home and cooking a meal at the same time. What’s your favorite meal cooked on a wood-burning stove or fireplace?

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