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Get your grill on: Tasty tips to make the most of your long weekend

Hugh Kruzel gushes about the pleasure that is cooking outside over a flame
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Now, doesn’t that look like a delicious way to fill your belly. Photo: Hugh Kruzel

On your mark, get set, grill! 

Victoria Day marks the official beginning of barbeque season. Maybe this weekend, we won’t see snow. Environment Canada predicts 20-plus, while The Weather Network is so bold to excite us with anticipated 24 C.

What says summer more than cooking and eating outdoors? Get your propane or natural gas BBQ ready to welcome warmth.

Clean it up. Put in a new drip container. Check connections. Remove any debris. Chase out the spiders. Free up all your controls with a little squirt of WD40. Make sure the burners light up without becoming a bonfire. Be prepared with a full tank so you don’t run dry on you inaugural feast.

Maybe you are a charcoal advocate. Everyone from Costco to Home Hardware have bags ready and waiting. The grocery store has eight-kilogram bags of ever-popular Maple Leaf Brand that delivers that smoky-sweet aromatic that is all about nostalgia. Maybe you prefer the campfire for your hot dogs? No matter what you use be ready to embrace the season.

For most, it’s all about enjoyment of the time that stretches between now and Labour Day. Some of us never stop grilling. Sure, sometimes it’s mosquitoes that rule the patio, but this is the weekend about staking a claim on fun.

Speaking of steak, don’t think it is the only thing you can expose to flame. Put some grill marks on a pork chop then move it somewhere a little less toasty. 

Indirect heat sometimes is more of a friend to your choices. Chicken thighs and drumsticks need to be arranged strategically so they cook to done without charring. Lobster needs to be pampered, and subtle mushroom deserve not to taste like charcoal, but that smoky note sure boosts pleasure of salmon or trout.

Hamburgers are the staple of the BBQ. No matter how you make and spice them never — ever — press them. Searing locks in the flavour juices you want them to retain, so don’t blithely bear down. 

Don’t forget you have to toast the buns to maximize the experience! Want to add some zip to your mayonnaise? Try smoked paprika, a pinch of saffron, or cayenne.

Yes, you can BBQ fruit and vegetables too. Sliced zucchini with Tuscan olive oil from Cedar Pointe Plaza’s Adoro Olive Oils and Vinegars (1984 Regent St., Suite 112 Sudbury 705-586-3404) is an easy addition. Even grilled carrots, parsnips or beets can jazz up a plate if you deploy a drench of their cinnamon and pear-infused vinegar. 

Potatoes in tin-foil can come out perfect if you move them up to the top shelf and let their natural steam build and complete the cooking.

What about dessert? Peaches aren’t around until August, but BBQ’d pineapple is a great option. Wedges of pineapple turn out fine, but a whole one skinned, studded with vanilla bean bits, and drizzled with maple syrup is divine. Sharing with friends? Maybe you will need two.  

Hugh Kruzel is sharing his love of grilling with Sudbury.com readers.


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