Ashton BBQ and Grill Pros

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Is Christmas Barbecue A Thing?

December 1, 2021 by bbqpros

Is Christmas Barbecue A Thing?

Barbecues have classically been associated with the summer months. But as you reach the cold seasons, one has to wonder about breaking the tradition of cooking the ham. So, is Christmas barbecue a thing?

Yes, electric smokers and grills exist to bring the barbecue indoors. For those particularly ambitious, you can schedule cookouts around more temperate days.

Below, we will go through some fabulous meats worth grilling and smoking around the holidays. To get your grilled food inspiration during the less common months, keep reading.

Smoked Ham for Christmas

One of the most popular holiday dishes you can make is honey-glazed ham. Classically, this dish is baked over low and slow temperatures, leading to delicious aftermath.

However, if we know about one suitable device at the low and slow treatment, we learn about smokers. Whether you have indoor electric smokers or classic outdoor smokers, either will do.

The idea is to use potent spices like cayenne and paprika in a meat rub. The meat rub goes well with the pre-existing honey, making it a sweet and spicy combination.

Smoked Turkey for the Holidays

Despite us being a bit beyond Turkey Day, smoked turkey isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Another way to deviate from tradition is to switch out the meat you use: trading a ham for a turkey.

It will still feel like an excellent holiday meal when using applewood chips and an apple cider mixture. Applewood is a great flavor that easily reminds you of the holidays.

If your grill has indirect heat settings, you can also slow cook your turkey through these means. Low and slow will let the meat you use fall right off the bone.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is more of a summer meal but is still suitable for relaxing during the holidays. You don’t automatically have to use beer, as you can use any juice or water that comes to mind.

Brown sugar and garlic are great for creating a delicious outside. All you need to do to make this type of chicken is to insert the liquid inside its body cavity.

Beer can chicken typically is done through baking, but you can also grill it using more direct heat. Expect this meal to get done than most smoked or baked meals.

Smoked Sausage

Smoked sausage is an excellent part of any meal regardless of holiday involvement. Given that not every food item on this list will be covered in tinsel and wrapped means grilled Christmas is just a unique take.

Cheddar and Jalapeno sausage is a personal favorite among grilled wieners, but you can pick anything you want. Given that you are dealing with large crowds that will likely include kids try and ask around.

Wrap Up

Regardless of what you choose, you must keep your grill maintained. If you need to dust off the grill after a long period of hibernation, contact our team of professionals today. We will ensure that if you need your grill ready for the holidays, you can get that done.

Filed Under: BBQ

The Best Meals to Barbecue in the Fall

November 1, 2021 by bbqpros

The Best Meals to Barbecue in the Fall

Outdoor cooking during fall is great. The autumn months offer a great opportunity for hearty, filling meals. Just be ready to wear a jacket when going outdoors. But what are the best meals to barbecue during fall?

Brisket, pork chops, and ribs are all great meats to grill. It is also an excellent time to grill with hickory chips and applewood.

Fall is a great time to relax and reflect. So eating foods that make you feel like it is nap time is natural. Below are some seasonings and tips you can take home for your fall barbecue.

Tip #1: Barbecue Chili is a Great Side

Barbecue chili is a great combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and barbecue sauce. It makes for an excellent side to your barbecue ribs or brisket.

Chili is a warm meal that is great at filling the soul. It’s also packed with protein while also being suitable for many dietary needs.

Tip #2: Do Not Forget The Veggies

When grilling during the fall, don’t forget about the veggies. Leeks, asparagus, and corn are all excellent fall vegetable options.

You can also grill up some peppers to include on grilled kebabs. Kebabs are simple and enjoyable, making them a great addition to your fall cookout.

Tip #3: Don’t Forget About Apples

The power of your grill is often underestimated, being left to more traditional items. However, grilled apples is an excellent way to stretch your grilling abilities by grilling fruits (besides the pineapple on your kebabs).

Grilled apple salad is one such example of healthy grilling items. It involves a combo of pecans, baby spinach, spring greens, and cheddar. You can also bake it if your grill is otherwise preoccupied.

Tip #4: Don’t Forget The Classics

Despite wanting to try new things this fall season, the classics are always good. So grill up some wings or brisket and invite your friends over to watch something on the television.

Fall is a great opportunity to connect with people you haven’t seen for a while. Doing so around a grill gives your friends and family extra incentive to enjoy a classic steak or chicken on your grill.

Tip #5: Grill A Pumpkin

Fall is also a great excuse to try new things. Instead of getting a pumpkin spice latte at your local coffee shop, skip the line and grill a pumpkin at your home.

You can used the grilled pumpkin innards for pumpkin pie. You can also combine these cooked pumpkin bits with cinnamon, sugar, or ice cream to make for a unique grilled dessert.

Wrap Up (And Bonus Tip)

During the fall season, you shouldn’t allow the slightly colder weather to scare you from grilling. Instead, use it as an excuse to grill more often.

If you need to upgrade your grill for the fall months, our team of specialists can help you will grill assembly. Contact us today to be sure that all of your fall grilling times are great.

Filed Under: BBQ

How to Barbecue Brisket on Your Charcoal or Gas Grill

September 30, 2021 by bbqpros

How to Barbecue Brisket on Your Charcoal or Gas Grill

When it comes to cooking brisket, you have one of two choices: smoker or grill. This article is going to go through option number two: the grill. But what is the secret to a good and tender brisket?

The secret starts with indirect heat. Indirect heat enables you to slow cook the brisket so you do not singe the outside.

Below, we will give you some extra tips you can steal the next time you cook a brisket on any grill.

Charcoal vs Gas – Which is Better for Brisket?

Both grill types are great, but a good charcoal grill will give your food a unique wood flavor. You can also place unique wood chips that will be absorbed by the brisket.

Gas is usually easier to manage, as these are more likely to have specific temperature settings. But electric grills are the worst. If you demand electric, go buy a smoker.

Cooking Low and Slow Using Your Grill

A good temperature for the inside of your grill should be about 275 degrees Fahrenheit. To reach this temperature on a charcoal grill, you’ll want to control your charcoal and vents careful.

Wide open vents will enable the heat to escape, reducing the temperature inside of your grill. When you do this, you’ll want to check your briquettes every hour, loading more when running low.

You’ll want to keep the number of briquettes at about 50, likely loading 20 at a time. You’ll also want to flip the brisket after some time has elapsed, usually around three to five hours.

To avoid allowing your brisket to dry out, be sure to use a water tray. With evaporating water constantly running through the grill, you prevent an overly crispy surface.

Finding the Right Seasoning Combo

Items like paprika, brown sugar, and sugar are great for creating a sweet and spicy combination. You will also want to stick with cooking staples like onion salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

If you have a go-to seasoning combo for steak, you can increase that and pop it on the brisket. You can also have barbecue sauce sitting on the side, but make sure it has enough flavor.

Things To Do When Pulling Out The Brisket

First, it’s always best to let your meat rest for about ten minutes. When you pull it out, it is still cooking. Letting meat rests prevents your guests from burning their faces off and creates a better flavor.

You’ll also want to be sure that the internal temperature of your brisket is 165. Some recommend 190, but you’ll want to use this suggestion as the bottom-out baseline.

If you wrap your brisket, the temperature will still be increasing until you remove the foil. So that’s why a meat thermometer should be placed in any small, easily-exposed areas on top.

The last step after everyone is served and taken care of is cleaning your grill. So if you want to call the professionals to get it done right, our team would be happy to help.

Filed Under: BBQ

Do Patio Heaters Work?

September 6, 2021 by bbqpros

Do Patio Heaters Work?

People who love the outdoors are willing to put up with a lot to stay out there. However, staying warm outdoors can be challenging as the colder months arrive. One such solution is the patio heater, but do patio heaters work?

The short answer is yes, but you need to be aware of the effective distance. Each patio heater has a different power source and level, making these heaters effective at different distances. Ideally, you will want one that measures the reach of your patio space.

Below, we will provide you a few methods you can use to determine the reach of your patio heater.

Different Methods To Determine How Effective Your Patio Heater Is

Method #1: Distance Claims

The first method you can use to determine the effectiveness of patio heaters is from their claims. Each patio heater will make some distance claim based on several factors.

You’ll want to pay attention to those claims and apply them to the space of your patio. Pay attention to those advertisements, as false advertising can entitle you to a refund or replacement if the patio heater is ineffective.

Method #2: BTUs

The British Thermal Units (BTUs) are a great way to determine the power source of your heater. This technique applies to heaters, gas grills, and anything that burns fuel for heat.

Bear in mind that more significant numbers are part of more attractive advertising. The BTUs are a good measure of effectiveness, but they won’t always be efficient.

Most of the time, you’ll find that no patio heaters can cover an entire space. Typically, you’ll want to pick a specific patio space you plan on using.

If you plan to have guests over, it would be best to rent multiple patio heaters. More extensive patios require more than 200 thousand BTUs to heat complete spaces.  Given that the cost of this energy use can add up quickly, you won’t want to overdo it.

Method #3: Good Brands & Customer Reviews

Another way to determine the effectiveness of patio heaters is through experience. This experience comes in one of three forms:

  • Ask someone you trust
  • Check out online reviews
  • Go with a brand that has a good reputation

If you know someone who owns a patio heater, come by for a visit. Anything can be an excuse to chat, and you can ask to test out your friend’s patio heater in the process.

If you don’t know anyone who owns a heater like this, your best bet is to check out online reviews. These can come in the form of customer reviews on the website or professional reviews by other bloggers.

You don’t necessarily have to buy them online; you can check out your local store and do research elsewhere. Before purchasing anything you want to rely on to stay warm, it’s good to do your research.

Wrap Up

If you want to purchase a solid patio heater, research is your friend. But if you need help servicing it, we offer a 10% discount on that service if you also need a BBQ cleaning.

Filed Under: BBQ Service

How To Grill Asparagus (The Right Way)

July 31, 2021 by bbqpros

How To Grill Asparagus (The Right Way)

When it comes to a good barbeque, a good steak, chicken, or another piece of meat is excellent. But people underestimate the power of vegetables on the grill. One of those, asparagus, is perfect when cooked the right way. But do you know how to grill asparagus?

To address this question, we’ll provide the detailed steps you need to know to cook asparagus. By the end of this article, you’ll learn how to make asparagus a delicious part of your next cookout.

Step One: Cook Fresh Asparagus

Before any of this, you need to be sure you pick out the best asparagus. Ideally, you want to shoot for going in the early morning. If you can, save this grilling session for a farmer’s market.

Why? Because the longer asparagus is stored, the more stringy and woody it becomes. Stringy asparagus doesn’t have that firm “crunch” you are looking for.

Step Two: Wash and Trim the Asparagus

Before you cook, you want to make sure any nastiness is out. To do this, you need to wash the asparagus with cold water until all dirt is off the surface. You don’t want to know about the taste of grilled earth.

After washing the asparagus, you’ll want to trim the bottoms off. The bases are always made of woody material, making them unpleasant to cook.

Step Three: Season Properly Using Olive Oil

Before coating your asparagus in your chosen seasoning, you’ll olive oil. This oil binds any herb to the asparagus, preventing it from being knocked off.

You can choose any seasoning you want, but a combination of garlic and parmesan is almost always a winner. At this stage, you can experiment using herbs you know go well together.

Step Four: Cook at a High Heat

You’ll want to place the asparagus flat along with the grill. Please make sure they all have the opportunity to be exposed to the heat, as the char marks on these vegetables are delicious.

You’ll not the asparagus is done when you see the char marks, and they are tender enough to poke your fork through. If the asparagus isn’t soft enough for that fork poke, give it a couple more minutes.

Do You Cut the Tops From Asparagus?

No. The top-most point of the spear is the wrong end to cut. It would be best if you cut the end that contains the flat base of the asparagus.

If you’ve ever seen others cook it, think about the appearance of their asparagus (assuming it was any good).

Can You Overcook Asparagus?

Yes. You can prevent overcooking of the asparagus through two methods:

  • Pulling it out slightly early
  • Shocking it with an ice bath

The ice bath strategy is great if you are storing asparagus, but that ruins the enjoyable heat of your vegetables.

Why Do I Want To Know How To Grill Asparagus?

Asparagus is great for you, as it helps you eat well and maintain digestive health. It’s also potent with various vitamins, making it a great addition to your food list.

To make sure your BBQ is ready to cook asparagus, let us help you with cleaning, assembly, and service.

Filed Under: BBQ

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • …
  • 21
  • Next Page »

Repair and Cleaning

Before you remove and dispose of your BBQ, call us. If it is a high-end BBQ (DCS, Firemagic, Lynx, Vermont Castings, Weber, Ducane, Viking, etc) we can clean and refurbish the unit with new parts, burners, ignition systems, etc., for just a fraction of the of the price of a new BBQ.

Contact Us

BBQ Pros
647-567-7767
testing...

Customer Reviews

BBQ Service

  • BBQ Assembly, BBQ parts toronto
  • BBQ Cleaning Toronto
  • BBQ Conversion and BBQ Refurbish
  • BBQ Repair Toronto – Checking for Leaks / Inspection
  • In home BBQ services Toronto
Copyright BBQ Pros · All rights reserved.
Web design by Indexmedia.
Call BBQ Pros at 647-567-7767

Copyright © 2025 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in