If you are like me, you probably have a good appreciation for some superb steak. However, cooking the steak can be tricky, so you want to be sure that you handle this. If you are a beginner, you are most likely looking for some tips.

So, how do you cook steak on a gas grill?

Your first step is to determine the amount of time it needs to cook based on thickness. Gas grills typically operate best at 450 degrees. For medium-well steaks, expect to cook it about three minutes per ½” of steak.

The time and temperature of how you cook steaks is a great start, but it doesn’t tell you everything you need to know when making something tasty. Below, we will detail how to turn well-cooked steaks into tasty ones.

Step One: Prep Your Steaks

If you are buying fresh steak from your local butcher, kudos to you; you are likely about to have some excellent steak. If you have frozen steak, you can place them inside cool water for about one to two hours.

If your steak is in the fridge, you can remove it and set it on your prep table.

Step Two: Prep Your Grill

The first step of any pure grilling experience is to set up the prep. Part of this prep is cleaning, so make sure you remove all of the old gunk from the grill. If you need help cleaning, contact us to help you out.

Once the grill is clean, preheat it to 450 degrees to be ready for the steaks.

Step Three: Season Your Steak

How you season your steak will dictate the boldness of your chosen flavor. If you are looking for that good classic steak taste, you can stick with sea salt and pepper.

If you want to get something more complicated, you can purchase a steak rub from your local supermarket. Browse the aisles to see what flavor profiles appeal to you. Follow the instructions closely if regarding these steak rubs, especially if you are a beginner.

Step Four: Cook Your Steak

While you might want to eat raw steak at this point, most doctors would advise against that. Instead, determine how done you like your steak. There are four potential categories:

• Rare (a lot of pink) – 50 C
• Medium rare ( a bit of pink) – 56 C
• Medium (no pink) – 61 C
• Well Done (a bit more charred) – 71 C

The thicker your steak, the more you will need to cook it before it meets these levels. It would be best if you considered investing in a meat thermometer to determine an acceptable temperature.

You can also use your eyes, but beginners should cook their steak to a rare level for safe consumption.

Final Thoughts

Steak is one of the most delicious food items you could ever eat. Most of the job of cooking it by yourself is knowing about internal temperatures. It’s also essential to ensure that you pick the right seasonings.

Nobody is going to want to eat any steak from your grill if it is nasty. So be sure to use Ashton BBQ and Grill Pros for all your servicing needs.

As we begin to approach warmer weather, the title of grillmaster is up for grabs. If you are one of those who want to retain your title (or are an up-and-coming challenger), there are some accessories you need to succeed. In this month’s post for your grill, we will give you five accessories you can’t live without to help with your BBQ setup.

Five Accessories You Need for a Decent BBQ Setup  

If you are looking to up your grill game, consider these accessories:

• Spatula, tongs, fork
• Meat injector
• Grill basket
• Meat thermometer
• A grill brush

Below, we will dig into why you need them

The Basics for your BBQ Setup: Spatula, Tongs, & Fork

You can’t call yourself a grillmaster if you don’t have the essential tools. These necessary tools begin with your spatula, tongs, and fork. The combination of the three will allow you to relocate and test your meat for juiciness.

If you plan on cooking shredded pork butt, you will need a couple of forks to begin shredding. These are essential tools to get started.

Getting Fancy: A Meat Injector

Many people think that they will be alright with a simple basting brush. While we cannot understate how handy it is to coat the surface, many people forget about the inside.

A meat injector allows you to take flavourful marinade and put it right into the muscle. Ensure that your meat injector is metal, as the plastic ones take a bit more force to shove in.

For Easy Cooking: A Grill Basket

A grill basket may seem a bit unusual. Still, the best ones will allow you to flip whatever is inside without issue. These baskets are typically limited to vegetable use, as your essential tools from the beginning are for the meat.

For vegetarians who still love the grill, this also provides an excellent way for you to isolate their preferences. With this tool, consider yourself a grillmaster who accommodates the needs of your people.

A Meat Thermometer

Working with a good bbq setup is a combination of art and science. The art comes from the beautiful smoky flavors you get when experimenting. The science comes in when your internal temperature is just right.

While some people will tell you that they can “feel with their steak is done,” others stick with proven methods. To ensure you cook the best meats, get a thermometer to tell you about the right time to pull it off.

A Grill Brush

You can taste the difference when you have an unclean grill. Actual signs of this come through when you start to taste fish in your steak (or vice versa). To address this issue, make sure you have an available grill degreaser and brush.

The degreaser takes behind unwanted juices left behind, and the brush takes off burnt chunks.

Final Thoughts

To ensure you gain that grillmaster title, you need to have all of the right accessories. The basics, in combination with grill baskets and meat thermometers, can push you over the edge. Arguably, the most critical part of being a grillmaster is a clean grill. If you are looking for a deep clean for your grill to start this season off right, contact us today.

When you think of BBQ, fish usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Why have a fish on a grill when you could have a good brisket? While that sentiment comes from many, fish lovers can find new and unique BBQ and fish flavors. There’s also a lot of fish, making selection difficult. We answer: what is the best kind of fish for BBQ?

Our suggestions for barbequed fish include the following:

• Salmon
• Snapper
• Swordfish
• Bass
• Tuna

Below, we will explain why we selected these fish as the best.

#1: Salmon

If you know anything about salmon, they are a bundle of firm muscles. You would need to be when you swim upstream as often as they do. With firmness comes lean meat, which can withstand grill heat.

For additional flavor, you can grill salmon on planks of cedar. Salmon absorbs the wood’s taste, which is better than you might think!

#2: Snapper

Red snapper is one of the few fish that can be on the grill as a whole. The thick skin of the snapper provides for a natural heat-resistant coat. As a result, it isn’t easy to burn this fish. If you don’t like the idea of putting a whole fish in the grill, you can still cut it into fillets.

#3: Swordfish

As a rare sea treat, you don’t get too many opportunities to grill swordfish. Much like salmon, the firmness of the meat makes it a great candidate for the grill. Swordfish is also one of the few fish types that you can grill in a steak due to its size.  

The cost of swordfish is typically much higher than other kinds of fish. If you aren’t entirely sure of how to cook it, consult a professional.

#4: Bass

Sea bass, black bass, and largemouth bass are all excellent fish to have while cooking. Grilling is a perfect way to bring out the natural flavors of these fish. Meatier types of fish are always better for use on the grill.  

You can grill any size of fish on the grill and receive similar effects to baking. But large cuts of meat at “low and slow” temperatures that absorb wood chunks’ flavor result in a fantastic taste experience.

#5: Tuna

Tuna is typically associated with small cans. Those are to be mixed with mayonnaise and kept to sandwiches, don’t even think about putting canned tuna in a grill. However, a full tuna fish is a large and versatile fish in various forms.

Tuna is a thick fish that you can easily cut into steak form. Much like other steaks, you can season it as you wish and put it on the grill.

Final Thoughts

While the grill may seem more suitable for brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder, fish is often underserved in this area. For those who love fish, choosing to grill over bake might be one way you can change up your dinners. Fish are excellent for your BBQ with the right seasoning. Just make sure you keep your grill clean to avoid cross-contamination.

Grilling on the BBQ and smoking meat have quite a bit of crossover. In many ways, they are two sides of the same coin. But you still have to ask: what are the significant differences between smoking and BBQ? 

The most significant difference is temperature level. Both use indirect heat, but barbecue typically has higher temperatures. Smoking uses the lowest available temperatures, sometimes cooking at around 200, therefore taking the longest time. 

In the rest of this article, we will dig into the details that cause a barbecue and smoker to be different. We will also look into the most significant difference in the cooking process.

What is Barbecuing? 

Contrary to grilling (which uses direct heat), barbecue’s essence is cooking with large cuts. While grilling uses the grill’s surface to 204 degrees celsius, barbecuing involves lower temperature. Typically, you will see these recipes from 107 to 148 celsius or 225 to 300 Fahrenheit. 

The barbecuing process holds a lot of similarities between other types of activities. Typically, your method of temperature control will depend on the type of barbecue you use. For example, you can easily control a gas grill with a knob. When using charcoal, you control the temperature by the level of coals. 

By the end of the cooking process, you can still typically sear your food by turning up the heat. Barbecuing is still commonly done on a grill, but smoking is a different animal.

What is Smoking? 

Smoking is the slowest version of all of the cooking methods discussed on this list. By using quality wood chips, chunks, or pellets, wood smoke what cooks your food. Much like barbecue, the critical element is “low and slow,” which means lower temperature over an extended time. 

Smoking can cause cooking times of your food to take upwards of 24 hours. The most significant difference between grilling and this is that extended wait. Combine that with the indirect burning of wood, and literal smoke is cooking your meal. 

Both barbecuing and smoking lead to incredibly tender meats, but the significant difference comes from cooking times and charcoal usage. Smoking burns actual wood, such as hickory, to get natural smoky wood flavors from what you burn. 

How are Smoking and Barbecuing Similar? 

Both cooking methods can cook a variety of animals:

• Brisket
• Turkey
• Salmon
• Poultry
• Pork shoulder
• Sausage
• Ham
• Vegetables 

You can also use different wood types, like cherry or hickory, to enhance the smoky flavor. They can also use moisture treys to ensure the insides of your chosen meat are moist. 

Can You Get a Grill To Combine All Three Cooking Methods?

While smokers are the only cooker in a vertical variety, all three can technically come in the same machine. To find a device that can handle all three, look for something with an offset chamber to place the wood or charcoal. 

Remember that indirect cooking is the key to what makes your smoker/BBQ unique. The “grill” portion can seer your meat, which can get you a crispy outside with a moist inside.