When it comes to firing up the grill for backyard parties or just for lunch, many people buy steaks and burgers to prepare. Meats are a simple thing to cook mainly due to the fact that you can simply leave them to cook on a hot grill. You don’t need to check them too often as well, meaning you can spend time with your family and friends and have fun at your own event.
However, as much as steaks, burgers and chicken is a staple food at most barbecues, most meals aren’t entirely complete without vegetables. The good news is that many vegetables that can be paired well with meats can be barbecued along with them. And, while it may be a little more complex than grilling up steaks, the grilling process for vegetables can be just as straightforward.
To find more ways to grill vegetables and other foods, as well as finding all the items you need for a great summer backyard party, visit Dickson BBQ. This article covers some of the best ways to grill any type of vegetable you want, whether it’s how to do it or a few seasoning tricks to make sure they’re delicious.
Use metal skewers over alternatives
If you’re whipping up a batch of veggies to go along with your steaks or chicken, chances are that you aren’t planning to limit yourself to just potatoes. Depending on what vegetables you want to use, you may need to use skewers. Some vegetables, like broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes tend to roll around when grilling them on a barbecue.
Using skewers both helps keep them from moving but also helps in turning the vegetables. It’s highly recommended that you use flat skewers when grilling due to the fact foods can spin on them when you turn them. This makes it easier to make sure that the food is cooked evenly and tastes great when the meal is ready.
Make sure your grill is clean
Before you start cooking, make sure the grill’s grates are cleaned well. Be sure to remove any flakes of charcoal or baked on food particles since they can affect the taste of your vegetables. These bits of debris can give them a type of smoked taste but it isn’t the type you want, especially considering the fact that the taste of most vegetables can easily be overpowered.
The leftover debris stuck onto the grill may also affect the cooking process in a bad way. The debris can affect the amount of time it takes to cook your vegetables. The stuck on bits of food can form a layer over the grill’s grates, lengthening the time it takes to heat the entire barbecue. With a clean grill, foods can be cooked earlier, giving you more time to spend with your family or friends.
Grill veggies with the cover off
Due to their different flavours, excessive smoking can overpower the natural flavour of grilled vegetables. While this can seem great to those that generally don’t like how vegetables taste, any light seasonings you put on your veggies can go to waste as well, leaving them just smoked versions of the original. If you plan on keeping your vegetables’ original flavours, make sure that you cook them with your grill’s lid off to let the smoke dissipate into the air. Naturally, this also means that you’ll need to cook your meats separately from the vegetables.
Cut and dice veggies differently
For an added boost of flavour to burgers and steaks, try cutting and grilling your vegetables in a way you normally don’t do for your dishes. Adding a thicker slice of a quickly roasted tomato to your burger can emphasise the smoked flavour of your beef or chicken patties while still adding a juiciness to them. In the same way, instead of cubing potatoes and tomatoes to grill, thinly slice round pieces of them to marinate the same way you marinate your steaks. Thanks to how some vegetables cook, you don’t need to marinate them too long to add a new flavour.
Use foil to preserve flavours
If you’re unsure if you can grill veggies up without accidentally overpowering their flavours with smoke, use foil instead. While it greatly reduces the amount of smoked flavour the vegetables gain, they cook in the same way that baking them would. The residual heat inside the grill cooks the vegetables through built up heat.
Use different seasonings for a great dish
As great as many vegetables can taste with just a dash of salt, pepper and a bit of oil, there are also a wide range of different seasonings you can also use to make your dinner even more delicious.
Old Bay Seasoning
One great way to add a flavour kick to your meals is to add some Old Bay seasoning. Though initially more commonly used for seafood dishes, the seasoning is now being used more often on other foods. If you want to use Old Bay Seasoning for grilled veggies, you can buy it from your local grocery store or just make it at home. All you need is paprika, black pepper, celery salt and crushed red peppers. If you can’t find the seasoning, you can also substitute it for a teaspoon of paprika and
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