Basic Barbecue Accessories

Although barbecuing seems so simple at first glance, it is actually not. Like other kinds of cooking methods, it requires a lot of materials, ingredients and equipment. In fact, there are a host of other accessories that you will need besides the stick that you usually see.

Below are some of the barbecue accessories that you may need when you go barbecuing. Of course, you don’t have to buy all of them. Just read on and decide what you need and what you don’t.

Long handled cooking utensils

Let’s face it. Making barbecue dishes can be downright messy and sooty especially if what you are using is the traditional charcoal-type grills that are quite common during parties.

If you cannot stand the heat of the grill and would like to stay a good distance away while still cooking, you should buy some long-handled cooking utensils that are especially made for people who do grilling all the time. In fact, these long-handled utensils are considered really basic equipment in outdoor cooking and camping trips. A utensil set will include a fork and a spatula.

Another must buy barbecue accessories are tongs that are used to lift cooked meats and manipulate the meat while grilling without piercing the food, which often happens with a fork. Piercing can actually lessen the flavor of the food so most people do not use fork until after they are sure that the meat is really cooked.

Of course, there is also the basting brush, which is used to apply barbecue sauces and rubs, which are usually applied while barbecuing the meat. Some sets will also contain items like a grill-cleaning brush and a propane lighter that is used to light charcoal.

Thermometer

Some people also buy cooking thermometers, which help people see if the meat that they are cooking is already at the right temperature. Sometimes it is hard for people to see if the meat inside is already cooked. The most common varieties are actually the grill thermometers and the meat thermometers. Grill thermometers are placed inside barbecue grills or placed into one of the air vents.

They are used to measure the cooking temperature, which are really important because some dishes should be grilled at specific temperatures. Meat thermometers on the other hand are used directly on the meat to gauge the internal temperature. This is important because certain foods like chicken need to be thoroughly cooked to kill bacteria.