Meat
Marinating your meat before placing it on the grill will bring flavour and tenderness to your meat. You can make your own marinade or buy one from the store. When purchasing a marinade look for ones that are low in sodium and sugar. It’s best to marinade your meat overnight so the meat soaks up most of the marinade.

Once you’re ready to put the meat on the grill start the barbeque 5 to 10 minutes before if you’re using gas or propane or 45mins to an hour if using wood chips or coal. You want the grill to be hot but not flaming. If the barbeque is still flaming your char the outside of the meat but the inside will remain uncooked. Once the barbeque is nice and hot turn down the burner and put your meat on. Cook chicken and other white meats for at least 30 to 45mins. When you cut into the meat it should not be pink and the juices should run clear. For red meat the cooking time will vary depending on how you and your guests like it cooked.

Vegetables
Cooking vegetables on the grill creates a healthy, flavourful addition to your meal. Grilling as opposed to boiling vegetables keeps the nutrients in your food and allows them to keep their crisp, fresh texture. Clean and cut your vegetables into large pieces. Depending on the size of your grill you can apply the vegetables directly to the grill or place them on a mess tray or basket first. You can also season the veg and wrap in aluminum foil before putting it on the barbeque. Your vegetables won’t take as long as your meat so put them on when the meat is 10 minutes from being ready to prevent over cooking them. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be done on the grill as well but wrap them in foil first to speed the cooking.

Other Food
A lot of the new barbeques on the market will have a pot burner on the side where you can cook other items that can’t go on the grill. These are great is you’re preparing a rice or pasta dish to go with your meal. In the nicer weather you may wish to cook all your meals outside but may be unsure how to use your barbeque for food other than steaks or burgers. Cook bacon and eggs on the grill by placing a baking sheet on top of the grill while it’s heating up. The heat will transfer to the baking sheet and you’ll be able to fry eggs and bacon on the surface. Frozen or even fresh pizzas can be cooked on the grill as well. Heat the barbeque for several minutes and then turn the burners right down so the flames are hardly visible. Place the pizza directly on the grill and close the lid. With the lid closed your barbeque will act like a convection oven. Use the same method for cooking quiche or other pies.

Be creative with cooking on the barbeque. There are lots of possibilities, but I do suggest trying things out first on your own before having others over. Not everything will work or it may take some tweaking so practice before you start cooking for others.