The word “grill” originates from the English term for fire grate.
Charcoal grills are the classic choice.. Various sizes, designs and accessories make for a good selection of charcoal grills. Small charcoal grills or disposable grills are easy to take along.
The disadvantages of charcoal grills are the time required (for preparation, firing coals to glow, ….) as well as potential, more or less intensive formation of smoke which may “burn” good relations with some neighbours! The atmosphere of open fire and aromatic smoke in the air remains unbeatable!
Gas grill a quick alternative for clean grilling true to temperature.
Electric grill, also suitable for fast grilling. Due to the size, normally ideal for small groups. – Practical: easy cleaning.
During a barbecue with charcoal (or briquettes), particles from the ash may fall on the meat due to wind or when deglazing with liquids. This may compromise taste, does not look appealing, and may have a negative effect on health, depending on its composition. – Therefore, please set up your grill in a wind-protected place and do not deglaze grilled food with beer or the like.
Liquids such as fat, meat juice or marinade should not come in contact with charcoal when barbecuing, as they may result in smoke formation which could be a health hazard. Aluminium foil and aluminium trays catch liquids and protect food from excessive direct heat. There are, however, environmental concerns about these products among others.
CAUTION: Please always refer to the user manual for installation and usage of any device!
Charcoal or briquettes: Both have advantages and disadvantages. Charcoal may normally ignite more quickly, but briquettes have the advantage that they give off heat more evenly for a longer period of time. You must never use simple pieces of wood, branches, left-over wood, or the like. Otherwise you will be faced with significant smoke formation and increased likelihood of flying sparks.
Never leave open packages of charcoal or briquettes outside. Charcoal soaks up humidity and is therefore less flammable.
For igniting and glowing charcoal or briquettes you can use various fire starters (firm ones such as wood-wax-cubes or liquid fire starters).
Never use spirit, petrol, paraffin oil or similar to start the fire. This is very dangerous!
Chimney starters have an absolutely sound track record as a sensible fire starter! Once the charcoal is glowing, place it on the grill (charcoal and briquettes are covered all over in a fine layer of ash).
Spread out burning material only on one side of the grill (= direct heat) to achieve two heat zones for direct and indirect grilling. The side without hot coals or briquettes (= indirect heat) may also be used as a temporary tray for grilled food ready to eat.
A food rack close to the grill makes sense for easy handling and provides additional space. To get ready, make sure you have all required accessories nearby. (e.g. barbecue glove, barbecue tongues with long handles, possibly a little scoop to scrape coal together, and perhaps aluminium drip pans, aluminium foil). – Please do not use forks for turning!
Cleaning the grill, … a must!
Dirt on the grill is tough. Leftovers from meat and vegetables combine with fats and are therefore very hard to dissolve. A simple dish sponge is not normally enough for the job. Grill brushes (possibly with a scraper or sponge) are better for scraping off tough dirt and crusty areas on the grill. A soft sponge can be used to remove left-over fat. (Ideally, grills should be cleaned straight after barbecuing. This way, left-over fat and food does not dry out.
Give it a try: allow the grill to cool, apply a little ash to a damp cloth and wipe off the grill. (The abrasive effect rubs off burnt material). If you cannot start cleaning until the following day, you can wrap the cooled off grill into newspaper and place it into the moist grass overnight. (This prevents left-over material from drying out and it will be easier to wash off).
Gas grills: first remove large pieces of left-over food (meat, vegetables, etc.) from the grill. Set all ignited burners to the highest setting. Do not forget to close the lid. It may take about 10 minutes until the burn out process has completed, depending on how dirty the grill is. Then, brush off the hot (CAUTION!) grill using a clean brass brush.
Do not use a steel brush for this purpose. (Exception: cast-iron steel grills without enamelling). Alternatively, brushes with stainless steel bristles may be used for stainless steel grills. Please make sure to read the care instructions provided by the manufacturer of your device.
Barbecuing is one of the healthiest ways of cooking. Due to direct heat exposure, the meat pores close immediately. This retains valuable vitamins and minerals as well as the typical flavours. Fat contents melt in the heat and drip off. This reduces fat and calories when barbecuing.
Caution: In order to turn barbecuing into an all-round healthy way of cooking, please keep the following in mind: Make sure that no fat drips into the hot coals. This would burn and may produce harmful substances which can stick to grilled food. (This may be avoided, for example, by using drip pans when grilling marinated and fatty meat). Harmful substances also form when meat is heavily burnt. Therefore, you should never leave the meat unattended, and cut off burnt parts generously. Cured meat should also only be grilled on a tray such as an aluminium drip pan.
Besides protein, meat contains many vitamins of the vitamin-B-complex, Vitamin A, D and E as well as the minerals potassium, sodium and iron. It also contains valuable trace elements such as phosphorous, iron, selenium, and zinc. Meat protein can be used by the body particularly well. If we consider sausage products as a source of iron, then it becomes especially important compared to other types of food. Compared to vegetarian foods, meat sourced iron offers greater availability. The white poultry meat, as it is used in our products, contains considerably less fat and more protein compared to muscle meat cuts of beef. In addition, the vitamin content of group B and C, niacin, as well as the minerals magnesium, iron, phosphorous, and sodium is comparatively high.
Not to mention the essential amino acids, which are essential building stones for protein that is produced naturally in the body. In animal foods these are present at a higher concentration and in a more favourable composition as compared to vegetable based proteins.
What could be nicer than that? – Nice weather, witty company, cold drinks and delicious sausages on the barbecue. Savoury, spicy and so wonderfully diverse that nothing else is really needed. Whatever the kind, bratwurst, cheese grill, Rustikus, or veggie grill sausage. – For most people, sausages are the first thing to go on a grill! – and that’s just fine, ….
With initial roasting flavours and a slightly browned casing, you can set aside the sausage a little further away from the high heat. Turn it regularly, but not too much, for nice all-around browning and crispy outside. When the skin begins to crack (slight “bursting”), the sausage should be ready. To speed up skin cracking you might wish to try using a little water to moisten the sausage or make small cuts with a knife.
In addition to classic bratwurst sausages, Damhus also offers a wide selection of alternative sausage varieties. E.g.: turkey bratwurst sausage. There is hardly any difference in the preparation, except that the grilled sausage usually turns out a little lighter in colour. It is possible that a turkey bratwurst sausage does not brown as evenly as others, but this does not affect the underlying spicy flavour. As this product contains slightly less fat, it will dry out more quickly and should be “watched” at all times when barbecuing.
This is also the case with the veggie grill sausage, the vegetarian sausages (grill rolls). This variety is a great option for vegetarians, but also very well received by “flexitarians.” They are ready to eat even faster. (The best way to cook them is in a pan with some fat). Veggie grill sausages have a softer consistency than traditional meat sausages.
BY THE WAY: If it rains: All DAMHUS SAUSAGES are ideally suited for pan frying.
Food for quick frying, such as hamburgers, steaks, chops, chicken breasts, and fish fillet, is best grilled using direct heat. Large pieces, such as roasts or entire chickens, should be grilled using indirect heat to ensure well cooked meat on the inside without burning the outside.
For a perfect steak, you must have high quality meat. Take the meat out of the fridge about one hour prior to grilling. Brush on a small amount of rapeseed or sunflower oil and a pinch of salt just before grilling. Sear from both sides to get a crust, then continue to grill with indirect heat depending on the thickness of the steak until it is cooked to your desired grade. Allow the steak to sit (wrapped in aluminium foil) a few minutes before serving.
Barbecue skewersare a classic, either with onions, sweet pepper or fruit. With or without meat, with mixed ingredients, always something different and tasty. Really easy: cut different varieties of Damhus bratwurst sausage into slices and stick them on a skewer with alternating sweet pepper and onion. It will be a surprise! To be on the safe side, allow skewers to soak in water for about half an hour.
Spices should not be added to non-marinated meat until it is finished cooking. Salt removes moisture from the meat. This may result in dry and, in the worst case, tough meat. Spices (pepper & so on) may quickly turn black and also bitter if they are exposed to heat for too long. Ideally, grill the meat and allow it to sit for about 3-4 minutes (not on the grill). This allows the meat juice to distribute itself evenly. Now is the time to add spices as you wish.
Remember to turn food on the grill regularly. Nevertheless, the rule for turning is: less is more! Constant turning leads to changes in temperature which prevents the meat forming a nice crust.
Fishis great for barbecuing. Oil the fish before grilling in order to prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, and then, sear on high, direct heat. (Fish fillet with skin: grill on the skin side until the surface looks slightly glazed. Fillet without skin: wrap in aluminium foil so that it does not fall apart. During grilling, only turn the fish once and take more time for the first side for a delicious crust to form. Entire fish can be prepared nicely in barbecue baskets.
If you want to barbecue fish, you may wish to opt for more fatty varieties (e.g. mackerel, salmon). Fish with too little fat dries out quickly. Choose low heat for preparation (indirect or with the grill set higher above the heat!). Leave shellfish inside the shell, otherwise they burn immediately.
Apart from meat and fish, you can also put vegetables on your barbecue! They will develop a slightly smoked flavour on the grill. Add some zesty sauces and your barbecue dish will be even more colourful.
Spicy marinades made of high quality oil (e.g. rapeseed oil, heat-resistant olive oil), vinegar, herbs, and spices give meat and vegetables wonderful flavours. A marinade also makes meat cuts more tender. For best results, place the food several hours before you barbecue into a marinade with as little salt as possible and keep in the fridge, ideally in a closed container.