Culinary expert serves up a feast of barbecue dos and don'ts

As temperatures continue to rise across the Lower Mainland this week, barbecue season is officially afoot.

Culinary teacher and writer Claire Tansey stopped by the North By Northwest studio to provide suggestions on how to harness your inner grill master.

Tansey, author of the cookbook Uncomplicated, said her first — and most important — rule isn't the most glamorous: clean your grills.

"It'll taste better," said Tansey. "It won't taste like last week's shrimp skewers and it also makes the barbecue work a lot more efficiently."

And a gentle scraping with that rarely replaced grill brush isn't going to do. Tansey recommends a solid deep clean at the start of the season, and again half-way through.

Charcoal or Gas?

When it comes to choosing your heat source, Tansey said you can't go wrong either way, it depends on your preference.

"A gas barbecue is perfect for those quick and easy weeknight dinners," said Tansey.

But she also touted the benefits of a charcoal grill. "If it's a weekend and I've got time on my hands — maybe a drink in one hand — I love to use charcoal. It just really brings so much flavour."

Tansey also suggested using real charcoal over the cheaper briquettes.

"The briquettes are mostly fake and they've got a lot of chemicals in them and I think inevitably that flavour of the chemical transfers to the food," said Tansey

One protein that reigns supreme

When grilling a steak, the culinary teacher said to lay the meat on a hot grill and let both sides sit for a minute and a half for the meat to brown. After that, it should be transferred to indirect heat with the lid closed, where it will continue to cook for another four to 10 minutes, depending on your preference.

Tansey said that the flame should never rise up past the grill rack.

"When the flame starts to come up through the grill and it starts to wrap around the food...it will singe it, it will blacken it, which not only tastes bad, but it's also bad for your health," warned Tansey.

What doesn't belong on a grill

The barbecue is known for elevating the flavour of the ingredients that grace its fiery grills, but there's something Tansey doesn't recommend: fruit.

"I don't think fruit is really improved by being on a barbecue. Inevitably, no matter how clean your grill is, it ends up tasting like last week's salmon and that is just not good," said Tansey.

However, there is an exception to every rule. She admits to enjoying the occasional grilled pineapple.

"It gets nice and caramelized and brown," said Tansey, allowing her taste buds to lead her toward a new recipe.

"A little bit of vanilla ice cream and a little squeeze of lime juice, that would actually make a pretty good dessert."