Caramelized Onions:

* 1 tablespoon Canola Harvest oil.
* 1 tablespoon Canola Margarine
* 2 large onions sliced into thin rounds
* 2 tea. brown sugar
* 5 tablespoons chicken stock

Heat the Canola margarine and oil in a heavy bottomed pan until they are almost smoking hot.

Add the onions and sauté until translucent...approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and stock, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.

How to Grill
The right way to grill is what works for you, and the only way to get really good at grilling is practice.

Traditional barbecue is done slowly with low cooking temperatures and a lot of smoke.
Grilling depends on a higher temperature to sear what you are cooking to keep the juices in. So here are some tips and ideas for grilling.

What is Grilling?
First of all grilling is a lot like broiling. Both use indirect heat, but when grilling the heat source comes from below and when broiling the heat source is from above. Both methods are great when cooking tender cuts of beef, chicken, fish and vegetables. Make sure whatever you are cooking isn’t too thick or it will burn on the exterior by the time the inside is done. Although grilling is considered a healthy way of cooking because much of the fat will drip into the fire, be careful to avoid flare-ups from the fat. Not only will you potentially burn what you are cooking and give it an acrid flavor; you can create a nasty fire hazard.

Clean Grill
It’s critical you start with a clean grill. There’s nothing worse than grilling a beautiful Filet Mignon and having it taste like red snapper. The time to remove all the residue with a wire brush is right after you finish cooking while the grate is still hot. If you wait until it’s time to start cooking, some of the scrapings can fall into the flames and cause a flare-up.

Before you begin heating the grill, brush it or spray it with a little Canola Harvest oil to prevent food from sticking. This is especially important if you are using a sugary basting sauce.

Canola Harvest Oil has a higher burn temperature helping to avoid burning.

Hot Grill
It’s also vital that your grill is hot well before you start. Many of us, especially with gas grills, wait until right before we start cooking before we crank up the heat. Mistake. Preheat that grill 15 to 30 minutes before you intend to start cooking. Have all your cooking tools ready and standing by. This not only includes apron and utensils, but seasonings and basting sauces as well. And be sure to have a spray water bottle on hand in case of flare-ups.

Know thy Grill
Every grill is different and will have different hot and cool spots. It’s important you learn where they are and use them to your advantage.

Prepping ingredients
If you’re grilling up a steak you may want to cut off any excess fat and season with a little salt before you start.

However with chicken, you may want to pre-cook it in the microwave or oven to cut down on cooking time and give you more control of browning.

With fish filets, place them in a zip lock bag with a little olive oil and herbs but you can also prepare a glaze to coat them just before grilling. Remember to bring items to room temperature before grilling.

Marinade
Marinades are great for adding flavor to what you are grilling. Check your cookbooks for which marinades work best for your ingredients. The longer you marinate the better. It’s best to marinate overnight in the refrigerator and if you are going to use it for basting, make sure you boil it first to kill any bacteria that may be present. Also be sure to pat dry the meat, chicken, or fish before grilling so the marinade doesn’t cause flare-ups.

Barbecue sauce is used to baste what you are grilling and although commercial barbecue sauces are a big business, the essential ingredients are: tomatoes, vinegar, onion, mustard, and brown sugar. So experiment and create your own special sauce.

How Long Do You Cook It?
As a general rule, cook a 1 1/2-inch New York Strip steak for a total of ten minutes. Start by grilling for 2 1/2 minutes, then turning it 180 degrees and cooking for another 2 1/2 minutes, flip the steak over to it’s other side and repeat the process thus giving the steak the classic grill marks. At the same time test the steak with your finger to feel for various degrees of firmness. Medium cooked feels like touching your cheek. If you really want to get specific, you can use an instant thermometer. For steak, 115 – 120 degrees is rare, 125-130 degrees is medium rare and 135 – 140 degrees is medium.