Char-Broil Patio Bistro TRU-Infrared Series User manual

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Congratulations and welcome to ownership of your new Char-Broil® Patio BistroTRU-
Infrared™ grill. It is our sincere hope that by reading this guide and with a little practice you
will come to fully enjoy the tender juiciness and delicious avor of food you prepare with the
advancedTRU-Infrared cooking technology.We suggest you take a few moments to read the
product guide to ensure your grill is assembled correctly and completely and that you are
familiar with both the construction and operation before using your grill.
There are no hard and fast rules for cooking with your new Char-Broil grill - just some basic
facts about how the grill works. Depending on your level of experience with outdoor cooking
on either traditional gas or charcoal grills, you will discover we’ve designed the Patio Bistro
TRU-Infrared cooking system to be a useful tool for you to prepare great tasting meals the
way you like and want.
Your Char-Broil grill has an exclusive infrared cooking system that gives you a wide range
of control over the temperature and style of grilling, barbecuing and rotisserie cooking you
enjoy. Use this grilling guide as an introduction to get started cooking with your new Char-
Broil grill.
HAPPY GRILLING!
TRU-INFRARED™. Grilling’s Juicy Little Secret™
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WHAT TRU-INFRARED™ MEANS
A Char-BroilTRU-Infrared grill promises outdoor cooks much juicier food and prevents
flare-ups and hot spots. These six benefits of TRU-Infrared set the stage for a great
grilling experience, every time.
HOW TRU-INFRARED™ WORKS
The science behindTRU-Infrared tells a juicy story. Unlike traditional gas grills, Char-
Broil TRU-Infrared limits the hot air that comes into contact with the food. Our exclusive
emitter generates infrared heat - searing at the highest temperature or cooking slowly
at the lowest of lows.
While convective heat destroys the moisture barrier, infrared heat penetrates without
drying - locking in natural juices and flavors.
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GETTING STARTED
FIRST TIME USE
Read your product guide and ensure the grill is put together properly. Remove all advertising
material from all grill surfaces before rst use. We recommend heating on the highest
setting for 15-20 minutes prior to your rst use. This aids in removing the oils used during
manufacturing.
PREHEATING YOUR PATIO BISTRO
Just like your home oven, the Char-Broil Patio Bistro grill should be preheated to
provide optimum performance. Preheat the grill on high for 15 minutes, or longer if
weather conditions require. Before starting, wipe the surface with a well oiled cloth.
This should remove any debris that may have accumulated and will help prevent your
grilled foods from sticking to the cooking surface.
INFRARED 101
Infrared energy is comprised of those frequencies just beyond the visible light spectrum.
Simply put, it is light that we cannot see, but our bodies (and food) detect as heat. Most
electromagnetic energy can cause heating but infrared is the perfect choice for cooking.
Traditional convection grills heat with hot air, and can dry out your food.With infrared grills,
infrared frequencies strike the food and cause the molecules to vibrate, thereby creating the
heat that cooks your food.
All meat has a moisture saturated boundary layer.
Convection heat dries out this boundary layer while
cooking, where as infrared energy is able to penetrate
this boundary layer without displacing it.That is why a
hamburger will shrink more on a convective grill than
GAMMA RAYS X-RAYS ULTRAVIOLET VISIBLE LIGHT INFRARED MICROWAVE RADIO WAVES
SHORT WAVELENGTH LONG WAVELENGTH
1nm 1µm 1mm 1km1m
INFRARED CONVECTION
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on an infrared grill. The results are that cooking with infrared energy provides more juicy
and avorful results. High end restaurants have known for years that cooking with infrared
produces the best steaks, and now Char-Broil is bringing this same technology to your
backyard!
COOKING WITH INFRARED HEAT
• Sear marks are best made on fresh sections of the grill.
•Think about your meal and organize your food according to cooking techniques and
required times as well as best use of the cooking area.
• Coat each piece of meat, sh or fowl with a light spray of high heat oil.
• When using a sauce or glaze with excess sugars, brush on food during the nal 10 minutes
of cooking. Excess sugars will burn and turn to carbon, and that’s not the smoke avor you
want! Keep in mind that excessive marinades will require extra cleaning afterwards.
Until you get used to cooking on the Electric Patio Bistro, you may want to adjust your regular
cooking times. After some experience you’ll have a sense of what temperature setting and
cooking times best work for you and deliver the results you want.
COOKING WITH WOOD CHIPS
Wood chips can be placed on or between the cooking grates for added smoke avor when
grilling and barbecuing.You can drop wood chips right out of the bag with no need to
pre-soak them rst. NOTE: Do NOT place wood chips directly under greasy foods as this can
increase the risk of are up.
Here are some hardwood varieties that work particularly well with foods:
Alder, Apple, Cherry, Hickory and Mesquite.
PREVENTING FLARE-UPS
Your TRU-Infrared cooking system was designed to eliminate flare-ups during normal use. Engineered
perforations keep flames in the firebox beneath the cooking grate and away from your food. However, under
certain conditions, you may experience a flare-up on top of the cooking grate. The following tips can help
reduce the chance of this occurring.
•When searing fatty foods, leave the grill lid in the open position.
•Try to keep your grill away from windy areas. Wind forces oxygen between the grates
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which can result in are-ups.
•During cooking, if grease pools, remove food (if possible) and turn the control on high
with the lid open until grease has burned o.
SEARING
Searing meat is all about creating a avor“crust”and capturing internal juices so meat
remains moist on the inside and every bite is delicious.Whether you’re grilling a steak with
direct heat or slow roasting a pork shoulder, getting a good“crust”on the outside of the meat
as soon as possible will help to ensure the avor and the moisture remain inside.TheTRU-
Infrared cooking system produces the perfect searing temperatures when infrared energy
impacts the surface of the meat. Here’s a good searing tip for you to experiment with: Use a
little coarse salt on your steaks, chops and roasts - this helps draw proteins to the surface of
the meat - and when they get hit with the infrared heat this surface will sear and create that
delicious crust you love to taste. On a turkey or chicken use a light touch of oil on the skin for
the same eect. Sear the meat by rst using a higher setting, then lower to nish cooking.
You may even want to use aluminum foil to“hold”cooked food on the warming rack as you
prepare the additional courses.
THE PERFECT BURGER
Ground beef with a 20 percent fat/80 percent lean ratio is
best for a juicy burger with a good, meaty texture.
• Form patties with gentle pressure and don’t
over-pack.
• Form a slight depression in the middle of the
patty so the edges are slightly thicker than the
center.This will produce a less-round, more
evenly-cooked patty.
• Patties should be no more than 8 oz (227g) and
1/2 in (13mm) thick.
• Set the Patio Bistro to medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the meat
is no longer pink or when a thermometer inserted from the side to the center reads at
160˚F (70˚ C).
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A SUCCULENT BEEF STEAK
Pick the right kind of steak. Tender cuts like sirloin, tenderloin,
porterhouse, New York strip, and shell steak are the best.
Fibrous steaks, like skirt and ank, also taste great grilled–
especially when thinly sliced on the diagonal.
• The meat should be at room temperature, seasoned lightly
with kosher salt (to help draw out the proteins in the meat)
and ground pepper. Lightly oil the surface with vegetable or
other high smoke-point oil.
• Set to high temperature and place the steaks on the grate, lined up in the same direction.
• Cook steaks on each side 3 to 6 minutes depending on thickness of steak and desired level
of doneness.
• Always turn the steak with tongs or a spatula; never use a fork.The holes made by a fork
allow the juices to escape.
•To check for doneness, you can use your nger pressed on the meat. Rare meat moves
easily when pressed with your nger, while a well done steak is sti, and medium-rare
is right in the middle.This is a skill that will develop with practice.You can also use an
instant read thermometer inserted from the side of the steak, preferably through any fat
on the edge and only when your experience suggests they are nearly done.
• Don’t overlook the last, most important step: Let the steaks rest for 2 to 3 minutes
before you serve them. This allows the juices to ow back from the center of the meat
to the exterior, giving you a juicer steak.
• Always cut meat across the grain to preserve tenderness.
PREPARING PORK RIBS
There are several varieties of ribs and each requires its own technique
to bring out the best flavors and textures. These tips are general rules
to consider when cooking any pork rib.
• Before cooking apply a dry blend of herbs and spices to
suit your tastes and compliment the avor of the meat.
• Set Patio Bistro to medium-low heat.
• Cook the ribs for 1/2 - 1 hour depending upon how
much meat, bone and fat they contain. Baste the ribs
with a light coating of apple cider vinegar during the
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last 10 minutes.
• If desired, you can brush on a glaze of barbecue sauce
or marmalade during the nal 10 minutes instead of
the apple cider vinegar.
• Drop smoke chips directly on or between the cooking grates. This will add smoke avor to the
ribs.
• Determining when pork ribs are done can be tricky and color is not an indication of
doneness. Smoke from burning wood chips can turn the interior of the meat pink and
leave you with the impression that it’s not cooked. If you can move the rib bones back and
forth without a lot of resistance the meat is cooked. A better judge is to remove the ribs
after an hour and use an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the
meat away from the bone.
• Infrared heat cooks dierently than conventional gas or charcoal grills - the outside of the
ribs will be crusty and the inside will be moist.
VEGETABLES
Grilling gives vegetables a lightly smoked flavor and it doesn’t take much preparation.
• Set Patio Bistro to medium-high heat.
•We recommend you lightly brush or spray vegetables with olive oil before grilling to add
avor, promote sear marks, and keep them from drying out and sticking to the grates.
• Grilled vegetables are usually served as a side dish with other grilled/barbecued foods,
but they can also be served as a main course, drizzled with plain or avored olive oil.
• Mushrooms and other small vegetables can be grilled/barbecued whole. Larger
vegetables just need to be sliced or cut into wedges.
• Start vegetable over medium-high heat to sear their skins, turning every 1-2 minutes.
Then, move to low heat to nish cooking, turning occasionally.
•The easiest way to tell if vegetables are cooked is to pierce them with a fork or skewer. If it
goes in easily, the vegetables are done.
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VEGETABLE COOKING CHART
VEGETABLE ESTIMATED COOKING TIME SETTING
CORN
In husks or foil - soak 20 -30 minutes.
Without husks.
30-40 minutes (total)
5-7 minutes
Medium/High
MUSHROOMS
Portobello
Regular
3-4 min/side
2-4 min/side
Medium/High
ONIONS
Quartered
Sliced
10-12 min/side
4-8 min/side
Medium/High
PEPPERS
Whole
Cut in half
16-20 min, let skin color
8-12 min
Medium/High
SQUASH
(yellow and zucchini)
Sliced
Halved lengthwise
4-6 min/side
8-12 min (total)
Medium/High
TOMATOES
Sliced
Whole
2-4 min/side
8-24 min (total)
Medium/High
* This chart is oered as a broad guideline for cooking times. Refer to times in individual recipes for more specic cooking times.
PERFECT SEAFOOD
Grilling adds a light, smoky flavor to seafood and, like sautéing, also sears food - giving it a crisp, savory
outer crust. Whole fish, firm-fleshed steaks, shrimp and scallops do well on the grill. Mollusks such as
oysters, clams and mussels are sometimes grilled in the shell and, although grilling causes the shell to open,
it does little to actually enhance the flavor.
• Set Patio Bistro to medium.
•To keep sh from sticking to the grill, make sure
the cooking grate is clean and very hot before
you start to grill. Rub it quickly with a paper
towel dipped in a little oil before you put the
seafood on the grill.
•Whole sh such as snapper, pompano, and sea
bass must be handled carefully so they don’t
stick and fall apart. Firm sh steaks such as
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tuna, swordsh, and shark are particularly good on the grill because they hold together
well and don’t stick.
• Grilled/barbecued shrimp are tastiest when the shell is left on. Lightly sprinkle the shrimp
with salt. Grill them about 5 minutes until the shells turn pink.
YES, FRUITS ARE GOOD TOO!
Lightly grilling fruit (especially stone fruits) caramelizes their natural sugars, which enhances their flavor.
• Set Patio Bistro to medium heat.
• Be sure to put fruits on a liberally oiled cooking grate to avoid sticking.
• Slice fruit in half and remove pits. Grill with pulp side down, until tender.
• Grill the fruits until they are lightly browned.You want them to be tender but not mushy
when gently pierced with a sharp knife.
• Fruits don’t take long to cook on the grill (about 3 to 5 minutes).Thicker pieces of fruit,
such as halved peaches or pears, may require a little more time.Thinly sliced fruit requires
less time. Fruit can burn easily because of its sugar content, so watch it closely. Also, keep
cooking times short for ripe fruit to prevent it from getting mushy.
Try these ideas for including grilled fruits in your meals:
Cut fruit, such as apples, pears, mangoes, pineapples, and peaches into chunks and brush
lightly with vegetable oil before grilling. Put pineapple slices or bananas sliced lengthwise
directly on the grill. A touch of cinnamon or brown sugar to nish the fruit is tasty!
GREAT CHICKEN EVERY TIME
There are some simple steps you can take to ensure your grilled chicken turns out beautifully browned and
cooked thoroughly while also remaining moist and tender.
• Completely thaw chicken before grilling so that it cooks more evenly. Whenever possible,
defrost chicken in the refrigerator. Defrost chicken in the microwave only if it will be
immediately put on the grill.
• Keep raw chicken and cooked chicken apart! Use a dierent platter to serve the cooked
chicken from the plate that was used to carry the raw chicken to the grill.
• If possible, allow the chicken to come up to room temperature. Grilling cold chicken
will delay the overall cooking time and can result in an overcooked exterior with under-
cooked interior.
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•When you grill chicken parts, remember that a
dierent thickness will aect the grilling time
and so will the fat content. As a general rule,
white meat takes less time than dark meat, while
breasts and thighs will take longer than wings.
• Set Patio Bistro to medium and cook until a
meat thermometer inserted into the thickest
part of the meat reaches 165˚F (74˚C). Be sure
the thermometer does not touch the bone.The
infrared energy of the TRU-Infrared cooking
system will lightly sear the outside of the chicken, skin or skinless, and help seal in the
moisture.
• Be sure to remove the grilled chicken and cover it lightly with aluminum foil; then let it rest
for several minutes as the internal temperature will continue to rise and the chicken will
nish cooking.
• If you enjoy sauce or glaze on your grilled chicken, we recommend brushing it on lightly
during the nal 10 minutes of grilling.
• Consider using a dry rub on the outside of your chicken up to 24 hours before grilling to
enhance avors.
USDA RECOMMENDED
SAFE MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURES
Beef, Veal, Lamb, Steak, Roasts & Whole Pork 145˚F/63˚C ( WITH A THREE-MINUTE REST TIME )
Fish 145˚F/63˚C
Beef, Veal, Lamb and Pork–Ground 160˚F/71˚C
Egg Dishes 160˚F/ 71˚C
Turkey, Chicken & Duck - Whole, Pieces &
Ground
165˚F/ 74˚C
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