Those of you who are barbecue fanatics are probably familiar with barbecue guru Steven Raichlen [1]. Steven is the author of over ten cookbooks, including the BBQ Bible [2], and is the host of the PBS show Primal Grill [3]. He recently finished a world tour in promotion for his new book Planet BBQ, and his last stop was the Food and Wine Classic [4] in Aspen. I watched his cooking demonstration and snagged a bunch of great grilling tips. To see Steven Raichlen's barbecue tips, .

• When grilling corn, pull the husks down to the bottom to create a handle. Grilling corn in the husk steams the corn instead of actually grilling it, so it's best to barbecue husked corn.
• Pack as much food as possible onto a skewer leaving only a tiny tip at the top of the skewer. This makes the food easier to eat. If the food is way down on the skewer guests will have to pull the hot food up to the top and could risk impaling themselves.
• Should you use charcoal or gas? He prefers neither and recommends grilling with wood.
• A wadded up piece of foil and a pair of tongs make a wonderful substitute to a wire brush. Use this to clean the grill.
• A steak is ready to flip when pearls of blood bead up on the top of it.
• If the protein is thinner than the palm of your hand, leave the lid open while cooking. If it's thicker, close the lid during cooking.