Barbecue Techniques: Two Methods For Barbecuing

When we think about doing barbecue, there are two main techniques that you can follow. 

The first is the most popular method for those who grill in their back yards. It is the style where the food is cooked directly over the source of heat.  This way, the food is rapidly cooked on a hot grill suspended directly over the charcoals, the wood, or the gas burners.  Rarely is the lid ever closed. Any foods, including the most tender cuts, hamburgers, steaks, kabobs of all kinds, chicken, and even vegetables are quickly seared and cooked to the perfection by using this technique.  If you like sauces, you can add it before grill, during the cooking process, or even after the food comes off the grill.  These choices will all create different and make you enjoyable tastes and flavors.

The second is using heat indirectly.  This is more appropriate when you’re cooking much larger or whole cuts of meat, such as thick steaks, roasts, a whole hog, or a pork shoulder.  When you’re cooking by using this method, the food is cooked away from the actual source of heat.  This usually requires a water pan of some kind in order to maintain the moisture level of the food.  The temperatures generally sit in around 250 F.  During this cooking method, the lid of the barbecue remains closed most of the time, and the length of the cooking is much longer than in the first method.  When you’re using an indirect barbecue cooker, there is usually an additional fire box that allows you to combine charcoal and wooden logs for burning.  This allows the heat and the smoke to rise through the cooking chamber where the meat is. So, that it is heated perfectly.  The rule of thumb of this technique is a low temperature for a long time.

No matter which method you do, it’s important not to cook your meat too quickly.  If the internal temperature of your meat rises too quickly as you cook it, the water and the fat within it will be expelled before the collagen is able to melt.  This means that your cut will be dry and tough.  However, you cannot cook too slowly or you will risk a bacterial contamination.  Though, there is a fine line for barbecuing properly, it’s important to find that line and stick to it.

If you’re already dealing with a cut of meat that is tough, such as a brisket or a pork roast, consider cooking slowly as the collagen adds flavor to the meat.  If you buy a less tough, more expensive cut, you can cook at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. This is why ribs and steaks take such a short time to cook, while pork shoulders or beef brisket can run up to 20 hours.

As last, it’s important to have fun while you barbecue! Your pleasure will come through in your cooking as it will leave you motivated, and be willing to try new and interesting things.