Three Easy Steps To Great BBQ
BBQ, to a traditionalist, means slow cooking. This usually includes using a smoker or a grill with a tight fitting lid and large surface. Your goal is to keep the food separated from the direct heat. To achieve this, you could trying moving around some briquettes or lighting the fire on one side only. This will give you an area of lower heat that will allow you to get started on infusing, the first of three steps to a great BBQ.
With infusing, your objective is to get all of the flavorful ingredients into the meat before the surface layer is cooked sufficiently to seal the inside. Sauces, rubs, fat and the meat’s juices intermingle with the heat and smoke to create a symphony of effects within the meat. The exterior and interior fats melt down and mingle on the surface layer. The conditions are now perfect for the flavor compounds to spread. Some killer BBQ is right around the corner.
During the second step, the actual cooking happens, and this usually takes a while. As the interior temperature of the meat climbs, proteins break down and become amino acids. Sugars convert into particles that add a sweet taste. Enzymes get active, and salt becomes ionized. The end result of all these processes is a piece of meat that has been transformed into a mouthwatering delicacy.
If you’ve added any wood to the fire, it will impart a smokey flavor to the meat during this stage. The surface of the meat becomes sealed and the inside juices are trapped; as they heat up they alter their composition. This is the phase where the meat needs to pass most of its cooking time. Maintain the temperature at a lower level than what you use for indoor cooking.
After the interior temperature of the meat gets to 200F, it’s ready to be taken off the smoker or grill.
During the third step, your meat finishes cooking. While it cools down, there is still sufficient internal heat to keep altering the structure of the meat slightly. During this step, the tenderness of the meat will peak, creating a superb texture.
When the temperature drops below 165F, it’s ready to serve. Slice off a bit and notice the color. Beef should be dark red in color, while chicken should be white with clear juices. Pork should be a grayish white. The taste should be subtle and it should have an easy to chew consistency.
And there you have it: a great BBQ.
A wood burning fire pit is another terrific option for outdoor cooking. Click here to learn more about portable wood burning fire pits that are both practical and pretty.
Incoming search terms:
