If you want a delicious barbecue without that day-old drive-through flavor, check out these tips and tricks. It’s all about understanding how to work the fire and using the right heat for low and slow cooking. This white bbq sauce from Alabama is also sure to elevate your barbecue’s taste.
Leftovers are a staple at BBQ parties, but they can become boring after the first few days. Learn how to repurpose leftovers into fun new dishes!
1. Smoke the Meat
There is a lot to know about smoking meat, including the fact that different cuts of meat have different needs. For example, brisket and ribs work best with long smoke times, while tender cuts like pork shoulder benefit from shorter smoke periods. It also matters what type of wood you use. Mesquite is best for smoky chicken and pork, while oak has a subtle flavor that complements red meats. It is important to choose a variety of cuts and wood types so that you can experiment with the different flavors.
You should always bring meat up to room temperature before you start cooking. This allows the meat to accept and absorb smoked flavors more easily, and it also makes the inside of the meat juicier.
When you’re ready to start smoking, you should use a meat thermometer and follow a schedule for the cooking process. This will help you avoid over or under-cooking your meat and ensure that it is cooked to perfection. A good rule of thumb is to start at a low heat and gradually increase the temperature over the course of several hours.
Smoking is a time-consuming process, and it’s important to set aside plenty of time. This will give you the chance to relax and enjoy the experience, and it will also make your food more delicious.
It’s crucial to make sure your smoker is clean before you start smoking. Grease and other residue can create bad-tasting smoke, and it’s also dangerous for your health. Be sure to wipe down your smoker before and after each use, and clean the grate regularly. This will prevent flare-ups and will also keep the smoke free of contaminants.
2. Smoke the Sauce
Whether we barbecue meat, veggies or fruit, one thing that is certain is that it tastes better with a smoky sauce. The secret to creating that smokiness without having to grill is to use a sauce made with Liquid Smoke, smoked paprika or chipotle powder. This is a simple way to add flavor and aroma to your favorite sauces and can be done in just a few minutes.
The word barbeque is an adjective that means cooked with smoke, but there are many different styles of barbecue. In the early days of America’s barbecue history, whole animals were roasted with a spit over an open fire. This was common in colonial Virginia and North Carolina where whole hog cooking was popular. But that style was not what gave the name barbecue its meaning in the United States.
As barbecue grew in popularity, it became a more social event and barbecue sauces were developed to make the food more palatable. By the mid 19th century, barbecue had become synonymous with a social gathering and the food was cooked outside on a grill or in an oven.
Today, barbecue is an integral part of the American diet and a popular cuisine around the world. It is used to cook everything from burgers and sausages to vegetables and even desserts. But the versatility of this cooking technique extends much further than that.
Cooking savoury dishes on the barbecue is a sure-fire way to impress your guests, but don’t be afraid to try something sweet as well. Charred pineapple, bananas baked in foil or juicy grilled watermelon wedges are all delicious options. You can also create a sophisticated, summery appetizer like these prawn and mango summer rolls that are sure to be the centre of attention at your next barbecue.
3. Smoke the Sides
When you’re smoking ribs, chicken, brisket, and other big cuts of meat, it’s easy to overlook the other items that can be smoked as well. Side dishes like mashed potatoes and cobbler make excellent barbecue accompaniments, and there are many different ways to smoke them. One great way to make them is to simply add a little bit of smoke to the ingredients, and then let it cook on the grill until it is nice and tender.
In this way, you can get a lot of flavor in your sides without taking too much time or effort. You can also experiment with different types of wood, which will influence the final flavors of your smoked potatoes or cobbler. For example, hickory gives the best results, but maple and oak are also good choices.
Many barbecue snobs argue that these kinds of cooking are not barbecue, but it is important to remember that the word barbecue has been in use for centuries, and it has common usage, or squatting rights if you will, in favor of it. James Beard, Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, and MFK Fisher all used the term to refer to any sort of cooking over an open fire or in a smoker.
The word is derived from the Taino Indian word barbacoa, which describes an elevated wooden rack on which animals were slowly smoked at low temperatures. In colonial America, this meant whole hogs and other animals (like the steer pictured below, photographed by the LBJ Library & Museum). A number of barbecue restaurants still cook their food this way today, as do many home cooks using tightly welded, insulated, enclosed steel contraptions that produce indirect convection heat.
4. Smoke the Bread
You might think burgers and ribs are the only acceptable selections to throw on the grill, but you’d be surprised how many delicious things you can cook up with a barbecue. From pizza to salad, to extra sweet fruit-centered delights, these surprising eats show that meat isn’t the only thing you can cook up over an open flame.
In a time when barbecue snobbery is running rampant, it’s important to remember that barbecue actually has an old-fashioned, broad definition. It originally meant “to roast or smoke over an open fire,” and that’s how it is still practiced in the south today, in pits and on a wide range of grills.
It also means, as the saying goes, that you can eat anything that’s cooked on an open flame, as long as it tastes good. And that’s why beloved, long-established restaurants like Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, Arby’s in Memphis, and Texas BBQ joint Couch’s can serve up pulled pork sandwiches without being scolded for not using real barbecue sauce.
While you’re cooking up burgers and wings on the grill, don’t forget about your bread, either. Baking over an open fire is a classic barbecue technique that’s easy to execute and works great with a variety of different foods. Try these garlicky flatbreads, these smoky-cheesy corn muffins, or these chicken, chorizo, and pepper quesadillas that can be easily cooked on the coals alongside your skewers and main courses. Just make sure to clean your grill grate and any other surfaces that come in contact with raw meats before using them again to stall the growth of bacteria. A mixture of 25 percent bleach and water can help you do just that, and it’s quick, effective, and safe to use.
5. Smoke the Fruit
While burgers and sausages are standard barbecue fare, the grill is capable of so much more. Try smoked vegetables, breads, and even desserts for a wide range of delicious flavours.
You can also infuse fruits with smoke, a technique that gives classic dishes a new, sophisticated twist. The natural sugars in the fruit caramelise under the heat of the fire, adding a sweet, smoky flavour that enhances many dishes.
Apples and peaches are easy to smoke, but you can use almost any fruit. The key is to select a soft, juicy fruit with a crisp skin that will hold its shape while it cooks. Aim for a temperature between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep the smoker’s door slightly open to encourage dehydration.
When you think of barbecue, your mind probably goes to sticky ribs and tender beef brisket. But if you really want to broaden your horizons, you should try these unexpected barbecue recipes.
The word “barbecue” has become such a cultural phenomenon that it now represents an entire style of cooking, inspiring TV shows and road trips alike. Yet despite its pervasiveness, many people still have very narrow ideas about what actually constitutes barbecue. That’s why it’s important to take the time to explore different techniques and discover what the grill or smoker can do for your food. From a practical standpoint, this means learning how to cook low and slow, and when to use the reverse sear. But it’s just as important to understand the concept of 2-zone cooking, and how to get a clean blue smoke. This way, you’ll be able to get the most out of your barbecue.
