BBQ and Smoking Secrets Revealed
The art of barbecue has to be one of the oldest arts in the world. The earliest items to be grilled would have been those cooked over an open fire by cavemen. Can’t you visualize the first time they found the charred remains of a saber-tooth tiger in the woods? They were probably retrieving burning sticks for the cave fire, and the enticing smell of cooking meat drew them to the corpse. Over time they would have realized things like: animals were better cooked without the skin on, and that meat cooked on certain woods tasted better than meat cooked on common fir. Naturally, this would have led to experimentation with other combinations.
Then one night, while Mama Ugh was cooking some wild boar on a spit over the fire, Papa Yuck came home with a honeycomb he had discovered. While he was trying to melt the honey from the comb, some of it dripped onto the pork and—ZOWIE— BBQ sauces were born.
This experimentation still goes on today almost every time someone cooks over an open fire or on a state-of-the-art barbecue grill. Barbecue fascinates us, like campfires and mighty rivers. We long to go back to ancient times and explore culinary possibilities as they were meant to be. Today, however, we don’t normally cook over open fires. Our venture back in time is usually in a state-of-the-art Weber that runs on some sort of flammable gas and uses a variety of select meats and condiments.
No matter, the idea is still there, and the competition is just as intense, to grill the best barbecue dinner in the cave colony or county today.
We spend about $250 on a grill and over $100 on accessories, and then mostly experiment with steaks, ribs, chicken, hamburger, or pork, to try to make it not look like that. “throw it into the fire for fifteen or twenty minutes and then drug it”. We then add to the cost of our learning experience every time we shell out another twenty bucks for those choice cuts so we can eat “primitive.”
Let’s take a look at what we need to keep in mind before we start barbecuing.
1.) Before doing anything else, think carefully about what you want to grill or smoke and whether there is equipment available that is versatile enough to do everything you want your barbecue to do.
2.) If the grill is primarily for grilling, the following would be the required or desired equipment. I say desired because your individual tastes are the most important when making decisions regarding food. would you rather
- wood,
- Coal,
- or gas grills?
You also have to wonder if the grill should be used for grilling only or for smoking meat as well. Today many grills feature side burners and heaters, and you may even want built-in igniters if you choose a gas grill. There are even grills that are designed with special features for smoking.
3.) Will you need accessories for your barbecue/smoker?
- spit,
- shish kebab tools,
- corn cots,
- potato molds,
- supports for fish and/or meat,
- shrimp Slippers,
- marshmallows and grilled sausage “sticks”,
- flip flops, forks, knives, basting brushes and/or burger flippers,
- cleaning brushes, scrapers and cleaners,
- thermometers,
- barbecue gloves, hats and aprons,
- tuxedo rack
There is a wide range of products available and it is probably best to do some research in these areas before spending your hard earned money. I speak from experience when I say that you can easily spend a hundred dollars on accessories.
4.) Once you have your desired equipment, you will need to choose the correct type of meat or feed based on your personal preferences. Some options include:
- fillet,
- skirt,
- ribs,
- fish,
- chicken, duck or turkey,
- pork chops,
- silomo Strip,
- burgers,
- corn On The Cob,
- potatoes,
- onion,
- sausages, or sausages,
- skewer products (meat, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc.),
This list could go on and on. If you have a meal that you like to cook, you can probably find a way to grill it.
5.) Along with that, you might want to do some study on the types of
- sauces,
- pickles,
- golden wet or dry rubs
that you and those close to you would prefer. This is usually a matter of personal taste, but can also be determined by the type and condition of the meat. Especially if you’re considering grilling a lot of wild game meat, you may want to use special marinades that will keep the meat moister or even tenderize your trophy animal’s steaks. You may want to cook your potatoes in the oven with onion, garlic, and spices, or roast your corn in a butter bath.
6.) Next, you will need to consider where you want to use and store your barbecue. By where you would like to use it I mean taking into account anything flammable that might be too close and the availability of water in an emergency. For storage, you need to decide if you are going to put it under a cover, such as a tool shed, or buy a barbecue cover if it is going to stay outdoors.
7.) Just like we do in our kitchens, you’ll want to look up the best recipes and procedures to produce the best grilled food possible. The only thing left for you to do is search and practice with different procedures and recipes, and then decide which friends you want to invite and dazzle with your barbecue prowess.
