Barbecue fans blog

Joe Johnson


No matter how you spell it, barbeque, barbecue, or BBQ, when the vast majority of folks think of barbecue, they think of firing up their backyard grill until red hot and slapping down a steak or pork chops, searing it to get some nice grill marks and voila!

This is perfect for a quick dinner after working a full day, but true Texas style barbecue goes beyond the average barbecue fare of steaks and drumsticks to create an art form that instills a flavor and tenderness on less popular or more difficult cuts that will never be achieved using the standard grilling method. It is not something that you just do on a whim or when in a hurry to eat. It takes patience and lots of trial and error to perfect the flavors and technique. However, once you do, cooking up a perfect brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, or just about any other cut of meat, becomes second nature.

There are a number of keys to Texas ‘que – the first being the seasoning, or dry rub. Depending on the cut of meat you choose, select a dry rub that accentuates and accompanies the meat. I’m partial to the dry rubs from Caroline’s Rub, but feel free to use your favorite. Depending on the pit master, they will sometimes mix the dry rub with mustard to create a paste that will thoroughly coat the meat, help in the tenderization, and add a tremendous amount of flavor without heavy mustard overtones. I like to do this on larger cuts of meat like briskets and shoulders.

Once seasoned, the next key to achieving that true ‘que flavor is temperature and indirect heat. In Texas, the rule is low and slow. The lower the better, so you will usually see the pit somewhere in the 200 – 250 degree F range. This low temperature allows the meat to cook to a well-done state without losing its moisture or becoming tough and inedible. In fact, when it comes to cuts like shoulders and brisket, well done is the only way to serve them as the collagen and tough connective tissues don’t actually break down and allow the meat to become tender until they reach higher internal temperatures. This is where the patience comes in – because of the low temps involved, it will take far longer for your meat to achieve the desired internal temperatures you require, and the internal temp of the meat may plateau for long periods, which can be completely frustrating. It is not uncommon for me to spend 15 – 20 hours tending to the pit when cooking a large brisket.

Now that you have the temperature right, the next step is smoke from hardwoods. Texans tend to use mesquite and pecan woods, and while mesquite wood has a definitive taste, pecan resembles a less-strongly flavored hickory. So feel free to substitute with some hickory wood which may be more readily available in your area. It will definitely take some time and experimentation with your pit and the quantity of wood you use to achieve the flavor you are really seeking, but eating all that great smoked food as part of the process is a fair trade-off!

One thing that raises a lot of controversy among the “grill-arazzi” is the smoke-ring. The smoke-ring is a reddish colored ring that naturally develops around the internal edge of the meat as a result of the nitrites and chemicals that naturally occur in the smoking process. While most championship barbecue competitions do not consider the ring as part of their judging as it does more for aesthetics than flavoring, the die-hard smokers will argue that the bigger the ring, the better the penetration of the smoke into the meat.

While a popular thing to do when grilling, adding barbecue sauce when cooking Texas style does not mean slathering it on during cooking. Texans view the sauce as a compliment to great barbecue, so more often than not, the finished meat product is served with the sauce on the side. If the barbecue is done right, I find the sauce just gets in the way!

I hope these tips have helped clear up some of the confusion, and if you do have the opportunity to try preparing your own Texas style barbecue, I definitely recommend it. It is a great way to kill a lazy summer day, drink a few brews, and make a few friends…believe me, when your neighbors smell the waft of smoke in the air, you won’t be able to beat them off with a stick!

Sanjib Ahmad


The barbecue began in the American context during the late 1800’s cattle drives in the West. The cowhands usually had low quality cuts of beef that had to be preserved over long periods of time of cattle driving.

The main choice for this was brisket that is tough meat. The cowboys soon learned that if they cooked the meat over a long period of time at a low temperature the meat could be made tender and tasty. During this time, the cooks also experimented with various barbecue sauces to make the beef even tastier.

Personally barbecue is my favorite style of cooking meat. I love the taste of barbecue and find that it’s suitable for nearly all occasions.

I agree with history that the barbecue sauce is as important as the barbecue itself. A good barbecue sauce can make or break a sumptuous meal.

I can still remember clearly the T-bone barbecue steak I tasted at Larry’s Drive. The sauce that was served with the barbecue steak was simply awesome. Every time I recall the experience my mouth just waters.

I have often asked myself how-to recreate that awesome sauce. Until I came across Debbie Beaston’s barbecue sauce recipe on the Internet that could be the answer to my wish. It’s called the “Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe”.

I haven’t bought the “Top Secret BBQ Sauce Recipe” yet, but thinking of convincing my wife to buy it because she loves cooking.

The BBQ sauce recipe ebook also includes BBQ recipes, rubs, mops and marinades. There is also great advice and ideas about what to cook with your barbecue.

Jack Gordon


Answer: a barbeque smoker is a special type of grill that uses special elements to enhance the flavor of foods. Specifically, it combines liquid moisture, wood scent (lack of oxygen to the wood makes it smoke instead of burn), and, of course heat to cook the food.

An example of popular bbq smokers is the Bradley smoker. This bbq smoker is one of a kind. This grill actually regulates and monitors the amount of smoke available to heat your food using its own generator. Unlike electric smokers, as well as other smokers, you don’t have to worry about dealing with the quality of the smoke. The Bradley smoker produces ¨fresh¨ and healthy smoke for up to 8 hours without having to tend to it. It comes in two levels – burning hot smoke or slow roast. Smoker grills are special in that they specializing in enhancing flavor instead of concentrating on cooking efficiently (although it does that too). Your barbecue will be greatly improved.

Brinkmann smokers are another example of bbq smokers.

These smoker grills are popular for cooking large amounts of food, up to 75 pounds on the Brinkmann Gas Grill Deluxe. Not even the favorite Weber Grill can handle this much! Brinkmann smokers also include shelves to store your paprika and bbq sauces, or perhaps turn it into a mini barbecue library by stashing away your favorite recipes. These smokers are one of a kind and top of the line with its features. Chrome grills and fancy porcelain decorate this bbq smoker.

Settle for second best by purchasing an electric smoker. Electric smokers provide the same great taste. Smoker grills are for the enthusiast – want to cook mass amounts of good for a large crowd, or simply for your 23 cousins? Take out your recipes, turn on your Bradley smoker or Brinkmann smoker, and get started today

http://a1-bbq-grills.com

Tim Sousa


What would grilling or barbecue be without barbecue sauce? Either slowly cooking into the meat in a barbecue, or forming a thick tasty glaze on grilled food, outdoor cooking just would not be the same without a good barbecue sauce.

Barbecue sauces vary from region to region, and from chef to chef. If you go to North Carolina, you’d find a thin, vinegar based sauce, soaking into the thin shreds of pulled pork. In Kansas City, they like their sauce thick and sweet. If you go to Texas, you’ll find a thinner sauce than you’d find in Kansas City, and less sweet.

Barbecue sauces are usually categorized according to their base. Sauces can be based on ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, even mayonnaise. Depending on the base, and the preference of the cook, they can be thick or thin, sweet, sour, spicy, mild, or any combination.

A basic sauce consists of several elements, each adding another layer of flavor and complexity to the sauce. First of all is the base, as stated above, that can be tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, or mayonnaise. Or if you want to experiment, you can try something different. The next element is the sweetener. Usually, this is brown sugar or molasses, but you can also use fruit juice, or any other sweet flavor. The sweetener helps to take the edge of of the next flavor… sour. Lemon juice and lime juice can be added for a sour tang, or vinegar will do the trick. Aromatics, herbs, and spices add another layer of flavor to the barbecue sauce. Onion and garlic are common aromatics.

You can buy sauces at the store. You’ll probably find at least a dozen brands and flavors at your local grocery store. But nothing beats a good homemade barbecue sauce. If you want to create your own barbecue sauce, it isn’t hard. Just choose your base, and the rest of the flavors that you want, and start experimenting. A good barbecue sauce will have a balanced blend of flavors to it, sweet, sour, smoky, spicy. Just add a little bit of each ingredient at a time until you get the blend that you want. You can always add more, but you can’t take away, so just add a little bit at a time. Feel free to experiment with your sauce, people have added coffee, cola, cherries, and other ingredients that you wouldn’t think to find in a barbecue sauce. If you want, you can buy a sauce at the store, and then doctor the sauce with your own additions, to suit your own tastes.

A quick note on storage. You can store the barbecue sauce in a sealed container in your refrigerator for a few days. If you want to keep the sauce longer than that, you’ll need to learn some canning techniques, to sterilize the food and containers, and properly process the sauce.

How you use the barbecue sauce depends a lot on the sauce itself. Most barbecue sauces can be used at the table as a dipping sauce for food. But different types of sauces are used differently in cooking. Thin sauces can be used as a marinade for the meat before grilling, and can also be applied during the cooking proces. Thicker sauces, especially those with a lot of sugar should not be applied to the food until the last few minutes of cooking time, or they could burn. If you are doing a true barbecue, however, cooking the meat slowly for a long time, you can get away with putting some of the sauce on the meat at the beginning of the cooking time, as the lower temperature would be less likely to burn the sauce.

A good outdoor cookout just isn’t the same without a good, flavorful barbecue sauce. Get in the kitchen, and whip up a batch, and brush it on your steaks or chicken for an element of flavor that just screams barbecue.

Paul Yates


Many friends and work colleagues have phoned in sick because of food poisoning and followed it up with something like “I had a BBQ at the weekend, and I must have eaten something not properly cooked”.

To be honest I think some of them probably just drank too much but clearly there’s enough of a belief out there that food hygiene is a problem at a barbeque for either a genuine day off work or a cast iron excuse.

In many of the BBQ articles that I’ve written I’ve concentrated on the phrase “sizzle is hot, flames are not” which focuses on the need to be patient and control the barbecue flames. If however you still haven’t mastered this point then maybe it’s time to resign yourself to buying a barbecue thermometer?

Why do I need a BBQ thermometer? Take this barbecue hamburger example:

Many folks assume that when barbecued hamburger is brown in the middle, it is well done but according to USDA research, 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. The internal temperature must be 160°F before its safe to eat.

The bacterium we’re trying to protect ourselves against is e-coli, and bacterium that live on the surface of meat. This is an important point and essential to understand because we can happily eat a rare steak without any chance of food poisoning. Provided the steak is cooked well on the outside, the bacteria are killed.

This is not the case with a hamburger however because the burger is made from ground meat so surface bacteria could be anywhere inside the hamburger.

The signs and symptoms of food borne illness range from upset stomach, diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration, to more severe illness-even death, but having said all this, please don’t be put off having some hamburgers at your next BBQ cookout. With a few simple precautions that follow the rules of basic food hygiene and barbecue food poisoning will be a thing of the past.

Use a food thermometer. Instant-read food thermometers are good for checking the internal temperature toward the end of the cooking time.

1. The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle.

2. Make sure to clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use!

The other option is to use a large-dial oven-safe or oven-probe thermometer and these can be inserted in the meat and used for the duration of cooking.

There are many types of food thermometers, so it is important to follow the instructions for your food thermometer to ensure the correct reading. When happy with the method of use you can refer to the USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures to ensure a safe barbeque cookout.

· Steaks & Roasts – 145 °F

· Fish – 145 °F

· Pork – 160 °F

· Ground Beef – 160 °F

· Egg Dishes – 160 °F

· Chicken Breasts – 165 °F

· Whole Poultry – 165 °F

That’s the main one, but to finish off here are a few more tips to help you avoid food poisoning at your next BBQ:-

1. Wash hands and surfaces often. Use warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and wash you’re cutting boards after each food item is prepared

2. Don’t cross-contaminate, always keep raw and cooked food separate. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

3. Refrigerate promptly – but do not cover (e.g. with stretch wrap) if the food is still hot
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours or sooner.

Be Food Safe! Prepare With Care

Know how to prepare, handle, and store food safely to keep you and your family safe. Bacteria can grow on meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, as well as cut-up or cooked vegetables and fruits.

Follow the above and food poisoning should be a thing of the past. Why not pass this onto your employees? You may see a marked improvement in Monday morning attendance – or maybe just a different excuse.