An Expert Barbecue for Summer 2023
Today we talk about some expert grill reviews. While there are states across North America that claim to be the leading state when it comes to barbecue. Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and even Kentucky claim the title of barbecue capital of the world. Meanwhile, Memphis stakes a claim as being the “pork barbecue capital”.
According to Wikipedia, “Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK and US and braai in South Africa) is a term with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods which use live fire and smoke to cook the food. The term is also for the devices with those methods, the broader cuisines that these methods produce, and the meals or gatherings at which this style of food you cook or serve. The cooking methods associated with barbecuing vary significantly but most involve outdoor cooking.”
Here are some BBQ tips you might want to try too!
Not Just another Griller But here are some Expert Grill Reviews
Other than baseball, barbecue is one of the most popular past times in America. For years, we have seen one too many television shows about the culture of BBQ across North America. But, it is when springtime comes, North Americans prepare their grills and rev up to buy their meat in bulk in preparation for family gatherings and major cookouts. There have been a lot of chefs and cooks that will tell you that their rub marinates are the best and they are the experts when it comes to barbecues, but the question remains, how much barbecue and barbecuing do we know?
After reading this, you will be more comfortable with your barbecue and grilling styles which will make you and your family cookouts the talk of the neighborhood. Here are a few tricks that you can use before you light up your backyard grill.
Tricks for your Next Backyard Expert Grill Reviews
Barbecuing has been used for more than a thousand years ago for meat storage and to make sure that the meat is safe to eat. Moreover, exposing the meat to low heat and smoking the meat will kill any living bacteria and prevent them from growing back again. The drying action of the smoke preserves the meat though many chemicals present in wood smoke are natural preservatives as well. Also, smoking meat has been one of the oldest methods of preserving meat, right after cooking with fire was discovered.
Here are the best woods to use in smoking or barbequing and what kind of meat would it complement.
- Oak – Lamb, beef, brisket, and sausages
- Hickory – Larger cuts of ribs and pork shoulders, as well as almost all red meat and poultry
- Maple – Poultry, pork, game foul
- Mesquite – Red Meat for adding additional flavor when grilling
- Pecan – Briskets, roasts, and ribs
- Apple – Chicken, wild foul, pork
- Alder – Fish, like salmon and other Pacific Northwestern types
- Cherry – Chicken, turkey, ham
The Heat is On for Expert Grill Reviews
A lot of the barbecues across North America use a temperature of 475° – 700° F. This is broiling and it takes a shorter period. The more accurate temperature for barbecue is only around the boiling of water, which is 180° – 220° F, because of this the meat cooks longer. In addition, this way the meat gets more tender and the natural juice is more preserved.
| Steak Doneness | Remove from Grill at this Temperature | Final Cooked Temperature |
| Rare | 130 to 135°F | 130 to 140°F |
| Medium Rare | 140°F | 145°F |
| Medium | 155°F | 160°F |
| Well Done | 165°F | 170°F |
Smoking for Expert Grill Reviews
Smoking requires a lot of patience and a lot of high-quality meat, meaning this is not a practice for everyone. Furthermore, putting on some moist wooden chips overheating coals, and smoking outside for your meat (usual brisket) does not make or even resemble smoked meat. In addition, culinary geniuses know how to identify the flavors of true smoked meat. Moreover, you must infuse that scent entirely into the meat. So, for you to achieve this feat, you should smoke the meat for hours and sometimes, even days.
There are two ways to smoke meat. The first method is “Cold Smoking”. Also, this process works best with food like chicken breast, beef, pork chops, salmon, scallops, steak, cheese, and sausages. And, the temperature is between 400°F to 550°F. This is for flavor and is done with meat that has been cured or has already been previously cooked.
Hot Smoking
Hot smoking is done when you want to fully cook the food you are smoking as well as impart that incredible smoky flavor to it. This is also done at a temperature range of 126°F to 176°F. Hot smoking at temperatures of over 185°F can cause shrinkage and buckling of the meat. This is great for large cuts of meat like ham, ham hocks, ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. Typically, hot smoked meats are reheated or cooked further later, but they are safe to eat right away if they have been fully cooked through. Hot smoking will give the meat more moisture and help lock in the natural flavors of the meat.
Whichever type of smoking you do, you will want to be sure you have a good quality smoker and quality wood chips, pieces, or chunks.
Gas For Grilling for Expert Grill Reviews
For the household that cannot create a fire pit or large smoking grill powered by humongous wood. There is a more compact and easier way for your grilling experience. Gas grills are available in different shapes and sizes. Here are the pros of using a gas grill.
Cooks All Year Round
Propane can burn efficiently all year round, so that means if you simply cannot wait until summer to fire up your BBQ, propane gas may be your best bet.
Ease of Use
Propane is plug-and-play when it comes to starting up a BBQ. Simply connect your BBQ to the propane gas canister and you will have your food cooking immediately.
Taste
Some people argue that butane-powered BBQs do not taste anywhere near as nice as propane-powered ones. There can be a slight taste of gas in your food if too much gas was used when you cooked with butane. We will let you decide which is better though!
Instant and Efficient Burn for an Expert Barbecue
Waiting for a coal fire to light and heat up can be a nightmare. Especially when you have a hungry family keen to eat some delicious BBQ food. Propane gas can immediately burn at almost full heat so it’s a great choice for people who do not want to use coal.
Easy to Clean
Thanks to a naturally cleaner burn than most BBQ heating alternatives, propane-powered BBQs are significantly easier to clean. Simply wipe down the grill and you are ready to use your BBQ again.
Smoked – Barbecue – Grilling: What are the differences?
Do not get confused, there is a difference between smoking, barbecuing, and grilling. Here are a few differences, so you can decide which one you will be doing if your family from out of town decided to visit you.
Grilling
This method creates a charred surface that locks in the natural juices of your chosen meat. Grilling is popularly done across the world following the same principle of how to cook it. Meat should be placed over high and direct heat over 200°c to 260°c or 400°F to 550°F for a short period. Across the United States, grilling is usually done over charcoal or gas grills, with the new modernized infrared grills making their grilling debut.
This grilling method is perfect to use on tender meats, like ribs, chops, strip steak, burgers, chicken, and even hot dogs and sausages. This is as well commonly used for your vegetables.
Cajun Grilled Potatoes, Mexican pizza, Grilled onion, and Mexican shrimp are the favorite recipes for grilling.
Barbecuing
The backstory of this very popular form of cooking has one of the best and most interesting histories and is popular across the world. Barbecue was used to cook meats with tough tissue, like the cows that had been walked across the country by cowboys, or whole pigs. These meats do not do well in high heat or quick-cook times, but instead turn out best over an extended period, cooked over low heat. Barbecuing takes place over the fire with a temperature range of about 190 to 300°F. A good barbecue makes the meat so tender and delicious that it will almost fall right off the bone. So remember the next time you will be doing your barbecue, always remember two words. Slow and Low.
Southern Cooking
In the United States, the south has been the undisputed barbecue capital of America for a very long time. Each state or region has its specific way of how they do its barbecue. But if you’ll dissect it, you’ll probably notice that it all revolves around pork and is mostly consumed by a large family or even friends reunion. In the northern part of the United States, however, you will hear barbecue used as a term to inaccurately describe anything cooked on the grill, from hot dogs to burgers.
So, with all this information about what each cooking style is, the question still stands. What are the differences between smoking, barbecuing, and grilling? The main differences between the three methods of cooking the same piece of meat all come down to cooking temperature and time.
Smoking
Smoking can happen at two different temperature ranges. Over low heat around very low 68°F to 176°F for an hour to a maximum of 2 weeks depending on the temperature and what each meat requires to get that perfect flavor. As mentioned above, cold smoking is a method that you can use. But to get that amazing “smoked” flavor, you can heat up to 126°F to 176°F for those large chunks of meat.
Barbecuing is done over low heat (190°F to 300°F) for a few hours. “Low and slow” is the phrase to remember here.
Grilling is done over high heat (400°F to 550°F) for just a few minutes.
Cheap Tricks for that Smokey Goodness and Some Expert Grill Reviews
While the authentic smokey flavor that you get from the pit and charcoal is unbeatable, you can increase the texture by adding wood to your fire. The first thing you need to identify is what kind of meat will you be cooking as this shall decide what kind of wood you should be using.
For hamburgers that usually can be smoked for 10-15 minutes, small wood chips can seal the deal. While for meat that takes longer to cook like pork loins; make sure to use chunky wood instead to get that smoke going for hours. There are wood chips available soaked in alcohol for that additional whisky/rum note.
But what if I am using a gas grill? No need to fret. You can use both wood chips and wood chunks with whatever gas grill model you are using.
Using wood chunks is the easiest way, just simply arrange the hardwood all around the perimeter of the gas grill’s cooking surface. Close the lid to lock the heat. Prepare all the meat you need as fast as you can, cause once the smoke starts you are good to go. There are even small containers available for you to use if you want to use wood chips.
Just a Friendly Reminder: Safety First for an Expert Barbecue!
When dealing with open fire and gas you need to make sure that there are no fire hazards near the pit or grill. In case of fire, please see the articles available on the site. It always pays to be alert on this kind of occasion and cookout.
But here are a few things that you need to take note of when it comes to your safety when barbecuing.
- The further the better. Make sure that your grill is at least 10 feet away from your house. This includes your garage or any additional house fixtures that can catch fire like wooden doors.
- Keep it clean. Clear out your grill from grease and fat that builds up when you use it. Grease is a common cause of flare-ups.
- Check for leaks. Make a solution of soap and water and rub it across the hose. Turn on the gas and check if there is any part of the hose that bubbles. If there is any, do not attempt to use the hose and start any fire.
- Don’t Make it pretty. At any given chance, do not attach any decoration to your grill. This can easily catch fire. There are a few articles on the site about the safety of gas grills.
- Keep a fire extinguisher near your grill. To know more about this, please use this article for reference on what to use and how to use fire extinguishers.
Please read through House Fire Prevention on our site for more safety tips.
Have a chat with us if you have further queries
If you’re looking for a good independent agent that is familiar with getting you and your family the protection you need, call us today at Advantage Insurance Solutions here in Denver, CO. We can tailor your coverage to your specific needs, maximize protection and minimize cost and suggest ways that you can adjust your coverage to take advantage of discounts that insurers give for packaged policies.