| Barbecuing, a traditional cooking process in use for | | | | for months, while a marinade or sauce should be |
| centuries is a great way to enjoy tasty meals | | | | used the day it is made. |
| without heating up your kitchen in the hot summer | | | | Wood - The type of wood you use is very |
| months. It is a great way to gather friends and | | | | important. The most popular barbecue woods are |
| family and enjoy time together. In some areas, the | | | | hickory, oak, mesquite and fruit woods such as apple, |
| term barbecuing is reserved for a slow low-heat | | | | pear, pecan and alder. Wood is the fuel that adds the |
| cooking process that operates at about 220°F and | | | | most flavor to grilled meats. Barbecuing is traditionally |
| the term grilling is used for a fast high-heat cooking | | | | done with hickory or mesquite wood, which gives a |
| process. The best temperature for barbecuing is | | | | nice smoke flavor to the food. Wood is place in a |
| between 200F and 300F. | | | | firebox which is usually off to one side of the |
| Meat - There are three basic qualities used to identify | | | | cooking chamber. The cooking chamber fills with |
| barbecue: the sauce, the type of meat and the type | | | | smoke, giving the food its characteristic smoked |
| of wood used to smoke and cook the meat. The | | | | flavor, which varies depending on the type of wood |
| meats usually used in barbecuing are tougher cuts of | | | | that is used for the fuel. Damp wood chips added to |
| meat, such as the beef brisket, or pork ribs. These | | | | the fire add a delicious smoky flavor to meat. |
| meats benefit from the long, slow cooking process, | | | | Tips - Don't cook too hot – keep grill heat low, |
| becoming so tender that they will just fall off the | | | | Turn food frequently, Don’t overcook food, |
| bone. Since the cooking process is slower, and the | | | | Don’t precook food, Use thinner cuts of meat, |
| heat not as high as grilling, barbecue sauce can be | | | | Use a meat thermometer, Don't poke your meat |
| brushed onto the meat through out the cooking | | | | with a fork or ever press meat with a spatula to |
| process, forming a delicious glaze on the outside of | | | | speed up cooking. |
| the meat. | | | | You want to remove the meat from the grill when |
| Take time to marinate: Some research has shown | | | | it's just a bit underdone. The meat will continue to |
| that ingredients such as vinegar in marinades can | | | | cook, and more significantly, the juices, left |
| actually protect the meat and reduce the chances of | | | | undisturbed and unmolested, will redistribute through |
| carcinogenic compounds forming. | | | | the resting meat in a natural and rewarding way. |
| Sauce - Sauces, marinades and rubs are popular | | | | Failing to rest the meat after grilling is the number |
| cooking ideas when barbecuing. There are a wide | | | | one rookie mistake-and its consequences are |
| variety of sauces and glazes that can be made. BBQ | | | | enormous. |
| sauce is generally a basic mixture of tomatoes, sugar | | | | Barbecuing is cooking by using indirect heat at low |
| and vinegar. A sauce often includes sugar, honey or | | | | temperatures and long cooking times. Before you |
| preserves, which can cause the sauce to burn when | | | | start, however, be forewarned – barbecuing is a |
| cooking; a suggestion is to brush your sauce on in | | | | process that takes time and patience to be done |
| the last five to ten minutes of cooking when cooking | | | | correctly. It takes time to master the methods and |
| at higher temperatures. Barbecue cooks have | | | | techniques to create the perfect barbecue. While |
| individual preferences about the proper meats and | | | | most folks actually grill in the summer, give |
| sauces to use, which differ from region to region. | | | | barbecuing a try; it is a great American pastime. |
| The advantage of a rub is that it will last in a shaker | | | | |