| o basics of authentic barbecue are a low cooking | | | | you learn may give you the confidence you need to |
| temperature and plenty of wood smoke. | | | | venture into new areas. |
| You need enough heat to cook the meat (which is | | | | Many outdoor cooks close and cover up their grills |
| the difference between smoke curing and | | | | and smokers for the winter months. They do all their |
| barbecuing) but you need to keep the temperature a | | | | cooking inside and force themselves to forget the |
| bit above the level that meat will register inside when | | | | great taste of outdoor-cooked food for long |
| done. | | | | stretches of time. |
| So, let's take pork for example; it needs to be | | | | Those who love to cook outdoors and enjoy eating |
| cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 | | | | grilled, smoked, or barbecued foods do not like to |
| degrees Fahrenheit, so you must barbecue it at 180 | | | | quit doing so just because it is cold outside. Outdoor |
| degrees to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This same | | | | cooking is not a passion that can be turned on and |
| principle works very well for other foods as well. | | | | off because of the weather. It is a year-round love |
| Grilling is what many inexperienced, "want to be pit | | | | of some of the best-tasting food there is anywhere. |
| masters" call barbecuing. Actually, grilling in concept is | | | | Fortunately, there are many ways to get around this |
| the opposite of barbecuing because of heat. Much of | | | | dilemma of being left out in the cold when cooking |
| the time you want the highest temperature | | | | outdoors in the winter. |
| achievable in grilling, because the purpose is to sear | | | | Grilling is a process of cooking food quickly over an |
| meat on the outside to make it crispy and brown on | | | | open flame. The operative word is "quickly" as this |
| the surface. This method is best when used with | | | | allows you to cook the food without having to spend |
| tender cuts, such as a good steak or chop, which are | | | | a long time outside. |
| pretty much free of connective tissue. Usually, meat | | | | With a gas grill, where you control the heat, you can |
| used to barbecue is really tough. Spareribs, beef | | | | cook a steak or hamburger in just a few minutes. |
| brisket, as well as other cuts require slow cooking at | | | | Because of the constant high heat, you will not be |
| low temperatures to break down their stubborn | | | | forced to stay outside in the elements for long |
| tissues. This is the exact reason why they are ideal | | | | stretches of time. And if the weather is really bad, |
| for barbecuing in the first place. When you barbecue | | | | you can time your cooking and be there to flip the |
| steaks, fish, or vegetables, you do it to add smoky | | | | meat or get it off the grill. |
| flavor and not because the slow cooking is needed | | | | Other outdoor cooking methods work even better in |
| for tenderness. | | | | the cold weather. A smoker, by its very nature, is |
| The smokiness that you desire in barbecue should | | | | designed to cook food at very low temperatures for |
| come from smoldering wood, not from fat or oil | | | | long periods of time. In any environment, once you |
| dripping on coals or hot metal. | | | | get the fire right, you basically put the meat in the |
| The use of water or other liquids is a bit controversial | | | | smoker and forget about it for several hours. While |
| in barbecue circles. People in the past didn't add | | | | you are inside, the meat is slowly cooking outside |
| water to their pits in any fashion, and many experts | | | | just the way it is supposed to. |
| don't like the idea today. They say that barbecuing | | | | Barbecue cooking works in a similar way, as well. It is |
| has to be a dry cooking process. The truth is that | | | | cooked slow and over an indirect fire, although not |
| most methods of barbecuing have always involved | | | | usually as slow-cooked as in a smoker. Therefore, it |
| the circulation of moisture laden air over food. This | | | | pretty much cooks itself once you get the fire just |
| makes the process much wetter than cooking in a | | | | right. With barbecue, it is usually better to leave it |
| traditional oven. Water has a proper place in | | | | alone. The meat will be less likely to dry out and the |
| barbecuing, depending on how it's used and what | | | | fire will stay at more of a constant temperature. |
| you're cooking. | | | | Start getting into the mindset that cooking outside is |
| Traditional barbecue meats benefit from losing | | | | not just a summer event. You will soon discover that |
| moisture as they cook, shrinking their size, but many | | | | the food actually benefits from being left alone, and |
| non traditional foods can benefit from increasing | | | | you will be able to enjoy the great tastes of outdoor |
| humidity inside the smoker. As long as you avoid | | | | cooking all year and under just about any weather |
| cooking the food with steam instead of smoke, | | | | condition. |
| extra moisture can help to prevent lean meat and | | | | Now might be a good time to write down the main |
| fish from getting too dry. | | | | points covered above. The act of putting it down on |
| It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the | | | | paper will help you remember what's important about |
| subject of outdoor cooking,traditional barbecue. What | | | | outdoor cooking,traditional barbecue. |