| In the United States, the word "barbecue" has | | | | it from the pit. It will continue to cook for a little |
| different meanings based on region. The U.S. | | | | longer. |
| Department of agriculture defines barbecue as meat | | | | But what if you don't have a pit for making |
| cooked with smoke and indirect heat, but there is | | | | barbecue? Well, with a little ingenuity a standard |
| much more to it than that! There are differences in | | | | barbecue grill can make some really good barbecue |
| sauces, marinades, rubs, and even choice of wood | | | | ribs (baby back ribs or spareribs). You'll get something |
| fuel. For example at an outdoor barbecue in California | | | | closer to real pit flavor if you use a charcoal grill. |
| might feature grilled tri-tips (a small triangular cut of | | | | Fortunately, charcoal grills cost very little. The key is |
| beef from the bottom sirloin). But a barbecue in | | | | you don't want the grill to be too hot when you add |
| Tennessee probably means pulled pork barbecue with | | | | the ribs. |
| sauce. Meats used in barbecue are usually pork, beef, | | | | To keep the temperature low enough for the ribs to |
| and chicken. Sauces range from mustard to heavy | | | | cook slowly and not be licked by the flames, you put |
| tomato-based to meat marinades. | | | | the coals on one side. With a gas grill, you turn on |
| There are even marked variations in the kind of | | | | your back burner, and put the ribs in front. This is |
| wood used to smoke the meat. Some of the | | | | how the meat gets cooked indirectly. If you're using |
| favorites are oak, walnut, hickory, mesquite, and | | | | a gas grill, you want the temperature to be about |
| pecan. Barbecue restaurants everywhere pride | | | | 260 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a pot of water on the |
| themselves on their own particular blend of meat, | | | | grill before you shut it to help the meat stay moist. |
| sauce, and wood. The best barbecue is juicy, tender, | | | | You can do this with a charcoal grill, too. |
| full of flavor, and usually messy. But the mess is | | | | At a temperature of 260 degrees, spareribs will need |
| worth it because few things taste as good as | | | | about 3 ½ hours to cook, and baby back ribs |
| well-prepared barbecue. | | | | will need between 2 and 2 ½ hours. During this |
| There may be no one "standard" way of making | | | | time, turn the ribs at least twice over and twice back |
| barbecue, but whatever method you choose should | | | | to front to accommodate the uneven heating that is |
| follow these guidelines for the best results: Buy fresh | | | | typical in a grill. When the ribs are close to being |
| meat of the highest quality you can find and afford. | | | | done, brush all sides with a thin layer of sauce, close |
| If you use frozen meat, it will tend to be drier. | | | | the grill, wait five minutes and repeat four or five |
| Season and smoke the meat slowly over your choice | | | | times. |
| of wood until a meat thermometer reads 160 | | | | After you remove the ribs from the grill, put them in |
| degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes this takes over 12 | | | | a covered dish, or cover with foil and let sit for a |
| hours. Check the temperature of each piece of meat | | | | few minutes. Then all that's left to do is enjoy the |
| as you remove it from the pit. As soon as the | | | | messy deliciousness! |
| thermometer reads 160 degrees, you should remove | | | | |