When we talk about barbequing, there are two principal methods you can use, or should we say two schools of thoughts.
The first of these two – and the favorite for those who grill in their backyards – is that you cook directly over the heat source.
You just put your food directly over the charcoals, the wood, or the gas burners. Food cooks this way rapidly.
You rarely close the lid of the grill in this method, and you see when the food gets ready.
Any foods that you put on your grill, like tender cuts, hamburgers, steaks, kabobs, chicken, and vegetables are quickly browned and cooked to perfection using this method.
If you like to use sauces, you can add them beforehand, or during the grilling, or when the food gets to table. You can try which way gets best flavors for your tastes and which suits best for your grilling habits.
The second method uses indirect heat.
This method is suited for massive cuts of meat, such as large steaks, roasts, a pork shoulder, or a full hog.
When you’re cooking using this method, the food is not in direct contact with the heat source.
Cooking times are longer this way. It usually requires a water pan of some kind to sustain right moisture content of the food.
The temperatures sit in around 250º F.
During this cooking method, the lid of the barbeque remains closed most of the time, and as mentioned, the cooking time is much longer than in the direct heat method.
Indirect barbeque cooker usually has an additional firebox that allows you to combine wooden logs and charcoal for burning.
This allows the smoke and the heat to rise through the cooking chamber so that it is heated supremely.
The rule of thumb of this method is to use a low temperature for a long time.
No matter which method you use, don’t heat your meat too pronto!
The key is: not charred on the outside but cooked on the inside.
If the inside temp of your meat rises too quickly, the water and the fat within it will be dismissed before the main structural protein can melt.
This means that your cut will be dry and tough.
There is a fine line for grilling your food correctly, and it is essential to find that line and hold to it.
If you’re dealing with tough meat, like a brisket or a pork roast, consider cooking slowly as the protein adds taste to it.
With a more expensive cut, you can cook for a shorter period with higher temperature.
Ribs and steaks with high-quality take such a short time to cook, while pork shoulders or beef brisket can take up to 20 hours.
As a final note, it’s important to experiment new and interesting things while you barbeque!