This week, I would invite my friends to join in my barbecue party. Everything has been prepared, now just waiting my friends to come.
Actually it’s both. While the majority of Americans think of barbecue as the charcoal or propane grill on the backyard patio, the term barbecue has come to mean different things to different people. I wrote this article to help distinguish the differences and provide some guidelines to help you make a more informed decision on what to buy for the job you are trying to do.
The term barbecue basically falls into two main categories:
1) hot & fast and
2) low & slow
The hot and fast method is generally done over direct heat on a grill using charcoal or propane with temperatures that range between 300-500 degrees. This works great for steaks, chops, chicken, and fish, when you want to put a nice sear on the food and effectively seal in the juices. While the food will cook much quicker, you will have to watch it very closely so it doesn’t burn. It also will not pick up near as much smoky flavor. For the most part, this is a very simple and efficient way to cook; leaving you plenty of time for enjoying yourself with family and friends, and that is really what a barbecue is all about.
The other method is low and slow. This is typically done in a barbecue smoker which usually uses indirect heat and temperatures ranging between 200-275 degrees. If you’ve ever been to an authentic Kansas City, Memphis or Texas barbecue restaurant, this is the method used. Meats cooked this way spend anywhere from 2-15 hours over low heat with aromatic smoke from a variety of different wood types, including oak, hickory, pecan or cherry. When you slice into a slow smoked piece of meat you should see a pink “smoke ring” inside, which indicates that the meat was prepared in a smoker and spent a considerable amount of time there!
So the question you must ask yourself is, “what is my goal here?“ It depends on several factors, including the type of equipment you have, the amount of time you have, the type of food you plan to cook and the end result you are looking for. If you do not currently own a grill or smoker, you should know that you will spend anywhere from $50-$1500 on a grill and $200 – $10,000 on a smoker. While a smoker only burns wood and charcoal, a grill can be either gas or charcoal. One nice compromise for the average person is the Weber Kettle charcoal grill. This is a great product because it is relatively inexpensive and can work well as both a grill and smoker.
Barbecues, whether cooked low and slow or hot and fast, is really a matter of personal preferences. So, try them both! I for one go for barbecues cooked low and slow. All the flavors are well absorbed and the meat itself is melting in your mouth!
In fact, you should be studying how to make Italian dishes, so that also allow your friends like