Backyard BBQ Grilling
Outdoor BBQ Grilling
There are generally two types of outdoor BBQ: High heat and low heat.
High heat barbecue is your typical backyard grilling done over charcoal, wood, or gas. The grills are hot and food is ready in 10-30 minutes. Best for shrimp, fish, chicken, steak, pork chops, and vegetables. Low heat outdoor BBQ is the slow and low style of barbecue often using wood and smoke to cook larger tougher cuts of meat like shoulder, ribs, and brisket.
Today we are talking about high heat grilling and how to master your next backyard cookout.
The reason people love an outdoor BBQ is because there are layers of flavor added to the food that do not occur in an oven or sauté pan. The grill itself adds flavor from the smoke and high heat charring that occurs. As the protein cooks, sauce or fat dripping off the food causes smoke and flaring which gives it that signature outdoor BBQ taste. Other ways to add flavor when grilling is marinating the meat prior to cooking or basting as you grill.
When to Marinate or Baste
To decide whether to use marinade, baste, or simply grill without either, consider the type of protein, and the size
Foods that work well on a high temp grill are seafood, chicken, pork, steak, burgers, and vegetables. Out of those: seafood, burgers, and veggies work well without marinating or basting because they cook quickly. They can be easily over-marinated and there isn’t enough time on the grill to impart much flavor by basting. To grill seafood, burgers, and vegetables, season and lightly oil and optionally hit it with a sauce right before it comes off the grill. Seafood can be marinated, but it should be done for a shorter period of time and care should be taken that the marinade is not too strong in flavor or acidity.
Chicken, pork, and steak take marinades and basting well. When cooking those items, use the type of protein and size to decide which method to use. Marinade if the meat is a tougher cut because the prolonged exposure to the acid will tenderize more than a basted sauce. Marinades also work well for thinner pieces. Neither a baste nor a marinade will penetrate very deeply into the meat but if you have a thin cut, the marinade will flavor the meat more evenly than a baste.
As a loose guideline: Marinades work best for chicken breast, pork tenderloin, sirloin, hangar steak, flank steak, and skirt steak. Use Baste for chicken thighs, pork chops, filet, ribeye, and strip steak.
Marinade
Marinades are a great way to tenderize and add flavor and moisture to meat prior to grilling.
A marinade is a combination of acidic liquids, oil, and seasonings used to soak meat before cooking. The acidic components tenderize the meat and add flavor. Vinegar and lemon juice are commonly used. Other acidic ingredients used are buttermilk, yogurt, fruit juices, wine, and pickle juice. Oil is used to balance the acidic ingredients and help retain moisture. Salt changes the structure of the protein which allows more of the marinade to penetrate the meat. Sugar, herbs, and seasonings round out the flavor of the marinade and add flavor and depth.
How to use a Marinade
Place the protein in a Ziploc bag and pour enough of the marinade into the bag to cover. Seal the bag and massage lightly. Place in a refrigerator and allow to marinate. When finished, remove the protein, and discard the marinade. Do not reuse any marinade that has been in contact with raw protein. Marinades work well for seafood, chicken, pork tenderloin, tofu, and tougher cuts of steak like sirloin, flank, skirt, and hangar. Cook on a hot grill that has been oiled well. Keep an eye that the sugars in the marinade do not burn on the grill.
Watch outs for Marinades
Size matters. Marinades work best on smaller or thinner cuts of meat as they cannot penetrate deep into larger portions. If you have a larger piece of meat, it may be a good idea to cut it into smaller pieces.
Timing will vary. Meat can be over-marinaded if left in it for too long. The acids will cause it to become tough or start to break down and become mushy. Timing depends on the type of protein, size, and acidity of the marinade. Seafood should only be marinated for 30-60 minutes. Chicken, beef, pork, and tofu can be marinated for up to 24 hours.
Basting
A grill baste is thicker than a marinade and brushed on as the food cooks instead of before.
The baste tenderizes the meat and adds moisture and flavor. To grill with a baste, season and baste the protein, then place it on the grill and baste as needed during the cooking. When applying baste, use a brush, and place the baste on top of the meat allowing it to run over as it cooks. It’s good practice to separate the baste and use two brushes, one for raw protein, and one to baste the cooked protein once it is flipped on the grill. Always baste one last time about 30 seconds prior to removing the meat for a final touch of flavor. You can also baste using BBQ sauce but be careful not too baste too early in the cooking process, sugars in the sauce can burn on the high heat of the grill. If you are basting with a barbecue sauce use lightly and towards the end of cooking.
Mopping Sauce
A mopping sauce is thinner than a baste and is applied using a small mop. The thinner sauce will run off more quickly so apply heavier and more frequently than a baste. As the sauce drips, it will cause flare ups and smoke which add flavor to the meat. Mopping sauces are often used for low heat BBQ due to the longer cook time.
How to cook on a Grill
Set up your heat so you have a hot and a cooler cooking zone on the grill. The grates should be scraped clean and oiled with cooking spray or brushing the grates with oil. Find the spot on your grill that is hot enough to add some char to the food without overcooking and place your meat. I use 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock as reference points when I grill to get nice diamonds. Oil the grates and place the protein, presentation side down, at an angle resembling the way a clock hand points to 10 o‘clock. Once it is marked nicely, oil another section and rotate, with the presentation side down, as if it was angled at 2 o’ clock. Once the diamond is marked, flip the protein over to a cooler section and cook at 10 and 2 until finished. Checking the internal temp of the meat on a grill is very useful due to the inconsistent nature of the heat.
How to cook on Charcoal
There is nothing quite like the smell and taste of food cooked on a charcoal grill. Many people get a warm sense of nostalgia from charcoal as the smell invokes fond memories of friends and family.
The key to good charcoal grilling is getting the temp right and timing your food so it goes on the grill when it’s at the optimal heat for cooking. The best way to do this is to get the coals white hot and then position them so you have a range of heat in your grill. Move the coals in a way so one side is the hottest and it gradually cools as you move to the other side. This creates a nice range to cook on.
How to start the coals
I recommend using a chimney starter. It is the most consistent way to start the coals. If you don’t have a chimney, you can use lighter fluid or instant light charcoal. The key is to light the coals in a tight pile so they light evenly and all get very hot. Once the fire has died, and they are white hot, move the coals to create your cooking area. Once your coals are ready, regulate the heat by adjusting the vents on the grill, typically found in the bottom and in the lid. More airflow will cause the coals to burn hotter and faster.
How to cook on Gas
Gas grills are much more convenient and give the user instant control of the heat.
Set up a gas grill in the same way you would a charcoal grill. Turn on the heat and then adjust the gas so that it is hottest on one end and then gets cooler as you move to the other side. Most gas grills have at least three knobs, so this is relatively easy: setting it up to high – medium – low.
Wood and Smoke
An effective technique for enhancing the flavor of grilled foods is to add wood and smoke. Wood can be added to high or low heat cooking. Soak wood for 15 minutes in water so it will smolder then add to the coals or place in a smoker box for use with a gas grill. Use the smoke to flavor the food as it cooks.