BBQ Tips and Tricks for Cooking on a Charcoal Grill
I really like my gas grill, genuinely. It is a no fuss, no muss preference for grilling outside. Mine is even connected to my house gas line so I do not have worry about replacing the tank. But for true BBQ or smoking, I still turn to my charcoal kettle grill, you just cannot beat it for its simplicity and good flavor. Huh? Isn’t grilling and BBQ the exact same thing? No, there’s a difference, let me explain and share with you some BBQ tips and tricks for cooking on a charcoal grill.
Grilling vs BBQ vs Smoking
Grilling is cooking directly above a higher high temperature. You grill a steak or even a hamburger. BBQ is cooking directly or indirectly over a decrease far more moderate heat. You BBQ ribs or chicken. Smoking is really slow cooking above indirect heat in an enclosed space. You smoke a turkey, ribs, brisket and so forth. The slower cooking of BBQ and smoking enables the inclusion of seasonings to permeate the meat and for the meat to absorb additional moisture to allow it to be oh so tender. Yes, you possibly can season a steak with a rub but it truly is cooked at a increased heat and far more quickly, consequently the seasoning is an add-on to the surface of the meat not a flavoring through it.
Light My Fire
Light your charcoal about 30 to 40 minutes before you plan to cook above it. In the event you use lighter fluid be certain it has burned off properly before you set the meat on the grill, otherwise you turn out with lighter fluid flavored BBQ. Ick. The charcoal is ready when it’s mostly ashy gray in the daylight or glowing red in the dark.
Position your hand above the grill to establish the heat; 2 seconds is Hot, 3 to 4 is Medium Hot and 4 to 5 seconds is Medium.
Control The Temperature
Keep a spray bottle of water handy for flare ups. Move the meat to the side, spray the flare up with water, wait for it to die down and replace the meat. You also can smother it with the lid, but make guaranteed to move the meat as well so it doesn’t char. In case you need a hotter fire, push the charcoal together into a concentrated pile and fan it or lower the grill closer to the coals.
If you have to reduce the heat; spread the charcoal out, spray lightly with water, raise the grill away from the heat. These are just a couple BBQ tips and tricks for cooking on charcoal to get you started. The biggest one should be to relax and have fun and get pleasure from the outcome!
I don’t cook in BBQ competitions, but sure do enjoy grilling for my family and trying out new recipes. For more ideas and recipes for Competition BBQ recipes visit BARBECUECOOKBOOK.INFO
Tips for Choosing the Right bbq Islands and Built in grills
Thinking about buying new bbq islands and built in grills? The problem in shopping for bbq islands and built in grills is that there are so many to choose from with prices ranging from around a few hundred dollars to as many thousands you are willing to spend on it. Although there is nothing wrong in paying for quality parts, there is no need to pay more for stacking a collection of features that you don’t need. So it is all about knowing your budget and also being aware of the features that you really need. Reasonable quality bbq islands with a few essential features may cost around $400. The solution lies in avoiding buying bbq islands that have features that you don’t need.
So you need to do a research on how exactly you will be using your new bbq islands and built in grills. How many guests do you expect on a regular basis? How often will you use the Bbq islands and built in grills? These are some of the questions that need to be answered. The size of the built in grills most often determine the money you need to spend. There is no need to buy a huge built in grill if you are not expecting big parties all the time. However, if you are the type that gets occasional guests of a reasonable size, then you can go for bbq islands with a medium to large built in grills. If this is not the case, and all that you have to do is cook for your family, then a smaller built in grill is more than enough.
The other important aspect you need to consider while buying bbq islands and built in grills is the BTU or British thermal unit. This is a measure of the heat generated. Standard bbq islands offer around 44,000 BTU. You also have 60,000 BTU models that generate much higher temperatures. After you have selected a suitable BTU range, you need to decide the fuel source for the Bbq Islands and built in grill. Bbq islands can be fuelled either by liquid propane or natural gas. You can go for natural gas if you can get a natural gas supply nearby. On the other hand, if you can’t get natural gas readily, you can go for liquid propane.
Another thing to consider is the Material used for the body of the built in grill bbq islands. The materials available include stainless steel, cast aluminum, painted steel etc. Stainless steel is a good option as it offers better resistance to corrosion. Bbq islands that are coated with steel may lose the coating with time and rusting will inevitably result. Cast aluminum is durable and doesn’t rust. Stainless steel built in grills are expensive, however it is a good investments for the long run. Finally, you should also compare warranties offered by various bbq islands and built in grill manufacturers. It is better to go for one that offers some degree of lifetime warranty.
I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area and review and write articles on consumer products.
Essential Disposable Bbq Cookout Tips
Not so many moons ago I wrote an article entitled “How To Have The Perfect Barbecue” in which I lambasted most of my friends for burning food on the BBQ and shared my essential tips for ensuring a perfect barbecue every time. An alternative way to put it is “How to BBQ without flames” because the secret to charcoal cooking (and indeed gas barbecuing) is sizzle and not flames.
The fat in the food is mobilised in the heat, drips onto the charcoal which creates the smoke to flavour the food. What we want is to hear the sizzle but no flames because flames will char the outside of the food leaving us at best eating something semi raw and at worst in bed with food poisoning. Easy huh?
Well it is quite easy if you’ve got a barbecue grill with adjustable rack height but if you’re the true outdoor type travelling light you may well have a disposable charcoal barbecue tray. If you’re not familiar with the disposable barbecue grill it’s essentially an aluminum foil tray filled with lump wood charcoal and a light mesh cover. On top of the charcoal is a fuel impregnated mat which once lit is all that’s needed to get the grill going making them ideal when travelling light or for cooking whilst on a picnic. One thing is clear though and that is there’s no adjustment to the height of the grill and this means being careful not to burn the food, more on that in a minute.
The main advantages to this piece of equipment is that it’s light and portable, it’s really quick to get going and also really cheap so for a few dollars more you can really add a new dimension to you picnic. Having recommended trying one of these trays I think it’s also important to point out the downsides of cooking on them so here are my essential tips for cooking on a disposable barbecue grill:-
1. Sometimes the lighting mat can fail so if satisfying your hunger is totally dependent on cooking then remember to take a firelighter as back up – and don’t forget the matches!
2. Choice of food to cook is really important because there’s not much flexibility with the heat and it doesn’t last forever. Because of the lack of flexibility, avoid fatty foods such as sausages because these will simply spray fat onto the coals and cause flare ups. As I’ve already said, the flames will burn food but it’s not just that, flames are wasted energy and your charcoal won’t last as long. Try fish and steaks and other lean cuts of meat.
3. It’s not an expensive piece of kit so don’t expect an enamel grill. The best tip I can give is to brush the grill with oil before putting any food on it and this will prevent it from sticking especially if cooking fish.
One final point; It is as it says, “disposable” so if you’ve just finished your cookout, please look after your environment and dispose of the wreckage responsibly.
Disposable Barbecue Recipes – Free BBQ grill recipes & meat smoker cooking ideas on the ceramic barbecue. Barbecue Grill Guide – Compare electric, gas and charcoal barbecue grills. Free Barbecue Recipes – Easy recipes for the smoker grill with lots of tips.
Categories: BBQ Shopping Tags: Cookout, Disposable, essential, tips

