Just as winter is best served with a good stew or a cup of hot chocolate in hand, summer is he barbecue season. (After all, what better meal to enjoy on a warm summer day than a grilled vegetable kebab, a juicy burger, or a hot dog dressed with all your favorite condiments? Our mouths are watering thought about.)
That said, grilling involves a lot more than placing a piece of food on the grates, turning on the burners, and waiting until your entree of choice has a few char marks on it. I like the recipes you cook inside At home, grilling is an art that requires time, patience, and some strategy. Since grilling is a learned skill, mistakes are inevitable, but with the right culinary knowledge, those missteps are only temporary.
Ready to make this grilling season the best one yet? We asked two professional grill experts to share the biggest barbecue mistakes and how to fix them. That way, your time on the grill can be all sizzle and no flop.
Thomas J. History
Mistake #1: Underutilizing Your Grill
According to Nick Prince, owner of Post Oak BBQ in Denver, the way you use your grill can affect the outcome of your meal. Instead of spreading a bunch of burgers on the grill and hoping for the best, put a little strategy into your setup. “You can set the grill with direct heat to sear meats and vegetables or place the coals on one side of the grill and the meat on the other and cook it over low heat,” he explains. “If you don’t set up your grill correctly for these, the results probably won’t be what you’re looking for.” However, when used correctly, grills can be a multi-purpose tool that prepares countless wonderful meals.
Mistake #2: Thinking too much about the cleaning process
While it’s important to clean your grill regularly (after all, those charred, crispy, burnt bits falling through the grates won’t do your future meals any favors), you don’t need to remove the rough, chemical-laden ones. cleaners. Some professionals argue that the entire process can be as quick and easy as scraping creosote and dripping grease from the bottom and walls of the smoker or grill. “We used inexpensive spatulas with some flexibility and lightly scraped off the buildup and discarded it,” explains Wyatt Fields, owner and pit master at Breakwater Barbecue in El Granada, California. “This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.” Fields also wipes the walls of the smoker with rendered beef fat to further protect the internal “seasoning” of the smoker. “Think of a cast iron skillet,” explains the barbecue pro. “This prevents ‘bad-tasting smoke’ and promotes a good starting point for the cook.” If you don’t have rendered beef fat, a neutral oil spray or Crisco work well.
Thomas J. History
Mistake #3: Adding meat too quickly
As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and barbecue is no exception. While it can be very easy to rush through the grilling process, Fields says one of the biggest mistakes is adding food to the grill. also early. “Be sure to allow some time for a suitable charcoal bed to turn gray before adding any desired wood chunks or chips to a hot charcoal bed,” explains Fields. As this professional says, this small adjustment is so the wait is worth it. “With a good charcoal base developed, you now have a canvas to work with and can then manipulate your vents or stack to get the right smoke flavor you want without letting the grill or smoker control you the whole cook,” adds Fields.
Mistake #4: Selecting the wrong wood chips
If you want to add a smoky flavor to your ingredients, any kind of wood chips or chunks will do, right? Not so much. Since all wood species have unique aromas and notes, Fields says it’s important to think carefully about your selection. For example, anyone new to grilling with wood chips and chunks should opt for more neutral species like white oak, almond, or walnut. “Save the hickory and mesquite for a test firing, as these blends tend to be quite potent for smoke. and it can drown out lighter meats like ribs, chicken or fish with an intense smoky flavor that can overwhelm the meal,” explains Fields.
Ian Bagwell
Mistake #5: Deprioritizing the process
Make no mistake, you could Add some grilled burgers, flip after a few minutes and serve. However, if you want to take your grilling to the next level, it’s important to do some research on best steps and practices. “The most common mistakes we hear about with grills and smokers center around people not understanding the entire cooking process of the food they’re trying to prepare,” Prince says.
Case in point: a tender brisket. “If I’m cooking (one) in an offset smoker, which has a large cooking chamber, fire on one side and a chimney on the other, I need to know how the heat and smoke travel through the pit and how it will be produced. It affects my cook,” he explains. “I need to understand where the hot spots are on the unit, how the fire reacts when I prepare it certain ways, and the desired look and feel of the meat at the end of cooking.”
While your grill or smoker manufacturer should have tips and tricks for getting the most out of your setup, you can always check out our summer-ready recipes for inspiration.
Mistake #6: Eating meat too quickly
Remember what we said about waiting to add your food to a grill? Well, that same mentality applies to letting meat rest. “It’s as important as the cook,” Prince says. “As it rests, the meat has a chance to relax, reabsorb juices and seasonings, and become as tender as it should be.” For some tips, Prince says a steak should rest for the same amount of time it spent cooking over the fire. Meanwhile, a brisket can rest for up to 12 hours or more with “fantastic results.” “But be careful, the meat continues to cook during this process,” he adds. “So make sure you remove the meat from the heat at the right temperature to account for this residual effect.”
Thomas J. History
While a good knowledge of grilling will get you far, the cut and quality of the meat is the foundation of any great barbecue. You can buy a pre-packaged steak at the supermarket, but professionals recommend buying it from an expert butcher. “Be sure to develop a relationship with your local butcher shop,” says Fields. “Knowing them by name will prove to be a very valuable relationship!” Who knows? If you make friends with your local butcher, they may even offer you their professional advice or give you a very special cut.
