The single most essential concept an outdoor cook needs to understand is the importance of temperature control and how to use a 2-zone setup.
Whether you are cooking on an El Cheapo Charcoal Grill from Wally World, a Super Sabre Jet Stainless Steel Gas Grill from Williams of Napa, or a Texas Tinkermann Iron Tube Competitor mounted on a trailer, most outdoor cooking goes best if you use a 2-zone setup. Even if you are only cooking hot dogs.
To cook delicious food, you need to control your cooking temperature because the compounds in foods react differently to different levels of heat. For example, meats are composed of protein, water, fat, collagen, and some sugars, and each component changes drastically at different temperatures. Fats render at one temp, water evaporates at another, collagens melt at another, sugar caramelizes at another, the Maillard reaction (a.k.a. browning of proteins) occurs at another, and carbonization (a.k.a. charring or burning) occurs at yet another temp.
To gain control of temp, a 2-zone setup is ideal because it gives you much better control over temperature and method of applying heat. In a 2-zone setup, you have one side of the grill that is hot and producing radiant direct heat, and the other side is producing no heat and food on that side cooks by indirect convection heat. We'll call one the direct zone and the other the indirect zone.
For a charcoal grill, just push the coals to one side to setup a 2-zone cooking system. For a gas grill, just turn off a burner or two or three and placing the food over the burners that are off to roast with indirect convection heat.
The most common mistake outdoor cooks make is using too much direct heat. That's how they burn things. That's how foods get tough and dry. If meat is exposed to very high heat for too long, the proteins get their undies in a bunch and shrink, squeezing out the liquids, and the result is tough dry meat.
Using a 2-zone setup allows you to control the temp applied to the food. You can sear the exterior of a thick steak over high heat in the direct zone to get great flavor from browning, and then move it to the indirect zone to prevent burning and finish cooking the interior at a more moderate temperature.
An indirect zone is particularly helpful for preventing food from burning if it is very sweet or if there is sugar in the rub or sauce. Slices of pineapple are great on the grill, but can burn quicklt if put over direct heat.
Some smokers, like the Weber Smokey Mountain (right), come with a water pan. That's it just beneath the ham and above the charcoal. Leave it in and you are cooking indirect. Take it out and you are cooking direct. The water pan helps stabilize and lower oven temp and adds humidity to the oven. It can also catch drips for sauce. Here's an article on how to set up a WSM for moist smoke roasting. Click here for more on setting up a WSM.
On a charcoal grill, fill up a chimney, wait til the coals are white, dump the coals all on one side of the bottom rack, and put a water pan on the other. Put the top rack on, put the meat on the top rack above the water pan, and another water pan on the top rack above the coals. Follow the same concept on other charcoal grills. Click here another article on how to set up a charcoal grill for moist smoke roasting.
The metal insert on the right side of this Weber Kettle grill is called a Smokenator and it keeps the coals off to one side so, as in the photo, you can put your ribs on other side for low and slow indirect smoke roasting, and you can put more meat below on the bottom rack, or, as in this photo, a pan of beans under the ribs to catch the drippings. If you have a Weber Kettle, you need one of these handy attachments. Just click the link above.
The gas grill below is set up with a water pan under the meat for indirect cooking and to collect drippings. The pan is filled with wine, fruit, herbs, onions, and more goodies to make a flavorful stock for gravy. To the left is a small pan with wood chips for smoke. It is resting on a hot burner so the chips will smolder. Click here for more on how to make the ultimate smoked turkey, even on a gas grill. Click here for an article on how to set up a gas grill for moist smoke roasting.
Tell us your favorite grilling tips below.
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All text and photos except the WSM are Copyright (c) 2010 By Meathead, and all rights are reserved. For more of Meathead's writing, photos, and recipes, please visit his website AmazingRibs.com, friend him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
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Meathead Goldwyn: Unfuddling The Many Different Cuts Of Ribs
My weekend Smokenator results - I was going to conduct the 'dry run' recommended by the manufacturer, but as they were practically giving away ribs and split chicken at Safeway, I decided to try with food (though I usually rub the meat the day before and refrigerate, reapply just before cooking) and with the exception of a heat spike early on (before I added the food) which was the result of using too many lit briquettes and easily remedied, damned if it didn't just stay at a constant 230-240 F(at the dome, 210-220 Fat the food) for the entire 5-1/2 hours. I did adjust the vents, but mostly just to see the corresponding temperature fluctuations. As half-a**ed bbq went though, it was pretty tasty. Thanks again!
That was some fine brisket!
12 hours later the house was full of yum. Indirect heat rules, as do huge slabs of beef. Low and slow, that's the ticket.
I can't wait to make chili or enchiladas with the leftovers, if I don't eat them standing at the fridge late at night.
I tried your Memphis Dust on some baby backs this weekend and I liked it a lot. I look forward to checking out the Vermont Pig Candy. Thanks for all you've added. :)
It is now 11 am, time to check the fire. After staying up until 1:30 am for stupid reasons I got up and lit my offset smoker. Last night as I was getting stuff ready I talked myself out of a dry rub and into using just salt, leaving more options for using the meat in other recipes. This morning I went for a rub. I probably shoulda put it on last night, but I worked a long day and was foggy about the rub thing. It is in the smoker in a giant disposable aluminum roasting pan and I plan to flip it every three hours and start mopping after six hours. I started the fire with briquettes and fuel it with a blend of soaked chunks of hickory and hardwood charcoal. The brisket has been smoking at 200 deg. F. for four hours, the 'hood smells good...kinda like ribs squared.
I sure hope this think doesn't suck.
Has there ever been a poll done on what type/brand of grill is the favorite?
And hang in there in the Meat v No Meat debate. You make good points. People need to hear from farmers.
Oh, yeah, and always brine yer poultry.
I will explore the glory of whole brisket for the first timne on my offset smoker on Sunday. I have to get up at 5 am to have it ready by dinner. Beer for breakfast anyone?
Here is the best way to BBQ. I have been using one for years and it does a wonderful job on pretty much everything. The concept is growing more popular and now there are many other similar products available. But for myself I am dedicated to the EGG, Everybody I prepare food for tells me I am a pretty good cook, but then I have to explain that the credit goes to the cooker not the cook.
http://www.biggreenegg.com/
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/grills/charcoal_grills_vs_gas_grills.html
Over the years I have cooked on nearly every type of grill. They all seem to have strong and weak points. My personal preference has alway been charcoal and lump coal.Over the years I have probably inhaled quite a bit of charcoal dust, ash and smoke. This along with trying to keep my yard and patio free of the ash has prompted me to move to cooking on a gas grill more. This time I did it right and bought what is hopefully a high quality Gas grill that should last me 15+ years. Perhaps I will learn to match the taste of foods cooked over wood or coal with the gas grill, perhaps not. Tips from people like Craig and others posting here will make getting there easier.
Thanks
Are you a trained chef or did you learn on your own?
Hopefully some day I will have the chance to be part of a BBQ team and compete in local competitions.
Thanks for all the tips. Please keep them coming!
I did teach at the Cordon Bleu School in Chicago for three years and I lectured at Cornell for 10 years and took advantage of the opportunity to audit classes. I read a lot and I'm addicted to Alton Brown.
This recipe creates enough paste for up to 3 racks of lamb, but also works well for Leg of Lamb.
Paste
1 tbsp Finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp Finely chopped or pressed garlic
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp Grey Poupon or Dijon mustard
Up to 3 Racks of Lamb, each rack cut in half
1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs. Regular bread crumbs will also work
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix paste ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
Trim off some of the fat if necessary leaving only a thin layer. Rinse under a stream of water and pat dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper the lamb lightly. Rub a thin layer of paste all over lamb. Press the bread crumbs into the paste. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 before cooking.
Set up the BBQ to cook medium hot indirect or about 400 deg. When the BBQ is preheated add a handful of soaked wood chips to the coals. My favorite blend for this recipe is 2 parts mesquite, 1 part hickory and 1 part pecan wood chips. Place lamb on grill, (not directly over the coals) cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done to your liking. Remove from grill and let rest for a couple minutes then serve.
For dishes that cook in 10 minutes or less wood chips don't make much of a difference so I use lump coal.
If you would like my Rack of Lamb recipe let me know and I will post it.
Maybe not in this case.