Three Easy Steps to the Perfect BBQ
To a purist, BBQ is all about slow Cooking. This generally means using either a smoker or a grill with a large surface and a snug lid. You need to position the food a short distance away from the heat. You can do this by rearranging the briquettes, or by having a flame on only one side of the grill. This produces a section of low heat that lets you implement the first of three steps to a perfect BBQ: infusing.
The objective of infusing is to allow all the flavor of the meat to penetrate below the surface before it seals up through the Cooking process. The rub, sauce, fat and juices mix with the smoke and heat to produce a complex interaction inside the meat. Both surface and interior fats melt away and the particles become part of the external layer. Now the stage is set for the movement of the flavor compounds. Some killer BBQ is right around the corner.
During the second step, the actuall Cooking happens, and this usually takes a while. As the interior temperature of the meat climbs, proteins break down and become amino acids. Sugars convert into particles that add a sweet taste. Enzymes get active, and salt becomes ionized. The outcome of all this chemical activity is the transformation of a hunk of meat into a savory main course.
Throughout this stage, smoke from any wood which has been added lends flavor to the finished product. The surface of the meat becomes sealed and the inside juices are trapped; as they heat up they alter their composition. During this phase, the meat will spend the most time Cooking. Maintain the temperature at a lower level than what you use for indoor Cooking.
Once the meat’s inside temperature reaches 200F, it’s time to take it off the BBQ grill or smoker.
During the third step, your meat finishes cooking. As it cools, the internal heat is still high enough to continue to affect the meat. Throughout this stage, meat can become even more tender, creating a most satisfying meal.
You can serve it once the temperature decreases to 165F or lower. Slice off a bit and notice the color. Beef should be a dark red, and chicken should have become white and any juices should now be clear. If it’s pork, it should be white with a gray tinge. The taste should be subtle and it should have an easy to chew consistency.
And there you have it: the perfect BBQ.
Posted
on Sunday, November 30th, 2008 at 5:11 am and is filed under Cooking Tips.
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