There are virtually endless variations in methodology depending upon equipment, the style of BBQ or smoker grill and personal preferences. However, here are some universal guidelines for choosing a barbecue smoker grill.
Cost
A smoker should be a long term investment. As a general rule, buy the best smoker you can afford and justify. Here are some considerations.
Fuel
If you just don’t have time to maintain a charcoal or wood fire for long burns, consider gas or electric. Smoke is generated by heating shavings or sawdust. You will sacrifice the authentic wood smoke flavor and the feeling of pride and accomplishment derived from managing a fire properly for a long time to produce outstanding barbecue.
Good-One Patio Smoker/Grills are portable and easy to use. Charcoal will give some smoke flavor which may be supplemented by adding chunks of wood during the burn. The cheaper water smokers require a lot of fire tending and are usually modified to improve performance.
The Good-One Smoker/Grill is more expensive but is well built, durable, and controllable, holds temperature for a long time and is assembled and ready to Smoke right off the sales floor. Kettles and barrel smokers can be used but special precautions and techniques are required to maintain the proper temperature and avoid flare-ups.
Capacity
Are you just going to cook for family and a few friends, or have large parties or even do some catering?
Portability
This is how easy it is to move the smoker around, all Good-One Patio models come with 10? pneumatic tire for easy portability.
Metal Thickness and Quality
Check the thickness of the metal construction, also look for Smokers that are welded together not bolted. The Cheaper the smoker the more bolts to hold it together, thus causing heat loss among the bolt joints.
Temperatures and Smoke
Temperature is really what distinguishes Smoking from other forms of cooking with fire. Smoking is a form of smoke cooking but smoke cooking (which includes higher temperatures) is not necessarily barbecuing. You may use a grill to make barbecue but it is not grilling (also a high temperature cooking method). Cold smoking is done at temperatures of less than 120º F.
Actually, there are only two rules in Smoking on Good-One Smoker/Grill barbecues…
1. Low and slow: Long cooking times of four to twenty four hours, depending upon the meat, at temperatures ranging from 200º to 275º F. measured at the meat level allows tough meat to get tender without drying out. 225º to 250º is ideal.
2. Keep your smoke sweet: Stale or acrid smoke results in a strong, bitter and unpleasant flavor.
Keep a small but active fire
Maintain airflow through the smoker. Keep the upper spinner open 1 ½ turns and regulate the fire with the bottom spinners Do not let the fire smolder or starve for air.
Use high quality wood for smoke.
Wood should be well seasoned, only use green wood if you really know what you are doing.
Use only hardwoods for smoke. Hickory, oak and cherry are fine traditional woods and easy for beginners to use. Avoid wood from conifers or needle bearing trees such as pine.
The father and son entrepreneur team of Ron and Larry Goodwin are the founders of “The Good-One™” Smoker/Grill nearly 20 years ago, in 1988. The Good-One Smoker/Grill is endorsed by Chris Marks, 8 time Grand Champion of the American Royal Cookoff Contest. The website also has information on how to become a Good-One Smoker/Grill dealer,
barbecues and smokers product information, and BBq grilling tips.
Popularity: 100% [?]
All those that are familiar with the concept of barbecuing would exactly know what role a barbecue smoker plays in the sphere of barbecue cooking, a traditional style of cooking meat in America.
Most people install barbecue smokers at home because they want to make the food special and nothing else can help in doing this more than a barbecue smoker. When food is cooked in a barbecue smoker, the flavor that gets imparted to the food is nothing less than magical.
So whether it is meat, fish or even vegetables, a barbecue smoker is what will get your guests to smack their lips!
Before purchasing a barbecue smoker there are certain fundamental things that you should know. The way a barbecue smoker works is essentially very similar to that of a barbecue grill, the only difference being that in the former a special closeable lid is used to trap the smoke emanating from the smoker, and it is in this smoke that the food gets cooked.
On the market, you will find two kinds of barbecue smokers namely, a direct barbecue smoker and an indirect one. In a direct barbecue smoker, there is a single unit that holds the charcoal together with scented wood chips.
The food is put inside the smoker where it cooks in the scented smoke and this process lends a different flavor to the food. The indirect barbecue smoker functions much like the direct one but in this case a separate chamber holds the charcoal and wood pieces and the food kept in the grill unit receives the smoke indirectly.
Smokers can again be differentiated between gas and electric barbecue smokers. Whatever features a barbecue smoker is endowed with, it can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. The kind of barbecue that one wants to buy should necessarily depend on the person’s skill in using cooking equipment.
If you are not very conversant with the ways of a barbecue smoker, then, ideally, you should opt for a water smoker. This type of smoker is best suited for home environment and is actually very popular due to its being relatively inexpensive.
Another high point about a water barbecue smoker is that it produces moisture throughout the process of cooking; though getting it to generate heat is difficult. For barbecue experts electric barbecue smokers are just perfect. Though they are more expensive, the advantages of using an electric smoker are many, one of them being, not needing to light a fire.
Using an electric smoker also gives you more peace of mind since you do not have to put much thought to maintain it. The last of the variety of barbecue smokers is the log barbecue smoker. This is created only for the use of the superbly skilled. This smoker manages to impart the true essence of smoke to the food being cooked.
When you buy a barbecue smoker an important thing to be remembered is that the product you are investing in should be fool-proof and that it is your duty to maintain it!
The father and son entrepreneur team of Ron and Larry Goodwin are the founders of “The Good-One™” Smoker/Grill nearly 20 years ago, in 1988. The Good-One Smoker/Grill is endorsed by Chris Marks, 8 time Grand Champion of the American Royal Cookoff Contest. The website also has information on how to become a Good-One Smoker/Grill dealer,
barbecues and smokers product information, and BBq grilling tips.
Popularity: 96% [?]
Your BBQ Dry Rubs Basics.
Since the Stone Age, man has been perfecting the art of cooking using a direct flame. If you were to ask someone about the history of barbecue, you would most likely get a response similar to the statement above. However, that would not be quite right, as there is a fundamental difference between simply cooking with a flame and having a barbecue.
To find the derivation of the word barbeque, we have to go back to the West Indian island of Hispaniola in the seventeenth century to begin the search for this word. The local Arawakan Indians had a method of erecting a frame of wooden sticks over a fire in order to dry meat. In their language, Taino, they called it a barbacta, which Spanish explorers borrowed.
This word seems also to have been applied by Europeans to sleeping platforms raised off the ground to reduce the risk of snakebite, presumably without the fire underneath. That extraordinary seaman William Dampier was the first person to use the word in this variant sense, in his New Voyage round the World of 1699: “And lay there all night, upon our Borbecu’s, or frames of sticks, raised about 3 foot from the ground”.
If you do not add some sauce, to the direct flame method, you are grilling, not having a barbecue. To truly barbecue is to baste and slow cook meat 5 or 6 hours at a low temperature (around 200 degrees), over wood or charcoal.
Today when you think of going to a barbecue, you may conjure up the idea of a hamburger or steak, so big and juicy, it melts in your mouth. Alternatively, perhaps a hot dog grilled to perfection with all the toppings. The phrase barbecue has evolved to mean either the meat served or the social event where the meat served has been specially prepared to represent a Barbecue taste. Regardless of which area of the US you choose as your favorite for barbecue, the barbecue is an American tradition (like for example American fast food culture), handed down from generation to generation.
While there is no question that the barbecue is an American delicacy, there are many different theories as to where its origins lie. The state of Texas, Virginia, the Carolinas, or Georgia, each area has its own definition and history of Barbecue. It may well be that each area has its own rightful claim to the barbecue history.
And there would be no BBQ without a Texas barbecue sauce, which is thick and sweet with a rich tomato flavour. Texas sauce also uses a dry-rub mixture of seasonings, which is applied to the beef, and then the meat is hung over the BBQ to slow cook - barbeque rubs. The southeast barbecue sauce is a thinner sauce, with more of a vinegary taste. Their meat of choice is likely to be pork. The method used here is to use a pit or enclosure to concentrate the cooking heat and smoke around the meat whilst it is being prepared.
Almost every family has their own unique taste and method used to get just the right barbecue. At your next barbecue just casually ask, Do you know the difference between barbecue and grilling? Or, where did the barbecue originate? Of course, it may depend upon the number of drinks you have served as to the answers you get. But the responses are sure to be varied and interesting.
Popularity: 84% [?]
When it comes to barbequing, what could be more fun than cooking great tasting food on the grill in the company of your best friends or family? The thing of course is finding the right place for grilling and barbecuing. One favorite spot can be own backyard or outdoor kitchen with their own brick barbecue pit. Actually, any open outdoor spot is a potential place for barbeque rubs party but truth be known, the best places for a barbecue are the safest ones.
When barbecuing in your backyard, be sure that you’re 5 to 10 feet away from your house or any material that can potentially catch fire. Also, be sure the grill is stable and is away from children or pets that may bump into it. It would also be a good idea to have a water supply nearby like a garden hose.
Choose a location for your BBQ grill that is away from trees, leaves, brush and overhanging limbs. Do not setup your gill in a high traffic area where someone may accidentally brush up against the hot grill. If you live in an apartment building with a balcony or rooftop or any other outdoor space, be sure to consult with your building administrator (or in some instances, your local fire department) regarding specific restrictions. Generally, using charcoal and gas grills indoors or anywhere above the first story is prohibited so you may want to consider electric grills instead for your barbecuing efforts.
If you live anywhere that football is played, there is a type of BBQ cookout that is almost a religion. That of course is what is known as tailgating. The type of cookers and what is on the grill varies everywhere from propane hotplates to barrel smokers and from hotdogs and sausages to slow cooked BBQ brisket and all types of garden seasonings. Just make sure that you setup away from anything flammable. Start your barbecuing early enough so that your fire is out by the time the game is to begin or is to the point that it can be doused.
Another great place to barbecue is in a campsite. Barbecuing food over a campfire is definitely one of those practical yet cozy things you can do. Just be sure that you are at least 15 feet away from your tent and other camping gears.
Protect yourself by using the correct BBQ utensils such as oven mitts, thongs and a good spatula. Avoid wearing loose clothing while near the grill. This article was about places to grill in the great outdoors, but what if that’s just not possible for you. Stay tuned to the next article which will delve into what you can do in the oven to make the best indoor BBQ.
P.S. Can order takeaway food online be better? Who knows, but even if you resort to it, better know how to do this smartly.
Popularity: 84% [?]
Barbeque, in the southern and Midwest parts of the United States, consists of slow-cooking meat over indirect heat. Chicken, beef, pork, sausage, ham, and ribs can all be barbequed and in certain places, like Kentucky, even mutton. With so many ways to make so many dishes, the perfect way to make barbequed meat can be a regional “bone” of contention. It is a fact that in Memphis, barbeque is almost a religion. Barbeque ribs, usually pork, are slow cooked for long hours, until the meat is so tender that it is ready to fall off the bone. The city is trully the pork barbeque capital of the world, and has over one hundred barbeque restaurants to back up that claim, many of whom participate in the annual pork cook off that is listed the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest pork barbeque contest anywhere. The contest, part of the celebration called “Memphis in May”, draws some 90,000 cooks and spectators.
Competitors come from fifty smaller cookoffs sponsored by the main contest. It even runs a series of training seminars for potential barbeque judges. Good barbeque, they say, is all about being tender, without being too mushy, and being smoky, without being overpowering. Ribs commonly come “wet,” that is, with barbeque sauce of some kind, usually mild and sweet in Memphis and basted on before and after cooking, or “dry,” (m-m-m, bbq dry rubs) with a dry rub of herbs and spices that is applied during or right after cooking. Regardless of which style is favored, the taste of the meat should come through - this is a major difference from something lathered with barbeque sauce and put in the oven for a few hours. In Missouri, there is not one, but two predominant styles of barbeque, both of which favor beef, which is not surprising given the history of both Kansas City and St. Louis as “cattle towns.” They share a tomato-based sauce that is added after cooking, and can be replicate by mixing ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Interestingly, Missouri’s Ozarks are the source of almost half of the charcoal briquettes produced in the United States.
Kansas City, like Memphis, has a large number of barbeque restaurants and hosts several annual competitions. However, it is particularly famous for its sauces, which are thick, rich, tangy, and spicy. The sauce is based on during the last few moments of cooking, and more can be added thereafter. Dry rub, too, is common on Kansas City style barbeque. In St. Louis style barbeque, ribs are the flagship dish. These famous spare ribs are a rack of ribs with the chin bone and brisket bone removed. They are cooked with a sauce that is less vinegary, tangier and thinner than its cross-state equivalent, closer, in fact, to that served in Memphis. Whether sweet or spicy, dry or wet, slow cooked or grilled over an open flame, barbeque is one of the most diverse of all American foods, and one to which many cities lay claim.
Surely you can easily order takeaway online with a great BBQ, but nothing will change it to be better than one done within the reach of your mouthwater.
Each has its own unique character, so get some bread and crackers, or some Cole slaw, or BBQ beans, (all traditional barbeque side dishes) and give them a try. The most important is to understand that barbeque rubs beauty is limited by the imagination only.
Popularity: 86% [?]
When it comes to grilling, most people think only of the grill itself. Sure, the grill is important - without it, barbecuing would not exist. But when it comes to perfectionist grilling, the hobby of many suburban men and women, there are other essential pieces of equipment. Even the grills themselves are available in a range of sizes and accessories - some are fueled by propane while others rely on the traditional fuels of wood and charcoal.
However, some of the most important weapons for any griller are stainless steel BBQ tools. Barbecuing is no longer just about throwing a few slabs of meat on the grill—now it is an art form. Almost any dish can be prepared on a grill, almost any food group, but cooking with such precession is not possible without the proper equipment. Stainless steel BBQ tools are the epitome of style, function and precision, and they can make any griller’s dreams come true, and keep his or her family salivating at the thought of dinner.
Cooking with Science and Art
Stainless steel BBQ tools are some of the best BBQ tools available on the market. Stainless steel itself is coveted for utensils of any kind, especially for a barbecue. Grilling outdoors is not always under sunny skies - sometimes it rains, and sometimes it snows, as barbecuing is not reserved for summertime.
Even for grills on porches or in enclosed areas, moisture is still a problem, both from the food and cooking itself and during washing. Stainless steel does not rust, and it stands up to the natural environment better than any other kind of metal. Stainless steel BBQ tools usually come in sets, ranging from three pieces to over twenty. Tongs, forks and knives and the staple tools, but some sets include corncob holders, skewers and even brushes.
Stainless steel BBQ tools also come in a variety of styles. Some have wooden handles, while others have rubber handles for better grips. The sizes vary according to the needs of the griller - smaller tools are better for smaller hands, but tools with longer handles may be necessary for larger grills so the griller stays protected from the flames.
Wooden handles can be plain or fancy, carved or smooth, and the finishes vary from light to dark. The tools can even be chosen to match the rest of the grill, especially if it is a large unit with wooden accents. Some stainless steel BBQ tools are steel all the way through, but the risk with these tools as that the handles may heat up from the flames.
Popularity: 85% [?]
Cooking is perhaps one of the most fulfilling and satisfying forms of recreation, as well as necessary means of surviving. One may not cook any edible food as it is, but the increase of health related sickness due to contamination of uncooked food has made cooking an important process of daily living. Usually, people eat the basic three square meals, accompanied with three cooking session before that. It may be a tedious chore for others, but for some it becomes a hobby.
Different styles in cooking are done, from the simple boiling to the outdoor barbecuing to the more complex gourmet cooking. For people at home, Cooking is at the convenience of all the available equipment and utensils. For BBQ enthusiasts, a grill or a gas stove is their gadget. It would definitely be uncomfortable to bring any of these gadgets when they have to go on outdoor trips, let alone the awkward looks on the companions’ faces as these equipments are lugged around.
It was not difficult for some ingenious minds to create a smaller and lightweight version and come up with a portable gas BBQ. This small wonder in cooking meant that anyone could enjoy a good BBQ even when they are away from home. A portable gas BBQ was not only an advent of a better cooking experience, but was a good way to continue enjoying the feel of home away from home.
In a Nutshell
The idea of a portable gas BBQ is simple. It had a smaller gas tank to provide fuel for cooking. Secured into the side of a portable gas BBQ, the gas tank unfortunately had limited time for cooking due to the limited volume it could carry fuel. Nevertheless, the portable gas BBQ’s canister like gas tank could be refitted with extra tanks at the convenience of portability.
The whole housing of a portable gas BBQ is made from lightweight materials. Usually in the form similar to that of a small pizza box, much of the surface of the portable gas BBQ is used for the placement of food to be cooked, while a small portion is for the heat resistant fuel canister. Again with its smaller size, the amount of food which can be cooked at any given time is greatly diminished and would not be suitable for large group feeding. Nevertheless, the portable gas BBQ is a very nifty and wonderful addition to things to be brought along camping trips for personal consumption.
Popularity: 84% [?]
When the weather begins to get nice outside, most people start thinking about various outdoor activities that they enjoy. It’s a time when people begin planning outings with family and friends and coworkers. Whether it’s a day at the beach, a ballgame, or a camping trip, portable BBQ grills can add enjoyment to any activity. Here are some things to look for when you are purchasing a portable BBQ grill.
What to Look for
With portable BBQ grills, the idea is to be able to bring the great taste of grilled food on the road with you and still have the convenience of being able to pack light. These units are great because most of them are designed for just this purpose.
Portable BBQ grills come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it’s important to find one that is lightweight for easy transport. You don’t want to go camping or to the beach with a grill that it takes two people to carry. You also want one that is compact enough to allow for easy packing. If you’ll be traveling with it a lot, you want it to take up as little space as possible. Generally, if the unit is 40 pounds or less, you should be alright.
Portable BBQ grills also come equipped with a variety of different options for cooking surfaces. Obviously, you’ll want to buy a unit that can handle any food you are going to want to prepare. Be careful, though, to keep it on the small side, or you’ll be defeating the purpose of a portable BBQ grill.
Also, if you’re camping or at the beach, the last thing you want to do is spend the day scrubbing and scouring the surface of your grill. With this in mind, make sure you choose a cooking surface that is non-stick and easy to clean. This will allow you to get out and enjoy more of the day with family and friends.
Another thing you want to consider is what kind of activities the grill will be used for. It may be that you will only be cooking for yourself, or you and one other person. If this is the case, there are plenty of models available that have very small cooking areas that are perfect for this.
Make sure you go with a larger model if you will be cooking for an entire family or a group of people. Otherwise, you will spend the entire afternoon cooking because the grill isn’t large enough to put enough food on it. The right size grill will allow you to spend your time doing what you came out there for in the first place.
Popularity: 86% [?]
Many times, a name can be misleading. For example - rocky mountain oysters are as far from seafood as they are from the ocean. In fact, many foods are rather misnamed, and these misnomers can confuse customers into ordering something they may not really like. This happens a lot with foods labeled as barbecue.
Barbecue itself usually refers to a grill, but sometimes it can refer to a type of sauce. This sauce, smothered on anything, anytime, can transform any food into barbecue, even though it may never have touched the surface of a grill. On the other hand, the New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp is actually baked, not grilled - a barbecue has nothing to do with it. In a similar vein, Mongolian BBQ, an increasingly-popular style of cooking, is as far from barbecue as possible, but quite tasty.
A Confusing Choice
Mongolian BBQ is a style of cooking often found in restaurants. Meats and vegetables are stir-fried on a large iron griddle, cooked at temperatures as high as 300 degrees Celsius. Originating from Taiwan, the style of cooking is neither Mongolian nor barbecue, and is, in many ways, a completely unique, but misnamed, cooking style.
New to the restaurant world, Mongolian BBQ first appeared in Taiwan near the end of the 20th century. The stir-frying style is meant to evoke the spirit and technique of Mongolian cuisine, but it more closely resembles traditional Japanese cooking. Many restaurants, however, have perpetuated the myth of the Mongolian BBQ, claiming that the soldiers of the Mongol Empire prepared food with their swords and cooked them on their shields, overturned and placed over a large fire.
In a restaurant setting, diners choose their Mongolian BBQ ingredients from a buffet - a large collection of thinly-sliced meats and vegetables. They then bring their ingredients in a bowl or on a plate to the griddle cook, and can ask for any number of special sauces and seasonings. Each bowl of food is stir-fried on a different part of the griddle, and when the meal is finished, it is returned to the bowl and returned to the diner.
Mongolian BBQ restaurants are popular throughout Taiwan. In the United States, this style of cooking is usually found at Chinese buffet restaurants - however, some restaurants specialize in Mongolian BBQ, preferring it over traditional Chinese offerings. Some restaurant chains have even spread throughout Europe and into the Middle East, spreading this misnamed style of cooking from one side of the globe to the other.
Popularity: 83% [?]
If you love the taste of exotic food you should try Korean barbecue. There are many restaurants in the country that are offering Korean BBQ. If you cannot afford to bring your whole family to a restaurant and enjoy Korean food, find some Korean BBQ recipes and learn how to cook Korean BBQ.
No, it is not difficult to find good Korean BBQ recipes. There are a lot of cookbooks sold in the bookstores that feature Korean BBQ recipes. Buy a good cookbook that feature Korean BBQ recipes and then learn to cook some really good tasting Korean food for the whole family. With some good recipes, you will easily learn how to cook exotic Korean food.
Aside from cookbooks, you can also find some really good Korean BBQ recipes online. No, you do not have to pay for these Korean BBQ recipes that are posted online. There are plenty of open sites that feature exotic food recipes.
Just take your time to browse through these sites and find a few good Korean BBQ recipes. Choose some easy to follow recipes at first to get the feel of things. Although Korean BBQ recipes are generally easy to follow, it is still best to start with the least ambitious recipes then graduate to the more complicated ones later on.
Shopping For Ingredients
Shopping for ingredients is just as fun as cooking. To help you shop for ingredients, take a look at your Korean BBQ recipe and then list down all the ingredients that you need. You should also select a side dish that you can serve with your Korean BBQ.
For instance, you can serve your barbecue with some mashed potato and some streamed vegetables. Add the ingredients for your side dish on your shopping list and then double check your list to make sure that you did not forget anything. After you are sure that you have everything that you need on your list, head down to the market or the grocery store.
When buying ingredients for your Korean barbecue, you should take time to select the best quality meat. Check out the premium cut meat in your favorite meat shop and make sure that the meat is fresh and juicy. Always remember that the secret of any good barbecue is in the quality of the meat. No matter how good your marinade or your sauce is, your barbecue will still not taste so good if your meat is bad.
Popularity: 84% [?]
