Hotter Is Not Always Better

I’m a guy. Guys like fire…LOTS of fire.  Maybe that’s why BBQ is a favorite guy activity.  Where else can you build a big honking fire and use it to feed your family?  Fire is generally a good thing when it comes to BBQ but you know what they say about “too much of a good thing”, right?

Well, when it comes to barbecue, temperature can mean everything, and too much fire can result in too high a temperature.  That can make your barbecue dry and rubbery, or worse, crispy black and burned.  I know I’ve done it and I bet you have to.  Don’t worry though, there are a couple of easy things you can do in order to make your BBQ tasty and delicious.

1. Keep the cover of your grill or smoker closed at all times- This is one of the easiest ways to keep flare-ups from happening that burn, not cook, your food.  A quality grill or smoker will have a tight fitting lid that will keep airflow under control.  You can then adjust the vents on the unit to control the amount of air and reducing if not eliminating flare-ups.
2. Use the proper temperature for what you are trying to do-  Grilling and Smoking food require different techniques.
   1. Grilling-In most cases, a super high temperature is not what you want.  It can be fine to sear the food quickly using a high temperature (500 degrees and up) but you will usually want to reduce it to 350-400 degrees in most cases in order to complete the cooking process.  For example, when I am grilling a steak I will let my Big Green Egg get up to 700 degrees or so.  I put the steak on the grill and sear it for a couple of minutes then I reduce the temperature to 400 or so to finish cooking.  It works great!
   2. Smoking- The temperature used for smoking (real BBQ in most people’s books) is much lower than for grilling, usually between 150 and 300 degrees.  “Low and Slow” is the rule when smoking.  You want the meat to take in the flavor of the smoke and to cook slowly in order to give you the “fall off the bone” effect.  If I am cooking ribs I will usually keep the temperature around 250-275 for 2-5 hours.  If I have all day, or night, I will cook the ribs at 160-200.

These two easy to implement tips should help you cook delicious food nearly every time.  Remember to use the right temperature for what you are trying to accomplish.  Give them a try and watch the quality of your BBQ go up.  It worked for me, and it should work for you too.