Friday, July 4, 2014

Temperature - how important is it?

First, let me start this blog by explaining the difference between barbecue and grilling. Yes, there is a difference! Just like we tend to call all sodas Coke or all tissues Kleenex, we do the same with grilling and barbecuing. Many times people will say they are going to bbq some burgers. Chances are, they most definitely are not going to barbeque burgers!

When you grill something, you are applying high heat to it. So the cooking process is hot and fast. When you are barbecuing (often referred to as smoking), you are cooking your food over a lower heat for a longer period of time or what we call low and slow. Grilling is usually done on a gas grill as the fire or flame is directly under the food. Charcoal can be done both ways. Either directly over the heat of the charcoal or the charcoal can be set to the side for more indirect cooking (barbecuing).

So next time someone tells you they are going to bbq burgers, make sure you explain to them that they are actually grilling. :)

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's talk about temperature. When you are grilling; again, you are cooking hot and fast. In some cases, the hotter the better. The ceramic charcoal grills can get upwards of 1000 degrees! Many gas grills temperatures range around 500 degrees and sometimes even hotter. Since direct grilling involves the food over the heat, less time is obviously taken to cook the food. Leave it on there to long and you have burnt food!

As I said before, bbqing is low and slow. Generally the temperature is around 180f to 225f. Some people do barbeque at a higher temperature. The temperature is lower because you are cooking the meat over a period of time to allow for the muscle fibers to break down and make the meat very tender. Obviously, if you are going to cook something for a long period of time, you need to do so at a lower temperature or you will just burn the meat up. Many people will smoke their foods when cooking low and slow. This is why smoking is used synonymously with barbecuing. Smoking simply means to add the element of smoke to the cook to infuse a smoky flavor to the food. This is accomplished by burning wood at a low temp so that is smolders but does not actually ignite.

It is ideal to keep the temperature constant when barbecuing low and slow. Constant temp changes up or down will effect the outcome of your cook. The best way and most preferred way to check your temperatures of both your meat and/or your grill/smoker/oven is to use a digital thermometer. Many bbqers are now using thermometers that are wireless and allow you to bring the receiver inside the house. You can program them to keep an eye on the temperature of your food and your heat source and sound an alarm if anything changes. Easiest and quite frankly the best way to cook low and slow. They can be used for grilling as well to check the temperature of chicken, steaks, etc.

Lastly, always, always cook your meat according to USDA recommended internal temps to avoid eating meat with microbial dangers.

Enjoy your 4th of July and have a safe holiday!

Dan M.
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, Co. 80918
719-465-1041

No comments:

Post a Comment