Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Patience everyone

If I had a dollar for every time a customer came into the store and said they don't barbecue because it takes too long or they don't use charcoal because it takes as long to light it as to cook the food; I would be a millionaire.

One thing about barbeque that I cannot stress enough is that it takes patience. Does that mean you have to take a huge chunk out of your life to do it? Of course not. It is all about planning and using the right accessories.

In today's world, there are so many accessories that will make your barbecuing experience so much faster and easier. For example, the Looftlighter will light charcoal in literally 30 seconds.

Lighting your charcoal in 30 seconds to 1 minute is less time than it takes to get your kitchen oven up to temp. Think about that. 

I teach my students in class that preparation is everything when it comes to barbecue. It isn't just pulling something out of the freezer and throwing it into the microwave. The preparation and effort in barbecue brings about except results. A few weeks ago I went to a local bbq place and ordered a brisket sandwich and a side of coleslaw. My order came to nearly 8 bucks and more after tip. It costs me a fraction of that to make that exact same dish at home and have leftovers to boot. 

Before you start your bbq venture, sit down and figure out what you want to cook. If the meat is frozen, pull it out of the freezer ahead of time to properly thaw it out. (Don't leave it out to thaw, leave it in water to thaw or use a microwave) Look for some pointers online for that specific type of meat unless you have done it a hundred times. You will be amazed at what you will find on the internet. Some people's creativity is amazing! 

When it comes to the actual cook, turn your smoker/grill on first. While that is warming up or getting to temp, now is your chance to take your meat out of the fridge and prepare it. Never let meat sit out and get to room temperature regardless of what you see on the internet. It is dangerous and, well, just plain stupid. Your meat will get to room temperature a lot faster in the grill/smoker. Here is a link to help with some meat myths: Meat myths

While your smoker/grill is getting up to temp, this is a good time to add more rub to y our meat, or cut up some veggies, etc, etc. 

The amount of heat source (charcoal, electricity, wood pellets, gas, etc) you use is the same whether y you have one food item cooking or several. Make the best use of your heat source. This is where a freezer and even a vacuum sealer really come into play. 

For as little as$150 bucks, these babies let you cook as much food as you like at any given time;  vacuum seal it, and store it in the freezer for years. I don't bbq every single day. I do it about once a month and then have enough to last for days. You can poke holes in it and warm it up in the microwave (yes, microwave) or drop the sealed food in boiling water to reheat it back up.Tastes just like it came off the smoker! 

With some minor planning, you can get the most "bang for your buck" when it comes to barbecuing. 

Dan MacDonald
Colorado BBQ Outfitters