Have you ever wondered what the difference was between grilling and just plain barbecuing? Aren’t they pretty much just two words to explain the same activity? Well, not quite as it turns out.
Barbecuing purists will tell you that to barbecue you need to cook meat at lower temperatures over indirect heat, with the lid down and allow the smoke to enhance the flavor.
Grilling is quite the opposite; meat is cooked at high heat (around 500 Fahrenheit) for a short time with the lid up. The goal when grilling is to sear the meat and seal the juices in at the same time.
Grilling Tips
While many grilling enthusiasts will tell you that you can grill just about anything, most people use their barbecue grill for grilling chicken or for grilling steak. Even though grilling the food properly is an important factor most people choose to flavor the meat as well with different sauces, rubs or spices that they enjoy. For the best results you should prepare the food before it goes on the bbq grill. Some prefer to marinade the meat overnight or put on a dry rub just prior to cooking; this helps to embed the flavor right into the meat as it sizzles on the grill. It’s not recommended to put any heavy tomato-based or sugary sauces on the meat until close to the end of the grilling process, otherwise the sauce will burn saturate the meat with a burnt taste instead of the flavor that you crave.
Types of grills
There are a wide variety of grills available on the market today. The first distinction between grills is what they use for their fuel source. You can choose from charcoal, gas (propane or natural gas) and electric grills. Each of them has advantages as far as the affordability of the fuel, their ease of use and how fast they cook. Gas and electric grills tend to cook faster than charcoal grills but they also lack the smoky flavor that charcoal imparts to the food. Once you’ve chosen a grill type, you can then explore other features such as stainless steel finish, side burners, built in rotisseries or smokers. Keep in mind that to grill meat properly you’ll need a grill with enough BTUs to get up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit without the lid down. Many also come with built in thermometers so you know exactly when it’s hot enough to start cooking. Portable grills are also available that allow you to take the grill to the beach or campground.
Grilling Benefits
While there is the risk of creating carcinogens when cooking meat at high temperatures (which can be avoided by marinating the meat first) there are benefits to grilling your food as well. Grilling is fast, allows you get outside and is a healthier way to cook since the fat is collected in the grill pan instead of being absorbed into the meat. Last and not least – the taste and texture of a superbly grilled cut of meat is second to none!
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