Barbecue Tricks

BBQ Tips and Tricks

Archives for October 2012

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Warning! What You Need To Know about Grease Fires

Grease fires are unfortunately an all too common danger in the cooking, and especially the barbecue, and live fire outdoor kitchen environment. Meats marbled with fat, and poultry dripping oil directly on to an open flame can cause real problems for the apathetic pit master. When you set out to grill use extra caution with high fat content meats like ground beef, sausages and skin on meats like chicken and pork.

Of course you should never leave any open flame unattended. It takes mere moments for flare ups to run out of control. By the time you walk inside the house to get a beverage in the refrigerator you could have a blaze on the kettle grill.

First, if you expect dripping oil or any pooling grease at all consider using a drip pan and an indirect heat source (off set flame or coals) before you cook.

Place a sturdy aluminum pan filled with water (juice or beer may be nice) under the grate beneath the meat or drips. This will avoid major flare ups and protect succulent meats from over cooking. Indirect heat like this is usually desired for cuts thicker than the palm of your hand.

Second, make sure you start with a clean grill. A dirty grill can mean pooling oil and grease that can ultimately flare up.

Third, have a dry chemical fire extinguisher handy whenever grilling. It’s O.K. to use the one temporarily from the kitchen (you DO have one in your kitchen right)? Baking soda can also be used to stop a small grease fire. You may need a lot (and baking flour!)

Fourth, NEVER spray water on a grease fire. It will most likely flare up and spread.

Fifth, In the kitchen you can often cover a grease fire with a pan lid. to cut off oxygen. This is very difficult on a grill grate. A heavy wool or flame retardant blanket can sometimes smother a flame.

And finally do not try to move the flaming material. Turn off the burners and if all else fails get away and call 911.

Flare ups can be a real danger with live fire cooking. Keep charcoal grills off wood decks and all grills clear of vinyl siding. In fact its good practice to remove any and all flammable material at least ten feet away from active and hot grills and barbecues. This includes the ground (dry grass can catch fire in an instant in the dry summer months). Use some advance planning and keep it safe.

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See How Easily You can Assemble Your Brinkmann Smoker

brinkmann smoker

 

 

If you are looking for an affordable smoker that is easy to operate the Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill is a good choice.

This Brinkmann model (Model # 852-7080-0) is as inexpensive as smokers get so it’s a common choice for a first time smoker.    I was first turned on to the Brinkmann line with the electric model and am now on my second Gourmet Charcoal model.   My trick is to take advantage of the identical parts across the smoker line.   The Gourmet line uses the same size ceramic coated drip pan (despite durability these pans can really wear) grill grates and lids.  The charcoal model is available in black and dark green.

The smokers retail for less than $90 on Amazon – HERE and you can’t find a better deal.

One warning is that there is substantial assembly required.  Give it an hour and you’ll be ready. See my assembly efforts here.

The smoker features a basic thermometer to give you a general idea on when to reload.  However there is no real method to adjust airflow and temperature.  Still, it does the low and slow job.

Use care to clean the charcoal pan, grates and drip pan as these will quickly corrode.  The grates tend to rust quickly but are replaceable with grates for about $8 from Brinkmann.  The affordable grill cover is also recommended.

Use caution swapping parts from the electric model for charcoal use as the paint on the electric smoker seems to break down with high heat.

I have used the Brinkmann in backyard cooking with ribs, chicken, turkey, brisket and pork butts as well as competition ribs and pork butts and it is a nice portable choice.  Note: KCBS (Kansas City BBQ Society) and other competition sanctioning groups require wood or charcoal so the electric model is not an option to compete).

Some seasoned cookers highly recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain cooker as a competition tool.  It is also a good choice but  available at a higher price point.

Brinkmann describes the smoker as:

The Gourmet Charcoal is our top-of-the-line double grill charcoal water smoker. It has two chrome plated steel cooking grills for a 50 pound cooking capacity. The smoker body lifts off the base for easy access to an extra-large charcoal pan, and also allows for quick and easy conversion to a waist high barbecue grill. A heat indicator in the lid eliminates guesswork. Features include porcelain coated steel water pan, front hinged door for easy access to water and charcoal pans, and wooden handles that stay cool to the touch. Includes heavy-duty outdoor vinyl cover.

 

In summary this smoker is a solid and affordable performer and is somewhat interchangeable with similar models.  A good, easy to use,  smoker for the beginning or intermediate BBQ cook.

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Now You Can Have a Star Wars Smoker for less Than 200 Bucks

star wars grill

R-2-B-Q

One trick to great BBQ smokers is that you can build a cooker all on your own for less than $200 by constructing an Ugly Drum Smoker. A “U.D.S.” as some call them.

“If you don’t include the lid you’re talking under $100″ says Seth Watari from Southern BBQ Network.  Watari suggests a search on Craigs List to find deals on the Lids.   Best to find cast-offs from Weber 22” Kettles. Thaey are just the right size for the 55 gallon drums.

Watari very successfully competes in cook-offs throughout the South East and the UDS cookers work great.   His “R-2-BQ”  Star Wars themed smoker recently brought home the grand championship in Best Of Berkeley.   One suggestion: Use high temperature paint where you can to customize. “I use a paint that withstands up to 500 degrees and if your cooker gets over 500 degrees – the paint is the least of your worries.”

One more advanced modification is the thermometer / fan control.  One very popular brand is the BBQ Guru.  The gizmo has advanced features including smart phone control.

The Ugly Drum Smokers are common on the BBQ circuit and you can find more details on how to construct your own HERE.

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The Money Muscle Secret

Two Pork Butts with Money Muscle circled. Note fat stripes.

 

 

 

It’s a BBQ secret weapon.  If you’ve ever judged a BBQ contest you may be familiar with what’s called “the money muscle.”  Using it in a judged box is a bbq trick that has become well known.

It’s named “money muscle” because a lot of competitive cookers think it’s the best tasting part of the Boston Butt (or pork butt) and is essential on winning the top level money in pro cook-offs.

How do you find the money muscle? Look at the opposite end of the bone.  It’s tube shaped (with striations and stripes).  You’ll see the bands of fat evenly spaced along the muscle.  When fully cooked that fat should easily melt away and render to provide almost a mini loin that cookers will slice and present in a blind box for competition.       It’s located high on the pork shoulder (read “high on the hog”) and is the beginning of the loin.

That muscle just doesn’t get worked much so it’s super tender.

money muscle

Butt with Money Muscle trimmed for competition cooking

Cookers will also promote bark creation around the money muscle by trimming around the muscle and using a good rub.  Some competitions will disallow full separation from the rest of the but while cooking so often it is carved so  it is still connected.

“You have to trim it up so it’s nice and round and it’s kinda like a little loin.  The great cooks really use that muscle to really showcase their meat” according to champion Pitmaster Jack Waiboer.

The money muscle will cook faster than the rest of the butt (shoot for 180 degrees for the muscle 195 for the rest of the butt).  Once done, the log shaped muscle can be sliced into medallions and presented beautifully in the turn in box.   The addition of a good bark on the succulent meat is a combination that wins over judges (especially in the tenderness category).

See more about the money muscle on THIS Episode of GrateTV

 

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Rotisserie Cooking Is Popular Again

rotisserie chickenWhat’s Causing the Resurgence in Rotisserie Cooking?
By Timothy Daniels

Do you find it a challenge to think about what to cook for large family gatherings? Does the thought of having all your family around at once cause you to panic about catering? Perhaps you should be looking at one of the latest trends. Rotisserie Cooking.

“Rotisserie cooking?” I hear you say. “My mother used to have a rotisserie when we were kids.”

Yes. Well. You know what they say, everything old is new again. And the new item on the block at the moment is rotisserie cooking.

So what is it about rotisserie cooking that has caused a renewal in popularity?

I think there are a number of reasons. Rotisserie cooking is:

• Easy. You can just set it and walk away.

• Great for entertainment, you have time to enjoy the company of your guests while at the same time preparing a meal.

• Slow cooking. This means that the meat is cooked slowly which improves the texture particularly in less expensive cuts of meat.

• Cheaper. Because you can safely use cheaper cuts of meat, cooking for a crowd is less expensive and just as tasty.

• Suitable for one or two, but can also be suitable for a crowd. This type of cooking developed from the need to serve large quantities of people at once. And that meant being able to cook the whole animal at the same time.

• A low-fat cooking method. The way the meat is cooked means that the naturally occurring fat drips from the meat during the cooking process. There is no fat needed to cook the meat, so it is virtually fat-free, certainly no added fat.

So as you can see there are many reasons why rotisserie cooking is having a revival in popularity. Then of course there is also the availability of the new compact machines.

In the past they were large outdoor contraptions, usually rigged up by the man of the house over an open-pit fire or barbeque for some outdoor occasion.

Children had to be kept clear due to the nature of the fire, and as the fat dripped from the joint of meat you had to be careful that the dripping fat didn’t catch fire. From time to time people would get injured which would put a damper on the whole occasion.

No longer! The new generation rotisserie cookers come in all shapes and sizes and are suitable for all budgets. If you have a high-end cooker you can get a spit for those cookers to enable you to use your oven as a rotisserie.

You can buy bench top rotisseries that are suitable for smaller joints of meat, and you can also get larger outdoor machines for large parties and functions.

So now you know why this type of cooking is undergoing a revival in popularity. There is something for everyone with rotisserie cooking. You can spend as much or as little as you like and you can go as large or as small as you want.

The key is to shop around and get the best rotisserie for your needs.

You can get more information on rotisserie cooking at Rostisseries for BBQ and if you want to know about specific rotisseries, at Rotisserie Types

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timothy_Daniels
http://EzineArticles.com/?Rotisserie-Cooking-Is-Popular-Again—Whats-Causing-the-Resurgence-in-Rotisserie-Cooking?&id=7301660