Barbecue Tricks

BBQ Tips and Tricks

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Featured

Rosemary Skewers – Gettin’ Twiggy With It

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In a previous post we suggested using basil twigs as a nice addition to the smoker to add that “extra something” to your grilled meat. Here’s another barbecue trick.

 

You can use long, strong, rosemary twigs as skewers for your next elegant kebab.

 

This is a great reason to grow a large rosemary bush in your garden. They actually look and smell great and, in the right climate, they stay green most of the year. They even flower. I’ve seen many waist high rosemary bushes at restaurants and friend’s homes that produce great skewers.

 

Just strip off the leaves, except for a couple of inches at the tip. They add a rustic look and great flavor to the meat and veggies.

 

Twigs for skewers could work with many other herb plants. Experiment!

Competitions

BBQ Smoking Wood – Guide

Smoking wood for barbeque is a must if you are cooking low and slow.  The only question is “what kind of BBQ wood do you use?”

The answer is a matter of taste and what’s available.   In the South East the mainstay is Hickory.  In Texas it’s all about Mesquite.     Some swear by Oak or the sweet smell of Apple wood.   To make it even more complicated others will mix a combination of woods or use aged oak whiskey barrels!

Here’s a quick guide on where to start when you’re picking wood.

Cooking Wood Chart
Acacia Mesquite Family – Strong Most meats, beef, vegetables
Alder Delicate with a hint of sweeness Fish, pork, poultry, light meat game birds, great with Salmon
Almond Nutty & sweet smoke flavor, light Ash Good with all meats
Apple Slightly sweet, but dense, fruity smoke flavor Beef, poultry, game birds, pork and ham
Apricot Milder flavor and sweeter than Hickory Good on most meats
Ash Fast burning, light but distinctive flavor Good with fish and red meats
Birch Medium hard wood with a flavor like Maple Good with pork and poultry
Cherry Slightly sweet, fruity smoke flavor Good with all meats
Cottonwood Very subtle in flavor Good on most meats
Grape Vines Aromatic, similar to fruit woods Good with all meats
Grapefruit Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness Excellent with beef, pork and poultry
Hickory Pungent, smoky, bacon-like flavor, the most common wood used Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs – Most popular in the South
Lemon Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness Excellent with beef, pork and poultry
Lilac Very light, subtle with a hint of floral Good with seafood and lamb
Maple Mild smoky, somewhat sweet flavor Good with pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds
Mequite Strong, earthy flavor Most meats, especially beef, most vegetables – Most popular in Texas
Mulberry Sweet smell and reminds one of apple Beef, poultry, game birds, pork and ham
Nectarine The flavor is milder and sweeter than Hickory Good on most meats
Oak The second most popular wood, heavy smoke flavor, red oak is considered the best by many Pitmasters Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game
Orange Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness Excellent with beef, pork and poultry
Peach Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor Good on most meats
Pear Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor Poultry, game birds and pork
Pecan More like Oak than Hickory, but not as strong Good on most meats
Plum Milder and sweeter than Hickory Good on most meats
Walnut Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter wood, like Pecan or Apple. Can be bitter if used alone or not aged Good with red meats and game
NOTES: New Variation: Whiskey Barrell – Aged Oak from Jack Daniels barrells

Tricks

Foiled Again – Smoking Barbecue

You don’t need a thousand dollar stainless smoker to prepare great BBQ. In fact, you may already have all you need in the kitchen.

Even a gas grill can provide a succulent slow smoked flavor to almost any meat. The secret is in the smoke and getting the heat down LOW.

Good thing is many of today’s gas grills come with a temperature gauge right on the lid. 225 degrees to 250 degrees should do nicely for most slow smoking. Just give it plenty of time.

You’ll also need just enough smoke. Here’s how you can handle it even without a special green egg or smoker box. Just soak some wood chips for about an hour in water. You can buy great chips and chunks in most grocery stores these days. Hickory is good but pit masters will argue over flavors of wood for hours… our advice is just stay away from pressure treated! (We’re not kidding! It can kill you.)

Create an envelope out of heavy duty aluminum foil. It need not be pretty… sometimes I’ll just wrap up the larger chunks of hardwood in a wad. Then, lay the pouch on or near the gas burner (or even on charcoal). Have another pouch handy after an hour or so. It’s OK to leave the “done” pouch in the grill until after cooking. You’d be surprised how much smoke flavor continues to emit from the pouch even after the visible smoke is gone. This easy extra adds a nice touch to gas grill ‘cue. Clean up is also a breeze.

Recipes

Smoke This

Don’t limit your babecue to just smoking with hickory and mesquite. Try Basil Twigs. If you happen to grow fresh basil during the summer months you’ll likely find that you have an dry bush of twigs as winter nears. Not good looking… but good for cooking!

Use the completely dried twigs to add flavor to your next cook out. Soak the twigs as you would any wood chips and use them to add that secret basil flavor to pork chops or a good London broil. Enjoy a cold one while your buddies argue over what wood your using!