Many would argue that a barbeque doesn’t deserve the name unless the meat is slow-cooked in a smoky enclosure. Anything else is ‘just grilling’. But whether purist or pragmatist, everyone can agree that adding wood to a barbeque enhances the flavor wonderfully. Wood chips are frequently placed in among the charcoals or near a gas [...]

Purists will argue that it’s only a barbeque if the food is cooked slowly, from indirect heat. Fast cooking, they argue, is ‘just grilling’. While the difference is partly a matter of semantics, there are two different styles and each has its purpose and strengths. Slow cooking has distinct advantages, indeed it may be mandatory [...]

Whether it’s because of fat dripped on charcoal briquettes or simply having the flame turned up to maximum, many backyard chefs allow the meat to cook too fast. A barbeque is supposed to be a little slower. Taking more time creates a better tasting meal and a more pleasurable experience overall. There are several ways [...]

A great variation on the barbeque grill is a smoker. Smokers cook meat by enclosing it in a container that produces medium temperature smoke, hence the name. That heat from the smoke cooks the meal while various components of the vapor add flavor. Like grills, smokers come in a wide variety of types: charcoal, gas, [...]

When you fire up the barbeque your goal is often to cook a fine piece of meat. You’ll prepare a fine sauce and monitor the procedure carefully to ensure the best outcome. But that result is only possible if you start with a great chunk of beef. Here are some tips on how to recognize [...]

Barbecuing brings to mind sunny days, delicious odors and fine food eaten in good company. You’ve chosen a day to relax and impress your friends and family with fine cooking skills. You can enjoy an experience that at least in many parts of the country is only available for a few months. Make the most [...]

Using a thermometer to measure the temperature of the oven and the food is a practice with a long history now. For over 50 years instruments have been sold that allow cooks to add a little science to their art. Today, the variety of meat thermometers is greater than ever. The traditional meat thermometer is [...]

When you’ve prepared your meat and vegetables, it’s time to start cooking. Three simple to carry out steps can give you a great barbeque. Barbeque, to a purist, means slow cooking. That often involves using a smoker, or at least a large grill with a good lid and areas where you can separate the food [...]

Which tools you find essential and which merely ‘nice to have’ depends on the type of barbecuing you plan to do. But there’s a list of tools that most backyard chefs will find come in handy much of the time. Sometimes it’s best to start with the end in mind and the end of every [...]

An old English expression, “What’s the rub?” meant ‘what is the trouble’. But in barbeque-speak a rub is the mixture of spices that is slathered over the meat before cooking. And for many backyard chef that’s where the trouble starts. Nothing defines a barbeque aficionado so much as his own unique rub. There are dozens [...]