To a purist, BBQ is all about slow cooking. This usually includes using a smoker or a grill with a tight fitting lid and large surface. The idea is to keep the food at some distance away from the direct heat. To achieve this, you could trying moving around some briquettes or lighting the fire on one side only. This will give you an area of lower heat that will allow you to get started on infusing, the first of three steps to the perfect BBQ.
With infusing, your objective is to get all of the flavorful ingredients into the meat before the surface layer is cooked sufficiently to seal the inside. Sauces, rubs, fat and the meat's juices intermingle with the heat and smoke to create a symphony of effects within the meat. Both the fats throughout the meat and on the surface dissolve and form an exterior layer. Now the conditions are right for the spread of flavor compounds throughout the meat. Some killer BBQ is right around the corner.
The time consuming second step is where the cooking actually takes place. As the interior temperature of the meat climbs, proteins break down and become amino acids. As the sugars break down they lend a sweet flavor throughout. Salt is ionized and enzymes increase their activity. The end result of all these processes is a piece of meat that has been transformed into a mouthwatering delicacy.
Throughout this stage, smoke from any wood which has been added lends flavor to the finished product. The surface of the meat becomes sealed and the inside juices are trapped; as they heat up they alter their composition. This is the phase where the meat needs to pass most of its cooking time. You need to keep the temperature lower than what you'd cook with indoors.
Once the meat's inside temperature reaches 200F, it's time to take it off theBBQ grill or smoker.
During the third step, your meat finishes cooking. As it cools, the internal heat is still high enough to continue to affect the meat. Your meat can tenderize even further during this stage, resulting in a mouth watering piece of meat.
You can serve it once the temperature decreases to 165F or lower. Make a cut to check the color. Beef should be a dark red, and chicken should have become white and any juices should now be clear. If it's pork, it should be white with a gray tinge. The flavor should be delicate and the texture easy to chew.
And voila, the perfect BBQ.
With infusing, your objective is to get all of the flavorful ingredients into the meat before the surface layer is cooked sufficiently to seal the inside. Sauces, rubs, fat and the meat's juices intermingle with the heat and smoke to create a symphony of effects within the meat. Both the fats throughout the meat and on the surface dissolve and form an exterior layer. Now the conditions are right for the spread of flavor compounds throughout the meat. Some killer BBQ is right around the corner.
The time consuming second step is where the cooking actually takes place. As the interior temperature of the meat climbs, proteins break down and become amino acids. As the sugars break down they lend a sweet flavor throughout. Salt is ionized and enzymes increase their activity. The end result of all these processes is a piece of meat that has been transformed into a mouthwatering delicacy.
Throughout this stage, smoke from any wood which has been added lends flavor to the finished product. The surface of the meat becomes sealed and the inside juices are trapped; as they heat up they alter their composition. This is the phase where the meat needs to pass most of its cooking time. You need to keep the temperature lower than what you'd cook with indoors.
Once the meat's inside temperature reaches 200F, it's time to take it off theBBQ grill or smoker.
During the third step, your meat finishes cooking. As it cools, the internal heat is still high enough to continue to affect the meat. Your meat can tenderize even further during this stage, resulting in a mouth watering piece of meat.
You can serve it once the temperature decreases to 165F or lower. Make a cut to check the color. Beef should be a dark red, and chicken should have become white and any juices should now be clear. If it's pork, it should be white with a gray tinge. The flavor should be delicate and the texture easy to chew.
And voila, the perfect BBQ.
About the Author:
Nothing says summer like some great backyard BBQ. But it's not always that easy to prepare a delicious meal on the grill. That's why you need to learn some BBQ Tips. Visit our site for the tips and tricks that will make you a chef of renown in your neighborhood.
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