Your average outdoor cook is no expert in the barbecue or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no barbecuing cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.
No, your regular outdoor cooking fanatic commits more mistakes with bbq grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ultimately ends up dry and tough time after time, even with marinating for several hours. Or the beef is burnt or cooked too long.
These mistakes are made time and time again as your average backyard cook normally does not know any different. He does not automatically understand how to barbecue.
Below are a few of the more common mistakes and do's and don'ts made in bbq grill cooking:
1) If you started with frozen meat, ensure the meat is thawed completely. Attempting to cook the inside of a still-frozen bit of meat is hard without burning the outside.
2) When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. Lighter fluid flavor will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the hot coals down first. A chimney starter makes starting the fire very easy. It also allows you to add charcoal along the way should the coals burn up along the way.
3) Never poke the bbq meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is probably the most common blunders and one of the most deadly for your barbecue. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and straight into the bottom of the barbecue pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Make use of a long set of tongs to turn the meat.
4) Reduce the heat. Except for grilled steaks, which require a fast searing, cook slowly over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and will also make the meat tender and tempting.
5) Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it alters the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the cover also increases your chances of flare-ups.
6) This is really a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without cleaning it first. Mixing the cooked along with the raw just begs for somebody to get sick.
7) After removing the meat from the bbq grill or pit, let it rest for at about 5-10 minutes. Cutting into or slicing the meat soon after pulling it from the cooker will cause all the tasty mix to flow out of the meat and onto the platter.
Certainly, these are not all of the mistakes made by the amateur outdoor cook, but are a few of the more common. But if you will avoid doing these yourself, you will eliminate most of the things that cause barbecue failures.
Your guests and family will wonder how come your grilled or barbecued meat is so much better then it used to be. And, who knows? Maybe the Food Network will come in search of you (bring it on Bobby Flay!).
It's grilling time... are you ready? Late summer and early fall is my favorite time of the year because it's filled with soccer, buddies and lots of good food! Be sure you obtain a good portable grill for tailgating or camping or going to the park. The Weber Baby Q is my favorite portable gas grill, but there are plenty of good lightweight charcoal grills too. Happy grilling!
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