Successful grilling

Did you know that there is a technical difference between grilling and barbecuing? Grilling requires a relatively high temperature, more than 315° C, generated by open flames or embers. This method is often confused with typical barbecue cooking, which, in its traditional form, is very slow, using a low, indirect heat generated by smoldering logs or charcoal. Many hardware stores sell bags of woodchips of various types that can add delicious flavor to your grilled foods.

For cooking good cuts of meat, the technique of using indirect heat is very simple: all you have to do is light the burners on one side of a propane barbecue and place what you want to cook on the other side. This is also a good way to avoid charring the meat, which imparts carcinogenic substances called heterocyclic amines.

Crucial to any kind of grilling is the cleanliness of your barbecue and metal grill. Thoroughly brush and oil the grill before and after each use, and empty and clean out the pan that collects the fat drippings, usually located under the barbecue. Slacking off on basic barbecue maintenance might leave you with doubtful-tasting meats.

Cooking over charcoal can’t be beaten for creating that wonderful smoked flavor associated with barbecues.