Direct Grilling: Food is placed directly above the wood, charcoal or gas. This kind of cooking is great for tender, small pieces of meat such as hamburgers, fish, chops, chicken breasts and tenderloins. Indirect Grilling: Food is placed to the side of the heat source, usually over a drip pan. This cooks slower and is good for cooking larger pieces of chicken, game hens and roasts. Barbecuing: This refers to either long, slow, indirect cooking, or anything treated with a barbecue sauce. Smoking: This is a type of barbecuing. Food is cooked away from the heat source, as the fire is built in a separate chamber. The cooking temperature is kept at 180°F to 250°F and the meat becomes permeated with the full flavor of the smoke. Often a water pan is used to insure moist cooking.
Hardwoods for Grilling or Smoking
Mesquite: The strongest flavored wood. Great for heavy red meats.
Hickory: Traditionally used for pork. Great with red meat.
Maple: Slightly sweet. Great for poultry and pork. Pecan: Delicate flavor. Good for poultry and seafood. Apple: Delicate and slightly sweet. Great for poultry.
Cherry: Complements game birds with a slight herbal flavor.
Hardwood Chips and Chunks
Chips and chunks add heat and flavor to grilling.
Soak 20 to 30 minutes in water.
Place over hot coals just before cooking.
With a gas grill, use a smoker box to hold the chips.
Charcoal and Briquettes
Natural charcoal, called lump charcoal, is made from hardwood that is burned at a very high temperature until it completely dries out and becomes black and almost weightless. The result is a clean-burning fuel. It lights quicker than briquettes and burns much hotter and faster. It doesn't burn as evenly as briquettes. It starts out very hot, peaks and then cools quickly. The first blast of heat sears the meat, producing an incredible flavor. It is more expensive than briquettes and is sometimes hard to find.
Briquettes are made from powdered charcoal, mixed with coal dust and starch and formed into uniform pieces. Their heat is easier to control and is more consistent than lump charcoal. Some brands burn quicker (less consistent) than others. Look for briquettes that aren't crumbly. Briquettes can be bought pre-soaked with fire starter. These tend to burn quickly and if the bag is not tightly sealed, the fluid evaporates from them, leaving you with plain briquettes.
To light charcoal or briquettes with lighter fluid, douse the coals with 1/4 to 1/3 cup fluid, count to 60 and light with a match. Wait at least 20 minutes before cooking to make sure the fluid is burned up and won't cause an off flavor.
When are Coals Hot and How Hot is Hot?
Coals are ready for cooking when 80% or more are ashy gray, or at night, glow red with no flame. If there is less than 80%, the fire is not ready, and if there are more, it might be too hot. You can bank up the coals to increase the heat or spread them out to cool the heat.
To judge the heat of your fire, hold the palm of your hand about 4 inches directly above the heat. If you can hold your hand there for only two seconds, the fire is hot. Three seconds is medium-hot, four seconds is medium, and five seconds is low.
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