National Grilling Month
Last week I had a chance to talk to a friend of mine who I hadn’t heard from in ages. Just like me, my friend is a foodie, so before we knew it the conversation quickly turned to food.
I was talking about a grilled lunch I had put on the previous weekend when he asked me “How many people were at the barbecue?”. I could tell right away he was puzzled when I replied “none”, but I was merely being honest (and perhaps a little literal).
The truth was technically I didn’t host a barbecue, because grilling and barbecuing are actually two different things. Despite grilling and barbecuing having a legendary past that’s deeply ingrained in our history, many people still don’t know the difference between the two. In honor of May being National Grilling Month we figured it’s time to set the record straight.
It’s in the Technique
So what exactly makes up a barbecue? Friends and family? A nice Summer day? Brisket and some ice cold beer? The answer is all of these things really, but more importantly when you talk about barbecuing you’re talking about the technique. Barbecuing is the act of cooking over low to moderate heat for an extended amount of time. Most times this is done with large amounts of wood smoke, which is a more of a well-known term we call “smoking”. Typically during a barbecue session the meat is cooked over indirect heat using hot, circulating air to slow cook it to perfection. When done right, smoking is efficient at producing tender, smoky, and downright delicious meat.
Grilling on the other hand is the art of cooking something on a grill quickly and directly over a high flame. Cuts like steaks and chops, my lunch gathering proteins of choice, are the best types for grilling. Little can compare to the flavor of meat that’s seared on a blazing hot grill seated over a smoky wood fire.
Bridging the Gap
Now, just because we’ve identified the differences between these two techniques, it doesn’t necessarily mean things are supposed to be black and white. Because each technique has their own set of advantages and disadvantages, we’ve seen a variety of products invented that help cooks cross over from one technique to the other. Let’s take at a few examples:
- Smoker Boxes – Grilled meats don’t take on nearly as much smoke as barbecued meats, which can leave them less flavorful. When the smoker box came along everything changed. From then on you could impart a powerful smoky flavor on steaks, chops, wings, and anything else that cooks relatively quickly.
- Wood Chunks – When it comes to simplicity, wood chunks take the cake. Simply throwing a few of these on the fire is enough to add smoky notes to anything you’re cooking on the grill. Wood chunks also add a nice blast of added heat for the perfect sear in any grilling situation.
- Rib Racks – I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again – good barbecue is amazing. Having said that, I’d like to add that isn’t always the most convenient technique. Aside from having to precisely measure time and temperature, you’ll also encounter space issues, especially when feeding a crowd. Rib racks do a fantastic job helping to maximize grill real estate. Not only that, but when ribs approach finish they become super tender. Since many rib racks feature handles, they can help to prevent your tender, juicy ribs from falling apart by allowing you to move them without actually picking them up.
Whether it’s grilling or barbecuing, this month is the perfect time to fire up your grill and celebrate cooking outdoors with friends and family.
