6 BBQ Mistakes to Avoid
Barbequing goes hand-in-hand with summer, but things don’t always go as planned. The truth is that cooking BBQ isn’t easy. A lot can go wrong, which leaves many people to wonder if it’s even possible to cook a good meal on a barbeque pit. Obviously, it is. Countless backyard cooks are especially skilled at making mouth-watering BBQ. For those who aren’t, check out the following BBQ mistakes to avoid.
1-Wrong Methods
Cooking with charcoal requires a certain amount of patience. Sadly, many people are injured every year because of adding an accelerant like lighter fluid to hurry the process of barbequing. What typically happens is a small explosion in the BBQ pit, and people frequently get burned. Do not make this type of mistake. Besides being extremely dangerous, it doesn’t help with the goal of making great barbeque.
2-Too Much Heat
Barbequing requires heat that will cook meat properly. When the fire is too hot, you end up with meat and other food that’s burned on the outside. It helps to create two areas with your barbeque coals. The coals should be evenly distributed on one side and a thin layer of coals on the other. One side is good for searing and the other is best for cooking more gently.
3-Impatience with Charcoal
Charcoal provides a foundation for cooking delicious barbeque. The basic rule is to wait for charcoal to turn gray. This makes it possible to cook foods with consistent heat and predictable cooking times. Charcoal is at its hottest when it turns gray and glows. Remember, though, you’re not trying for excessive heat. The secret with gray charcoal is that it provides needed consistency.
4-Using Un-soaked Bamboo Kebab Sticks
Shish kebabs are a popular grilled meat and veggie meal, but there is one common mistake people make: Failing to soak bamboo kebabs, which can lead to a burned skewer. The minimum time to soak bamboo shish kebab sticks in water is 30 minutes, but soaking them overnight is recommended by chefs. The moisture in the bamboo will last longer and help prevent burning the bamboo during grill time.
5-Opening the Lid Excessively
Each time a barbeque pit’s lid is opened on a gas grill, heat is lost. On a coal grill, there is an opposite effect, since the heat becomes hotter as a result of added oxygen that feeds the heat. The best practice is to use a timer for expected cook time and avoid opening the lid overly much.
6-Poking the Meat
Instead of poking the meat with a fork or knife to find out if it’s ready, the best thing to do is buy a digital probe thermometer. If the thickest part of the meat is 140º F, the meat is cooked medium-well. At about 125 º F, the meat is rare. For well-done meat, the thickest part should reach up to 176º F. Once removed from the grill, let the meat rest for about 10 minutes so the BBQ cuisine can be fully enjoyed.
Fire Up Your Grill for Summer!
If you have a barbeque pit but hesitate to fire it up because of previous mishaps or because of the mysterious disappearance of meat in the past, try again! BBQ is worth the effort and even any risk involved. What will you cook on the grill this summer?
