BBQ vs. Grilling! What Fires You Up?

What Fires You Up? Grilling versus Barbecue.

We would be remiss if we did not address the age old question regarding the differences between Grilling and Barbecue. In essence, what we are attempting to explain here is the difference between grilling and BBQ, or, as many refer to as the direct versus indirect method, while attempting to avoid taking a side among the purists of the two camps. At GrillJunkie we encourage the practice and experimentation of both methods, …..again fortifying our motto, “What Fires You Up!”

People often use the term barbecue when referring to foods that are grilled, but barbecuing and grilling are two very different processes.

Barbecuing

Barbecuing refers to foods that are cooked with a long, slow process using indirect, low-heat generated by smoldering logs, wood chips that smoke-cook the food. The fuel and heat source are separated from the cooking chamber, but the cooking chamber contains enough heat to slowly but properly cook the food over a long period of time.

Along with heat, the cooking chamber fills with smoke, providing the food with its characteristically smoky flavor, which varies depending on the type of wood that is used for the fuel. The best temperature for barbecuing is between 200°F and 300°F. If the temperature rises above 300°F, it is considered grilling.

Grilling

Grilling refers to foods that are cooked more quickly and directly over high heat. The fuel and heat source are not separated from the cooking chamber thus providing for an environment that provides for high heat.
Grilling temperatures typically reach 500°F or more, but any temperature above 300°F is considered a grilling temperature.The high heat of grilling sears the surface of meat, creating a flavorful browned crust.

What Fires You Up? Whichever you choose, enjoy and cherish your time with family and friends.

Charcoal or Gas? What Fires You Up?

Which produces better tasting food? Charcoal or Gas?

This question is similar to the Grilling versus Barbecue issue. This one however, albeit an age old question like that of direct versus direct cooking, may not have quite as clear or definitive of an answer. Excuse the pun, but it really is a matter of “taste” and/personal preference. There is, however, a bit of evidence that will help shed some light point you in the right direction.

Although debatable, charcoal purists will claim that the use of the beloved briquette produces better tasting grilled foods most of the time. This is not to say that some things taste any worse, it is just that some claim that things don't taste any different. Or at least some foods, that is. "Good Housekeeping" magazine recently did a blind taste test and uncovered that most folks could not tell the difference between hamburgers or skinless chicken breasts cooked over gas or charcoal.

However, it was found that people could tell the difference with a steak. Their conclusion was that the longer you grill something the more the flavor of the fire gets into the food. The mechanism involved here is the smoke. Charcoal, even though it is just smoldering, produces smoke.

Gas grills use a clean fuel that does not really produce smoke in and of itself. Although some manufacturers will claim that their patented vaporization barriers produce smoke from dripping grease, most folks don't want the taste of burning grease in their food. The kind of smoke that improves the flavor of food is the kind you get from real smoke, from an intended source.

To get that highly desired smoke flavor, you can add smoker chips in a box to produce smoke, however, in order to pass that flavor to the food you need to saturate it in smoke.

Since charcoal produces some smoke and heat the two are mixed together. As the food absorbs the heat it also takes in the flavor of the smoke.So if you are a bit of purist and really like the flavor of foods, particularly things like a good steak, cooked over an open flame then you need to use charcoal.

However it is important to ensure that the smoke you are getting from the charcoal is “good” smoke. There is some weird and unnatural stuff out there so be careful. Commercial charcoals with special additives for easy lighting and cheap charcoal made from sawdust and a binding agent doesn't exactly have the best flavor producing smoke.

You want to use a good quality charcoal or mix your charcoal with chunks of good hardwood. Or you can buy lump charcoal that is actually make from real pieces of wood and not just sawdust. It is also very important to maintain a clean grill!. Build-up of ashes, burned up grease and other stuff will make the smoke produced leave a strange and undesirable flavor on foods. So in this light if you choose to use cheap self-lighting charcoal in a dirty, rusted grill then we’d suggest going with gas. If however you are serious about the flavor of grilled foods and are willing to put the effort into the art of charcoal cooking, then a good charcoal grill might just be what you need.

Top 10 Burger Burger Grilling Tips: Grill Like a Pro

Grilling burgers, like any other kind of cooking, is a combination of technique and art. Mastering grilling techniques is fairly straightforward and is learned with a little bit of patience and practice.

The art is where the real fun and addiction comes in and mainly involves the recipes, the toppings, and the side dishes. Unlike with an oven, where you can simply place the food inside, set the temp and timer, and walk away for a while, grilling requires that you remain ever engaged, proactive, and vigilant. With that said, here are a few rules of good grilling.

Rule 1: Keep It Clean

Always keep your grill clean. This is essential for good tasting food and safety! Scrape and clean your grill before and after each outdoor grilling endeavor.

Rule 2: Keep It Safe

Always keep a close eye on what you’re grilling and doing. Be proactive, watchful and in control. There are more distractions when you are grilling outside, so stay focused on the task at hand.

Rule 3: Location, Location, Location

Always place your grill in a safe and flat location away from anything flammable such as lighter fluid, fences, your house, etc.

Rule 4: Keep 'Em From Sticking

When grilling low fat meats and other foods that stick, use cooking oil on the grill grate. Never use a cooking spray directly on the grill. You can use a basting brush, or soak a few folded paper towels shaped into a 3 inch x 3 inch square with cooking oil and while holding it with a pair of tongs, rub the oil on and into the grill grates before and after grilling your burgers.

Rule 5: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Spray Bottles

Do not use spray bottles of water to control flare‐ups. Flare‐ups are caused by too much fat and too much heat. When cooking burgers, flare‐ups usually occur when the burger is pressed with a spatula, which, although seemingly fun, is not only dangerous but also squeezes the precious juices out of the burger. If a flare up occurs, move what you are grilling to a different part of the grill.

Rule 6: Don't Get "Burned" By Your Sauces

Do not add oil‐based sauces, or sugary marinades directly to meat on the grill. This inevitably causes a blackened char on your burger. If you must, wait to add your oil‐based and sugary marinades until the very
end.

Rule 7: Prepare Ahead of Time

Always allow yourself plenty of time to prepare and cook. Prepare ahead of time for things that need not be grilled such as added toppings, condiments, etc. Don't leave your family and/or guests waiting.

Rule 8: Spice it Up Before You Grill

Spice up your food a good hour or two before you hit the grill. This time allows the flavor to sink in.

Rule 9: It's All about The Tools

Use the proper grilling tools for grilling your burgers. The basics are a solid long‐handled stainless steel spatula, long‐handled tongs, an oven glove, a meat thermometer, and a fire extinguisher. We provide a more extensive list in the GrillJunkie Burger a Day Cookbook.

Rule 10: Have Plenty of Food To Grill

Always be sure to plan for and make more than enough food for everyone including unexpected guests.

The last thing you will need is an angry mob on your hands. Enjoy your burger addiction!

Burger Recipe: The Holy Cow 3 Cheese Burger

The Holy Cow­ 3 CheeseBurger

(One of our most popular recipes from The GrillJunkie Burger a Day Cookbook)

The trinity of "holy" Swiss cheese, goat cheese and Parmesan‐Reggiano laid on a bed of bittersweet basil will have them praising the grilling gods of which you will be their most adored.

Ingredients:

• 1&1/2 pounds ground Chuck ‐ 80 % lean
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt or Koshersalt
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons oflight olive or canola oil
• 4 slices of Swiss or Gruyere cheese
• 4 slices of goat cheese  ‐ round and thickly sliced to 1/2 inch each
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan‐Reggiano cheese
• 1 large beefsteak tomato  ‐ thickly sliced to 1/2 inch each
• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
• 4 hamburger buns or soft Kaiser rolls, split

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, gently divide the meat into four equal portions. Each patty should consist of approximately 6 ounces of ground meat.

2. Carefully and loosely form each divided portion into a patty that is ¾ ‐1 inch thick and about 4 & 1/2 inches in diameter being careful to not overwork the meat. Make a shallow divot in the center of each of the meat patties with your thumb.

3. Once formed, place patties on a clean plate, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

4. Prepare the grill to medium‐high heat and coat grill grates with cooking oil so as to avoid patties from sticking.

5. Remove patties from refrigeration, brush the burgers with light olive or canola oil, and place the patties on the hot grill grates.

6. Grill and sear patties over medium‐high heat for 4‐5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness being sure they are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. During the last minute of grilling, top each burger with a slice of Swiss, a tomato slice, then the goat cheese topped off with some Parmesan‐ Reggiano. Close the cover or create a heat "tent" by covering each burger loosely with aluminum foil. Remove grilled patties from grill and let them rest for 2‐3 minutes.

7. To serve, place some basil leaves on the bottom halves of each bun, stack a burger patty on top, and cover with upper buns. Add a few bacon strips to each and you have an entirely new burger.

Enjoy! For more recipes stay tuned to our blog as we post frequently and/or check out our Burger a Day Cookbook.

The Grill of Rights by GrillJunkie

Prior to delving into the "History of the Hamburger", in our Cookbook entitled the GrillJunkie Burger a Day Cookbook, we served up a definition of a GrillJunkie:

"If you derive inordinate pleasure from, or are addicted and/or obsessed with grilling, .....then you are a GrillJunkie!" 

There are thousands if not millions of us out there. Enjoy the addiction!

As there are many of us in this unique community, we believe that each and every GrillJunkie has inherently earned certain "rights" and fundamental principles upon which every self-respecting outdoor cook, griller, or BBQ master should conduct themselves and be treated while enjoying and celebrating the great pastime of grilling and spending time with family and friends.

During the early debates on the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, a "Bill of Rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens was created. With utmost respect to the U.S. Constitution, we present The GrillJunkie Grill of Rights.

The GrillJunkie Grill of Rights

You have the right to:

– Celebrate Your Addiction to Grilling –

– Be Consumed by Your Quest for the Perfect Burger –

– Know, or learn about the Difference Between Grilling and BBQ–

– Boast That the Hamburger is an American Invention –

– Grill Well, Safely, and Enjoy Time With Your Friends and Family –

Thanks for having fun with us and sharing the Grilling Addiction! 

New GrillJunkie t-shirt and Apron Designs

We are working on a few new grilling t-shirt and apron designs. Take a look and let us know what you think.

http://www.cafepress.com/grilljunkie