The Art of BBQ - Techniques & Guides

Grilling Tips & Techniques

It doesn’t take too much experience to start grilling — just get your fire going, put the food on, and you’re ready to roll! But taking your grilling game up a notch requires a little more finesse and expert know-how. By introducing more professional grilling tips and techniques into your grilling, you can improve your grilling skills and the quality of the food you produce. You could spend hours searching online and sifting through grilling blogs for tips and techniques that may or may not work for you. But you don’t have to — we’re rounding up some of the top grilling tips and techniques for you in this category! This section focuses on grilling tips and expert techniques like reverse searing, techniques for grilling on gas grills, different techniques for using charcoal, grilling in different climates, and more. With the help of the articles in this section, you can start leveling up your grilling skills, which will lead to tastier food, more effortless cooking, and more impressed guests. You’ll probably feel more confident in your cooking as well, and be willing to try out recipes or techniques you haven’t tried before — the sky is the limit! If you’re ready to take your grilling game from amateur to expert-level, keep reading.

BBQ Grills & Equipment Buying Guides

Whether you prefer to do your shopping in person or online, one thing is for certain: when it comes to buying BBQ grills, there are a ton of options out there. Our BBQ Grills & Equipment Buying Guides have been created to help you understand your options. You could spend a Saturday reading online reviews or standing around a hardware store waiting to get an employee’s attention to ask a few questions. But at the end of the day, there are still so many different models available, and what works for one outdoor cooking enthusiast may not work for another. So, where should you start your buying journey? This category! This section focuses on expert buying guides for grills, smokers, and outdoor kitchens, along with buying guides for accessories and equipment like instant-read thermometers, wireless thermometers, and more. This category also includes product FAQs for grills, smokers, outdoor kitchens, accessories, and equipment, and finally, the benefits of said equipment and grills above. In our BBQ Grills & Equipment Buying Guides articles, we’ll cover the top grills, smokers, kitchens, accessories, and other outdoor cooking essentials available on the market today, so you can narrow down your choices. We’ll then break down each option into its stand-out features, performance reviews, warranty information, and more. With the information in this category, you’ll have the expert advice you need to start shopping for your perfect grill and outdoor cooking equipment.

Smoking Tips & Techniques

Smokers are becoming more common in the average backyard these days, with more people taking the plunge into smoking their own food at home. What better way to hone your skills than by reading our expert guides on smoking tips and techniques? And it’s not surprising — smokers allow you to get creative with the foods you smoke and the wood and flavors you use, so anyone can get in on the action no matter what flavors or foods they prefer. (Even vegetarians — we have tips on smoking vegetables below!) Smoking is also a relatively hands-off way to cook outdoors, so if standing over a grill flipping food doesn’t sound like your perfect Saturday afternoon, a smoker might be your new best friend. Before you can achieve barbecue restaurant-quality smoked foods in your own backyard, you’ll probably want a few pointers. We put the articles in this category together to give you all of the expert tips and techniques you need to start smoking food like a pro! This section focuses on smoking tips and techniques like how to use a propane smoker, charcoal smoker, electric smoker, and pellet smoker. These articles will also share how to smoke different proteins and vegetables, how long to smoke certain foods, and more. Read on for all of the tips and techniques you need to start making delicious smoked creations of your own!

Marinades / Rubs / Injecting / Brining

High-quality meat should taste amazing when cooked well with just a bit of salt and pepper — but it never hurts to spice things up a bit by using Marinades / Rubs / Injecting / Brining! These techniques can be done before or during cooking to help add extra flavor to your food and ensure it doesn’t dry out while it’s cooking. No matter what flavors you’re looking to achieve or what food you’re grilling or smoking, there’s a marinade or rub out there that will take it to the next level. Whether you’re going with Mexican flavors for taco night, trying out a classic American barbecue recipe, or want to experiment with other cuisines from around the globe, the options are just about endless! If you’re looking to infuse your cooking with some new and exciting flavors, the articles in our Marinades / Rubs / Injecting / Brining category are a great place to start. This section focuses on how and when to use marinades and rubs, what injecting meat is, how to inject meat and what to inject it with. It also covers brining techniques like wet or dry brining, why you should brine, and brine recipes. You’ll come away from reading these articles with all of the knowledge you need to achieve a fantastic flavor the next time you grill. Let’s get started!

Temperature Management

True barbecue skill isn’t only about how expensive your grill was or the quality of your meat. Instead, it really boils down to how well you can finesse your fire or heat source and maintain your target temperature inside your grill or smoker with temperature management. Without understanding how to maintain the correct temperature, your final product could turn out underdone or (maybe even worse!) overcooked and dry. If the prospect of monitoring your grill or smoker’s temperature and staying nearby in case you need to make any tweaks seems daunting, you’re not alone! Temperature management can be a challenge for both new and seasoned outdoor cooks alike, especially when factors like differences between grills, weather, and wind conditions can change how you’ll have to tweak your temperature. That’s why we’ve included temperature management as an essential part of our Art of BBQ - Techniques and Guides section! In our temperature management category, you’ll learn how to control the temperature of your grill or smoker with vents, utilize zone grilling methods, cook with direct and indirect heat, check the temperature of your meat for doneness, and more. Temperature management isn’t an obstacle to overcome — it’s another tool in your toolbox to create delicious, tender barbecue like a pro from the comfort of your own backyard. If you’re ready to learn, let’s dive in with the articles below!

Fuel

It’s Barbecue 101: to grill or smoke food successfully, you’ll need fire. And unless your grill or smoker is electric, you’ll need some sort of fuel to get that fire started. But different barbecue grills will require different types of fuel and methods of lighting them. If you’re new to using a certain type of grill or smoker, or you’re new to outdoor cooking in general, advice on selecting and lighting fuel is vital to getting the results you’re looking for. That’s why we put together the articles in this section, all about the different fuel types available, how to choose them, and how to use them! Here you’ll find information on gas, charcoal briquets, lump charcoal, wood, wood pellets, and more. We’ll talk about how to use all of these different types of fuel, how to light them, and how to select them based on the equipment you’re using, the food you’re cooking, and the flavor you’re hoping to achieve. That’s right — your choice can play an important role in the flavor of your final product! If you’re fired up and ready to learn more about your fuel options for barbecue grilling and smoking, check out the articles in this category!

Cleaning & Maintenance

Your equipment doesn’t need to be fancy to cook up great-tasting food in your outdoor kitchen. But what it should be is clean and well-maintained with regular cleaning and maintenance. Grills and smokers need to be cleaned regularly to make sure the food you cook with them is delicious and safe to eat, and that they perform as they should for years on end. Without proper maintenance, your food could end up tasting bad, and components of your grill or smoker may stop working entirely. To avoid these issues, it’s essential to get into the habit of cleaning your cooking equipment after every time you cook and regularly performing the maintenance routine suggested by the manufacturer. If you need a bit of direction to get started, the articles in this category can help! This section focuses on cleaning, maintenance, and caring for your grills and equipment. You’ll learn how to clean your grills, smokers, and equipment, how often you should clean them, and other essential maintenance tips that you should keep in mind as you use these tools throughout the year. With a little TLC and elbow grease, you won’t just be ensuring that the food you cook is safe and delicious tasting — you’ll be protecting your investment and making sure your equipment stands up to many years of cooking and entertaining!

BBQ & Grill Safety

As with any hobby involving food and fire, safety is one of the top priorities when barbecuing and grilling. And we don’t just mean the general advice not to catch your house (or yourself) on fire while cooking! Our BBQ & Grill Safety section is designed to teach you what you need to know to keep your cookouts safe. Safety when cooking outdoors means using your equipment safely, storing and cooking your food safely, and keeping your guests safe. From understanding where to set up your grill or smoker, how to safely light and maintain a fire, and knowing the safest temperatures to store, cook, and eat different meats, there are a lot of details to keep track of before you can start cooking! That’s why we assembled the articles in this category. Cooking outside should be a fun experience for everyone, and knowing your basic BBQ and grill safety skills is the way to do that. Whether you’re just getting started with cooking outdoors or you’re an experienced cook looking to brush up on your safety skills, this category has you covered! This section focuses on cooking and grill safety and offers answers to common health-related questions like whether pellet grills are healthy, if grilling causes cancer if electric smokers are healthy, and more. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about grilling and barbecuing safely!

BBQ Tips & Tricks

If you’ve been grilling or barbecuing for a while, chances are you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Whether it’s a hack to make lighting your fire easier or a secret ingredient in a marinade, every outdoor cook eventually picks up a few BBQ tips & tricks along the way that helps improve their grilling game. If you’re looking for some of that helpful information without spending years of practice or are a longtime outdoor cook looking to brush up on a few trips and tricks, you’ve come to the right place! Our BBQ tips and tricks section focuses on tricks of the trade and expert tips. If it’s a bit of advice that will make cooking outdoors easier and your food turns out better, you’re sure to find it in these articles. From ensuring your food stays juicy and tender to keeping your temperature and smoke levels regulated, we’ve got advice on just about every aspect of grilling and smoking. With the expert information in these articles, you’ll be able to entertain like a pro, master some impressive new techniques and recipes, and convince your guests you’ve been cooking for years — even if you haven’t. If you’re ready to up your outdoor cooking game with these industry tips and tricks, keep reading!

Beginner Grilling Techniques

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Know Your Meat

So you’ve purchased your grill or smoker, got the fire going, cracked a drink, and you’re ready to cook. So, what will you toss on the grill first? Get to know your meat options for the best experience. Chances are you’re going with meat, but what kind? And do you know the best way to cook it to bring out each protein’s best flavor and texture? If not, that’s where the articles in our know your meat section will come in handy! Here we’re sharing resources that will help you learn all about the different types of meat used in barbecuing. From mainstays like beef and chicken to trickier proteins like whole poultry, in these articles, you’ll find helpful information on all of your favorite barbecue meats. In our Know Your Meat section, we’ll cover the different cuts available, the meat grading system, how to cut different meats, the best methods to cook these different types and cuts of meats, and more. With this information, you’ll be able to pick the best cuts and cook them to perfection, without guesswork or the risk of overcooking and drying out a primo piece of meat. We’ll also share tips and tricks to help you become a stronger cook and ensure your barbecued creations come out delicious every time. Ready to up your barbecue game and become an expert on all things meat? Keep reading our Know Your Meat section!

Advanced Grilling Techniques

Master Grilling Techniques