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You're not Arthur Bryant. You're just one of the millions of people who love a good bbq meal. That love of smoky, tender meat convinced you that it was time to plunk down a little money and to purchase one of the many home bbq smokers on the market. Now, with your favorite cut of meat in hand, you're ready to try your hand at the fine art of BBQ.
Before you toss that brisket or those ribs on the grill grate, take a moment to learn about three common mistakes that plague many home BBQ smokers and how you can avoid them.
Neglecting the cure. If you want your BBQ to taste great, you need to cure your smoker. Home BBQ smokers come back from the store coated with dust. They still have oils used in the manufacturing process on them. They may even have that lingering smell from the heat-resistant paint. If you don't cure your grill prior to use, your first attempt at home BBQ will end up tasting like a cross between grilled spare tire and the change in your piggy bank. Get the temperature of your empty smoker up to around four hundred degrees and leave it there for at least twenty minutes. Then, drop the temperature down to two hundred and fifty degrees, maintaining it for at least two or three additional hours. That heat will burn away those unwanted flavors.
Bouncing up and down. Consistency is a key to good BBQ. If the temperature at which you're cooking goes up and down, the quality of your meal will just go down. You need to reach the right temperature and then you must maintain it through the full cooking cycle. That means you'll need to pay attention throughout the process and that you'll need to take action when necessary to elevate or to lower the temperature in the smoker. Don't worry, it's not that hard and it will eventually become second nature.
A lack of rotation. Home BBQ smokers are an awesome addition to any backyard or patio. However, they aren't commercial-grade equipment. That usually doesn't matter to the occasional user, but it does create some problems. One of those problems is the fact that home BBQ smokers often feature hot and cold areas on the actual grill. Some portions will heat more than others will and you won't know which parts those are until you've really "developed a relationship" with your smoker. As such, you should rotate your meat regularly throughout the smoking process in order to guarantee even cooking. Eventually, you may need to do less of this as you learn about your smoker's idiosyncrasies.
If you can avoid those three common home BBQ smoker mistakes, you'll be well on your way to producing tender, tasty, smoky and absolutely unforgettable smoked meals.
Thanks To : | Grill Basket Article | - Rotisserie Basket -
