Archive for Equipment and Materials
Review: Kamado Charcoal Grill
Posted by: | CommentsSimilar to the Big Green Egg, the Kamado is a highly versatile BBQ unit that can smoke, BBQ, smoke, and grill. Ranging from $400 to $1800 depending upon size, finish, and accessories, they are a long lasting unit and can do justice to your best BBQ recipes. We’ve had ours going on 6 or 7 years and the exterior looks as good as the day we bought it. In fact, the picture of the one on the home page is the same one we have. Read More→
How To Lower Food Costs and Retain Quality
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When you put out food for a group it’s always a balancing act with quality vs. pricing. We must understand that most of the grocery stores, caterers, and restaurants lie. They will mislabel, represent previously frozen as fresh, and claim to use ingredients they do not. Here are some ways I cheat down the costs without sacrificing quality, and some things on which you must never cheat: Read More→
Essential Outdoor Cooking Gadgets: Marinade Turbocharger
Posted by: | CommentsThere is no shortage of gadgets for outdoor cooking, probably because it’s a somewhat male-dominant activity ,and we have about as much resistance to toys and gadgets as the ladies have to tolerating our messes! However, most of them range between superfluous and useless. This one is a long time personal favorite of BBQ4Dummies, and will make your end product more tasty while saving you precious prep time.
Steve Raichlen is a nationally known expert on BBQ. He is a prolific author, runs BBQ University for hands on learning (at a fancy price too), and a few years ago developed the Steve Raichlen Marinade Turbocharger.
The purpose is to penetrate the meat to be marinated or brined quickly with needle-sized penetrations so as not to allow the existing fluids to drain from the meat, nor to provide large escape holes for fresh brine, which may happen when a kitchen knife is used for the same purpose.
A 15 lb. turkey can can be fully penetrated in less than 30 seconds, and a pork butt in 15. I use the Marinade Turbocharger for nearly all poultry, large cuts of pork, and always for tri tip and brisket. It has stainless steel needles, and is dishwater safe. I have no negative comments on this gadget. It does as Raichlen claims, and looks as good as new four years later. It’s highly recommended for anyone cooking large, tough cuts of meat, and essential if you do any production cooking. About $25, widely available on the internet.
Smokers and BBQs–Buying and Building
Posted by: | CommentsSmoking is normally done from 150 deg to 200 deg, never higher. Cold smoking, a process used for lox, cheese, and bacon, is done at 80 degrees and takes special equipment to smoke at or below the outside ambient temperature. Smoking uses wood in chip or chunk form for home smokers, usually with a primary heat source of an electrical element, or wood/charcoal.
Barbequing is done from 200 degrees to 300 degrees, with by far the most common range from 225-250 degrees. Above 300 degrees you are roasting or grilling. True barbequing uses wood exclusively, with no secondary heat source.
Grilling is by far the most common method of outdoor cooking in the West, and is a high heat method, usually performed at 350 – 600 degrees. The Weber is a grill, NOT a barbeque! Read More→
