The Grilling Method

There is a difference between BBQ and grilling. What most of us do in the backyard is grilling, high heat, fairly quick cooking method BBQ by definition is low, slow and usually involves smoke; you know the meat was BBQ'd by the presence of the "smoke ring". Below are some grilling tips, rub recipes and a way to replicate BBQing without a BBQ rig.

Grilling tips:
- If you have a charcoal grill, invest in a chimney starter. This is the best way to get your charcoal ready without using starter fluid. This will also allow you to start more charcoal for extended cooking (ie roasting meats)
- Hardwood charcoal will burn HOT and fast, about 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher than briquettes. Perfect for steaks and fajita meats
- You can grill vegetables brushing them with oil then season with salt, pepper and your favorite spices to make different flavors (mediterranean flavors, etc). For onions, cut them thickly to make rings and keep them together with skewers. For the best salad in the world, cut romain lettuce lengthwise in half. Brush with oil liberally, salt and pepper and pack in grated parmesan cheese on the oiled surface. Grill on a hot surface and when done, put shaved frozen red wine vinegar on it
- If you have to use starter fluid, make sure all of it have burnt off before adding your food. Pile your charcoal in a pyramid shape, add starter fluid until the surface is covered and light. The flames will die down, but as long as you have enough white ash around all of your charcoals, it will keep burning. Your charcoal will be ready once most of them are covered in white ash. For cooking chicken, either leave them in a pyramid shape and cook around the edges or stoke them to one side of the grill and cook on the cool side. For cooking steaks and meats, stoke them to one side and cook on the hot side and then the cool side to continue cooking beyond medium rare
- Cleaning the grates is important, clean after cooking while the grate is still hot. The hotter the grate, the easier to clean. If possible, replace the stainless steel you have with an aftermarket cast iron one
- You can do roasts in the grill by making a cool side and a thermometer. Most grills can achieve 500 degrees F on the hot side and without any heat on the cool side, usually it will be around 350-400 degrees F (this is with a full load of charcoal or gas flames on high). To cook at a lower temperature, lower the gas flames or reduce the amount of charcoal and add more as they cook down
- For both charcoal and gas grills, you can add a little bit of smoke flavor by adding some soaked (at least 2 hours) wood chips/chunks to the fire. You can add directly to the charcoal or for gas flames, keep in disposable pans on top of the fire
- If the meats (chicken, pork, beef, etc) will be cooked on the hot side, try not to add BBQ sauce until at least halfway through. The sugars in the sauce will burn if cooked for too long or too hot. Rubs are better; season your meat with at least some salt before putting on the grill and add the sauce later

On rubs:
- Pork rubs can stand to be sweeter than chicken or beef. My base rub for pork is brown sugar based (50% brown sugar). Then use vinegar based sauce or mustard based
- Chicken rubs tend to be more aromatic with herbs rather than spices. Smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt and peppers make a good base. Use sweet BBQ sauce in the end
- Beef rubs are stronger in spices to bring out the beef flavors. Garlic powder, coriander, cumin, thyme, and chili powder/smoked paprika tend to dominate the flavors. No sauce is necessary, but if you must, use either sweet BBQ sauce or mustard based

On BBQing at home:
- You can replicate the BBQ experience (without the smoke) at home by using your oven. For example, rub your meat with your favorite rub and in a roasting pan (or even heavy duty aluminum foil pouch) add in 1/2 cup of apple cider and 3T of white wine vinegar, 2T worchestershire sauce, 2T honey and 3 cloves of chopped garlic. Cover the pan, or if using aluminum foil pouch, make sure to crimp all sides. 225 degree F oven, for 2.5 hours for baby backs, 3.5 hours for spare ribs. Check to see if they're done by taking a bone and if it rotates around the socket, it is done. What we just did is braise the ribs to doneness. Once the ribs are done, take out the left over cooking liquid and heat on high until reduced to a glaze. This is your BBQ sauce. You can then grill the ribs on high to make the crust or broil them after glazing them. Glaze well and watch the ribs lest they burn. Serve as a slab with glaze on the side or cut individual ribs and toss them in the glaze
- You can also BBQ low and slow on your grill. Best done with a gas grill as it is easier to regulate temperature. Turn on only one side of the grill on medium low, with an oven thermometer, make sure the cool side is about 200-250 degrees F. Add a pan of soaked wood chips/chunks on the fire side. Prepare and cook your ribs as above, but leave uncovered. Finish as above also. With a charcoal grill, use a small amount of charcoals on the one side of the grill. Again make sure the cool side is around 200-250 degrees. Add the soaked wood chunks/chips on the charcoal or on a pan. Prepare and cook the ribs as above, but leave uncovered. Finish as above.
- You can smoke chickens and turkeys this way also, but of course the time is much less, check after about 30 minutes

Pork rub recipe:
- 5 parts brown sugar
- 2 parts kosher salt
- 1 part chili powder or smoked paprika
- 1 part spices and herbs (I use thyme, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, chipotle powder)

Beef rub recipe:
- 4 part kosher salt
- 1/2 part garlic powder
- 1/2 part black pepper
- 1/2 part spices (I use coriander, cumin and cayenne/jalapeno powder)
- 1/2 part brown sugar

Chicken rub recipe:
- 2 part kosher salt
- 1 part spices and herbs (garlic powder, black pepper, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne)

Notes:
- Rub recipes are in parts/proportions so you can make it in any amount
- Adjust the spices portion to your taste, less peppers to make a milder rub, add your favorite herbs/spices or use your favorite rubs (old bay seasoning, etc)
- Adjust any of the portions to your tastes. Too sweet? Reduce the sugar. Too salty? Reduce the salt. Don't like garlic, omit the garlic powder. The rubs here are just starting points, you make your own with your favorite flavors.