What’s the best time to barbecue?
Anytime you can! Have two feet of snow on your deck (like we did last year ?) Get the jacket, grab the charcoal, shovel a path to the BBQ, and fire it up! Nothing like BBQ ribs when it’s 10 below, right? If you live on the surface of the sun (e.g: Arizona) and never have the snow you’ll never have any excuses not to fire that BBQ up at any time of year.
Getting the Terms Right
Now, there’s the slow cooking barbecue and there’s the much faster grilling. Barbecue uses indirect heat, much like your oven on a low setting, while grilling uses more charcoal and whatever you’re cooking is placed right above the coals. Like a broiler. The BBQ might take 3 or four hours to finish, while you can grill steaks in 10-15 minutes.
Mostly you’ll be barbecuing the tougher cuts, ribs, or meats that may have some gristle or connective tissue. The slow, long heat will break that down and the meat will be totally yummy. Do that with a fish or a good steak, and, well, it won’t be pretty. So grill your steaks & fish and barbecue your baby back ribs.
Rib eye Recipe
Speaking of steaks, here’s what you’ll need for a good rib eye steak “barbecue,” (and check out the video on how to grill a ribeye steak.)
1. 2 rib eye steaks, 1 lb each
2. 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
3. some diced celery and scallions
4. garlic clove
5. butter
6. charcoal and your grill/weber
7. cast iron skillet
Make a pile of coals on one side of the lower grill and fire them up. Since you’ll be grilling these cuts you’ll want a good size pile to generate a lot of heat, but you won’t cover the lower grill with them, keep them to one side. Once the coals are hot put the steaks on the grill. The heat should be enough that you can hear those steaks sizzle. Give them a minute and then flip the steaks. There should be some nice grill lines on the meat. (You’ll be searing in the flavor and juices by doing this.)
Once seared, move the steaks to the part of the grill without the coals. They’ll stay hot there while you put the skillet over the charcoal and toss in the sliced onions and some butter. Saute the onions until they’re just they way you like them and then set them aside. Keep the steaks on the “cool” side of the grill and close up the grill. Open it up and turn the steaks over every couple of minutes until nearly done (and done is the way you like it.)
When they’re getting close to “just right” put the skillet back on and add the celery, the scallions, and some butter. While that mix sizzles take the clove of garlic, mash it up, and add it to the mix. Move the mix out of the way and put the steaks in the skillet and put the mix on top of the steaks. Add the onions, too. Cook for a minute or so, then serve it all up.
More Barebecue
As for real barbecue, which takes a lot longer, the real question is this: can you wait three to four hours to eat the ribs while that wonderful barbecue scent drifts through the air? It’s tough, but be strong. You can do it and the end result is worth it. For more on BBQ check out this barbecue tips site.
