Know more about this
(or any other) subject?

Show off your know-how at Quamut Wiki.

Learn more with these titles from Barnes & Noble

How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques

Weber's Real Grilling

Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes

The Barbecue! Bible

Smoke and Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue, Revised

Become a backyard chef.

Nothing says summer like an outdoor cookout. From grilled steak and vegetables to hickory-smoked ribs, you can make mouth-watering meals and have a great time doing it. So light the fire, grab some tongs, and read on for:

Essential grilling and barbecuing equipment you’ll need to get started
Tips and techniques for grilling meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, and more
Barbecue basics, including dry rubs, mops, and finishing sauces

Grilling vs. Barbecuing

The terms grilling and barbecuing are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually two distinct cooking methods that use similar tools to produce food with very different textures and flavors.

Grilling

Grilling involves cooking small, tender pieces of food quickly over medium to high heat on a gas or charcoal grill. Grilling usually involves the use of direct heat, meaning that the food is placed directly over the heat. Direct heat sears the food, giving it a flavorful, charred exterior. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken, for example, are grilled almost exclusively over direct heat.

Barbecuing

Barbecuing involves cooking larger, tougher pieces of meat for longer periods of time at lower temperatures. Barbecued food is best when cooked with a specially designed cooker called a smoker, though you can also barbecue using charcoal grills or even get barbecue-like results using a gas grill.

Barbecuing uses indirect heat—the heat does not cook the food directly, but instead warms the air around the food. Barbecuing also involves burning natural woods or other materials to produce smoke that flavors the meat. Barbecuing large tough cuts of meat—such as pork shoulder, ribs, or brisket—at low temperatures over a long period of time tenderizes these foods without drying them out.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer