When it comes to barbequing, there are two main schools of thought for the techniques that you can use.
The first of these techniques – and the most popular method for those who grill in their back yards – is the style where the food is cooked directly over the source of heat. This way, the food is rapidly cooked on a hot grill suspended directly over the charcoals, the wood, or the gas burners. Rarely is the lid ever closed. Any foods, including the most tender cuts, hamburgers, steaks, kabobs of all kinds, chicken, and even vegetables are quickly seared and cooked to perfection using this technique. If sauces are desired, they can be added before hand, during the cooking process, or even after the food comes off the grill. These choices will all create different and enjoyable tastes and flavors.
The second barbeque cooking technique uses heat indirectly. This is more appropriate when you’re cooking much larger or whole cuts of meat, such as especially thick steaks, roasts, a whole hog, or a pork shoulder. When you’re cooking using this method, the food is cooked away from the actual source of heat. This usually requires a water pan of some kind in order to maintain the moisture level of the food. The temperatures generally sit in around 250ºF. During this cooking method, the lid of the barbeque remains closed most of the time, and the length of the cooking is much longer than in the first method. When you’re using an indirect barbeque cooker, there is usually an additional fire box that allows you to combine charcoal and wooden logs for burning. This allows the heat and the smoke to rise through the cooking chamber where the meat is, so that it is heated perfectly. The rule of thumb of this technique is a low temperature for a long time.
No matter which method you use, it’s important not to cook your meat too quickly. If the internal temperature of your meat rises too quickly as you cook it, the water and the fat within it will be expelled before the collagen is able to melt. This means that your cut will be dry and tough. However, you cannot cook too slowly or you will risk a bacterial contamination. Though there is a fine line for barbequing properly, it’s important to find that line and stick to it.
If you’re already dealing with a cut of meat that is tough, such as a brisket or a pork roast, consider cooking slowly as the collagen adds flavor to the meat. If you buy a less tough, more expensive cut, you can cook at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. This is why ribs and steaks take such a short time to cook, while pork shoulders or beef brisket can run up to 20 hours.
As a final note, it’s important to have fun while you barbeque! Your pleasure will come through in your cooking as it will leave you motivated, and willing to try new and interesting things.
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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/two-barbeque-techniques-to-consider-1647402.html
Filed under Techniques by on Dec 31st, 2009. Comment. 
When it comes to cooking whole hog, or anything on the barbecue for that matter, Myron Mixon (TLC BBQ Pitmaster), likes to think he knows a thing or two about the business.
About Myron Mixon and Jack’s Old South BBQ Team
If you don’t know who Myron Mixon of “Jack’s Old South” is, you should know that he is considered one of the best BBQ cooks that has ever lived. Myron is a 3 time winner of Memphis in May, and competes continually throughout the year in major BBQ competitions.
Myron Mixon is not just a BBQ competitor of seemingly legendary proportions either. He also runs a highly successful BBQ cooking school as well as operating his own franchise business, and a catering business, more details of which can be found here.
It is safe to say that Myrons success is based on having more than one string on his bow of many talents.
If that wasn’t enough, Myron also produces his own range of BBQ products including a range of sauces!
Myron Mixons – Jacks Old South BBQ Grilling Tips
1. Start your BBQ with quality meats.
2. Use sauces, rubs, etc. that enhance and not cover up the natural flavor of the meat.
3. Learn your smoker. Know how it cooks, such as hot and cold spots on the grill, how well it cooks in bad weather, what is the temp the pit likes to cruise at.
4. Research the characteristics of BBQ woods before selecting one.
5. Always cook by doneness of the meat and not length of time on the grill.
A brief history of Myron Mixons Jack’s Old South
Myron Mixon, chief cook of Jack’s Old South Competition Bar-B-Que Team started Jacks Old South in 1996 as a way to promote the family Bar-B-Que sauce, which was made by his mother and father, Gaye and Jack Mixon.
They competed in their first competition in Augusta, Ga. where they took 1st place in Whole Hog, 1st place in Pork Ribs and 3rd in Pork Shoulder.
Since the beginning, they have won 140 plus grand championships resulting in over thousands of trophies, 30 state championships including wins in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Illinois, South Carolina, and Tennessee, team of the year six times, and 8 national championships.
Jack’s Old South have also taken three first place whole hogs at the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbeque Competition.
As a result of all of their success on the various BBQ circuits, Myrons team have been featured on several television networks, including the Food Network, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Travel Channel and the Versus Network.
Mastering the art of Bar-B-Que’ing has lead to the development of Myrons line of Jack’s Old South products including sauces, rubs, grills and smokers, as well the Bar-B-Que Cooking School.
I hope you enjoyed reading about Barbecue Guru, Myron Mixon. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue recipes. You may like to read more about Myron Mixon and find out about other BBQ Pitmasters. Don’t forget to visit Barbecue Party’s blog, they have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/myron-mixon-bbq-pitmaster-extraordinaire-1569589.html
Filed under Pit Master by on Dec 21st, 2009. Comment.
Every region of the United States has its barbecue specialty: pulled pork sandwiches in North Carolina, racks of ribs in Memphis, “burnt ends” in Kansas City and chopped brisket in Texas. The roots of American barbecue run deep in the South, where even neighboring counties can have different approaches to barbecue, not to mention different states.
BBQ in North Carolina
Consider North Carolina, a state with a long barbecue tradition ..
In eastern North Carolina, you would probably find shredded meat from an entire pig, doused with a peppery vinegar sauce, and if you chose to drive West a few hours from the coast, and you will most likely be served meat from just the shoulder of the hog, with a tomato based sauce.
Throughout Carolina, there is a clear preference for barbecue pork and thin vinegary sauces, which is a distinguishing style echoed throughout the state.
BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee is another superb barbecue location, home to “Memphis in May,” which is the largest barbecue competition and festival in the world. The city boasts over 100 barbecue restaurants and several different barbecue styles.
Like North Carolina and much of the South, pork is the barbecue meat of choice in Tennessee and pork ribs are the most common cut, but the city is divided between “dry-rubbed” and “wet rib” versions. Dry-rubbed ribs are generously rubbed with a mixture of spices, smoked and then served with sauce on the side. Wet ribs are lacquered with tangybarbecue sauce before, during and after cooking.
Another Memphis favorite is the pulled-pork sandwich – smoked pork shoulder stuffed inside a hamburger bun and topped with coleslaw.
BBQ in Kansas City
Kansas City is the barbecue capital of the Midwest. Like Memphis, it’s also home to over 100 barbecue restaurants and hosts an annual barbecue competition an an event called American Royal.
In Kansas City, both pork and beef are barbecued and it is best known for its BBQ sauce, which is traditionally heavy on tomato and uses molasses as a distinctive sweetener. The traditional thickbarbecue sauce you buy in supermarkets is based on Kansas City style sauce.
The bottled varieties are much different from the small batches of sweet zesty sauce cooked up by Kansas City pitmasters.
For those that aren’t familiar with the term, “Burnt ends,” are the crunchy, charred ends of brisket slabs, are a Kansas City specialty not to be missed.
BBQ in Texas
Texas is famous for its cattle, and beef brisket is the barbecue meat of choice. But chopped beef and beef ribs are also state favorites.
Texas barbecue isn’t only about the beef, it is also about spicy pork sausages, called “hot links,” and pork ribs are also common barbecue fare.
Almost all Texas barbecue is cooked without sauce. The meat is rubbed with spices, known as BBQ rub, smoked and, sometimes, a sauce is served on the side.
Barbecue in other states is most often smoked over hickory, oak or a handful of other similar hardwoods. But Texas barbecue usually uses mesquite, which gives the meat a distinct and unique flavor.
I hope you enjoyed my article on the regional differences of BBQ food in the United States. If you are looking for reviews, ideas, recipes, guides and how-tos for everything BBQ, then please visit Barbecue Partys Blog, there is a wealth of great information there.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/the-differences-between-different-styles-of-bbq-food-by-region-1478176.html
Filed under Recipe, Source by on Nov 19th, 2009. Comment.
