To smoke, of course! What better way to spend your day, really? You want your day to be perfect in every way. So, I wonder which works best – a barbecue grill or a gas grill?
The word barbecue has several meanings. It is the world’s oldest cooking method, by far. Caveman eat meat. Caveman creates fire. Caveman cook meat. Barbecue is born. The specific definition that we’re going to look at is how to cook low and slow.
Second, let’s cover some basics for cooking no matter what grill you use. When using either a barbecue or gas grill, be sure you have everything ready before you start your cooking. Coals and wood should be available to feed your fire and your gas tank should be at least one-third full. You don’t want to run out of fuel in the middle of your cooking.
Keep the food covered that you are cooking, if you open the lid often just be aware that you will be losing five to ten minutes of cooking time. Deciding which works best, a barbecue or gas grill will help you make the right choice as you keep in mind the cooking time you’ll need, the temperatures you will need, and what your general use will be.
When you are using two-zone cooking, different levels of control will be necessary for the meat and other foods that are being cooked to come off the grill to your liking. Meat consists of protein, water, fat, and other ingredients. Solids and liquids react differently to heat.
Fats will melt, water will evaporate into steam, the connective tissue will break down and solid meat will cook. Different temperatures will be needed in order to balance the cooking of the meat and adjustments will be necessary. When you have a gas grill, this is more easily done because you have more than one burner.
This might be a little more difficult on the barbecue grills, because you will have to lump your fuel source to one side of the grill (for the indirect heat), babysitting the meat constantly so as not to overcook it. Of course, that’s most of the fun for a traditional barbecue and most experienced folks don’t need to fiddle during the cook.
The low and slow methods will allow you to evenly cook your poultry, beef, or lamb while the food retains its natural juices. You will not scorch, burnout, or dry out your food when you cook in this manner. This can be done on either the barbecue or gas grill, with far more controls coming from gas.
However, the flavor is greater when using the barbecue grill with coals. Natural gas will produce a wet heat; therefore, it will work well with slow cooking. You will want to add a smoker box or have a smoker box on your gas grills for the best smoking techniques.
With a barbecue grill, you will simply need to add wood chunks or chips to burn. Gas grills will offer less harmful effects on the environment than barbecue grills. You can roast, sear, and smoke on either.
Generally, it’s far easier to maintain a low temperature for long periods on a charcoal grill or smoker. Another thing to think about is that gas grills will use more fuel than a barbecue grill. With the cost of propane, using half a tank or more to smoke some ribs isn’t very economical.
When you are ready to purchase your grill, to decide which works best – a barbecue grill (aka BBQ grill) or a gas grill (aka gas BBQ) – have in mind how much fuel you want to use, what type of cooking and how much grilling will take place.
There are so many choices available; these tips will help you make the correct decision when you are ready to make a purchase.