First off I don't get wrapped up in gas vs charcoal. I use both. By far for most of my outdoor cooking I use charcoal in my Big Green Egg the most. It is just flat out an awesome cooker. I also have a Weber big kettle, (a Simpson's edition!) and a little portable Weber Smokey Joe.
Here's a couple of tips for you gassers.
1) Don't run out of gas! How basic huh? But it's happened to all of us. Have a full backup standing by. Don't run around trying to get it filled on a weekend. I like to get my own tanks filled, but those exchange services are fine too.
2) Have too many thermometers. If your grill has one on the hood, fine, but get another. The kind you stick in the oven and can take out. Ok then you need a meat thermometer. You can spend a lot or a little. I like the kind with the remote that you can carry around to check the temps. Then get a couple more, since you might be using more than one cooker.
3) If you are buying a new gas grill make sure you can have a cool side and a hot side, and the cool side will have enough room. What I mean is have at least 2 separate controls. The big ones have more than 2. That gives you the option to have heat in the bbq and the food not directly over the heat. It sits on the cool side. Just moving the food up on the upper grill (if you have 2 racks) might not be enough. For things like baby back ribs you want indirect heat, so the food sits over the burner that is off.
4) Buy a new gas bar thing. You know the part where the gas comes out of. Even if you are buying new, buy a new one to replace yours when it gets old. They all rust out, and cause very uneven heat. So have a new one ready, they are easy to replace. If you don't think it is cooking right, just replace it. You'll be so happy!
5) Low heat can be a problem with gas. If you want to try to cook at 225 degrees for 5 hours your gas grill might not go that low. You can turn down the tank valve, and run the burner control low, but you don't want the flame to go out and have gas filling up the grill. So then what? Have a way to keep the top of the gas grill open. I use a long stick. It just takes a little to get the outside air to mix with the hot grill, but you should be able to find a way to get close to that magic low and slow temp for ribs, brisket, etc.
6) Get a cast iron smoking box made for gas grills. They work great.
Now you wood burners..
1) Switch to hardwood charcoal. That will be the best way to improve your cooking. Too hard to use? Naah. Get an electric starter. Plug it in, jam it in the hardwood charcoal, and wait about 9 minutes max. Your fire will start up and burn cleaner and cleanup will be much easier than the briquets. My favorite brand of hardwood charcoal? Lazzari. Great stuff, and a local business that has been in the bay area since 1908!
2) Don't use starter fluid. It smells, and you really don't have to use it.
3) If you do use briquets, never ever use the self lighting stuff. They smell really nasty! Ok if you do, never ever add more of them to a fire after it has started and food is on. You will ruin the food.
4) Use smoking wood. But just a little. Cherry is good for just about everything, beef can take a heavier flavor like hickory. Play around and see what you like. But just a hand full is all you really need.
5) Get a stable temp with your vents, add smoking wood, grill and meats and close it up. Don't keep looking. If you are afraid of burning the food, move the coals to one side and the food to the opposite side. Check on it just when you baste, say every 15 minutes. If you are getting lots of burnt food, move your food away from the heat. Maybe try to get something between the food and the fire. A cast iron pan, bricks, whatever, get creative, but don't burn food.
A tip for everybody. Have a nice beverage to help pass the time. Me? Well Makers Mark or Knob Creek on ice works well...
Ok that's a good start. Here's 3 simple recipes. These don't all need sauce. If I put bbq sauce on my food while it is cooking I use it at the very end, say last 15 minutes, just enough to put it on and let it dry. Please don't take the sauce straight from the fridge and put on your food. Let it sit out, or better warm it up a little over very low heat. You can put it in a bowl and in your cooker to warm up.
Chicken
This is easy but it takes 2 days (or more)!
1) buy some chicken
2) buy some italian salad dressing. I buy the cheapest I can find, buy whatever you like.
3) put the chicken in a zip lock bag and add the salad dressing. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 1 day, 2 is better, 3 is great, 4 works too! Trust me on this. Let it marinate a loooong time.
4) drain, cook at about 375 to 400, be amazed!
For something different use Bob Gibson's White BBQ Sauce.
Beef Tri Tip
This gets credited to "Morro Bay Rich." I sometimes use San Francisco's "Carl's Gourmet" brand Prime Rib and Roast seasoning. I made this tonight with a "Montreal" flavored marinade from Galvan's in San Leandro my favorite butcher shop. I added Jack Daniels wood chips when the tri-tip went back in.
Seasoning Salt Mixture:
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 tablespoons granulated garlic
6 tablespoons salt
Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl
Basting Sauce:
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup garlic-infused vegetable oil
Whisk together vinegar and oil in a small bowl.
Coat both sides of the tri-tip roasts with the seasoning mixture, rubbing it in as you would a dry rub. Let the seasoned tri-tip rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Sear each side of the tri-tip at 600 to 700 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes each. Remove seared tri-tip, cover it with foil and let it rest while bringing the temperature down to 350 to 400 degrees. During this cool down period I usually toss in a couple of oak chunks. Put tri-tip back in and cook to an internal temperature of 126 degrees for medium rare, basting with the sauce every 5 to 10 minutes. Remove tri-tip, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes. Cut into ½” slices against the grain.
Ribs
Ok there are millions of ways to cook ribs. Figure 4 to 5 hours to cook baby back ribs. Here's the basic deal.
Rub them with something.
Set up the fire for indirect heat. Get a stable temp of about 225 to 250, never much more.
Have a spray bottle filled with apple juice.
Put the ribs on and watch the grills temp. Don't let it get hot.
Flip and spray every 30 minutes or so.
They are done when the meat pulls back from the bone at the tips and they almost fall apart when you pick them up with some tongs.
Don't think about putting sauce on them until the very very last 15 minutes, if at all. Serve it with sauce on the side.
Comments below or just email me rstuart@kfog.com.
Have and be a good cook!
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