How To Barbeque - Grilling Methods

Probably the most important aspect of barbecuing, once you know how to control your heat is understanding what needs to be grilled over direct heat and what needs indirect heat, and how long it will take to achieve the desired result.

If you think about your barbecue as an oven, because now you know how to control the heat, the area directly over the heat is likely to be somewhere between 450-500 degrees F.  The indirect area is more like 350-375 degrees F.

If you’re cooking something that has a higher fat content, or that has been marinated in oil of some kind, the drippings are going to create flash fires, so if you walk away from the grill, and the lid is closed, be prepared to come back to a black charred mess when you realize that smoke is billowing out of the air vents.  That’s one of the main reasons why you use tongs instead of a fork, to turn food.  Don’t puncture the food while it’s cooking…don’t release the grease.

Cooking with indirect heat affords you more time to attend to other things. It’s also more forgiving because you are cooking your meat at a lower temperature, so as the time approaches for everything to hit the table at the same time, you can test it and if it needs a little extra heat, you can move it over the direct heat source.  The grill should always be kept covered when cooking with indirect heat.

Direct heat cooking is uncomplicated. Learning the temperature of the coals is the only real skill. If you are using a gas grill, you just need to set the heat settings at the proper level. The coals are ready when 3/4 of them are gray and coated with ash. You can check the temperature of a charcoal grill by very carefully holding your hand just above the grilling surface and counting the number of seconds it takes before the heat becomes uncomfortable enough for you to pull your hand away.

• 5 seconds equals Low Heat
• 4 seconds equals Medium Heat
• 3 seconds equals Medium-High Heat
• 2 seconds equals High Heat 

You can use the following descriptions to check cooking temperature by observing the coals:

• When the ash coating thickens and a red glow is just visible this would equal a low heat.
• When the coals are covered with light gray ash this would equal a medium heat.
• When the coals have a red glow visible through the ash coating this would equal a high heat. 

A simple and effective method for indirect heat cooking on a charcoal grill is to place an equal number of charcoal briquettes on each side of the grill pan and leaving a space in the center. If the food is likely to drip fat or oil, place an aluminum dripping pan under the food.  Some like to put water in the pan to prevent flashing, but I prefer to put some used ash in the pan to absorb anything that may be flammable and likely to flare up.

For indirect heat cooking on a dual burner gas grill, set the drip pan on the porcelain briquettes, or lava rocks, on one side of the grill and add about a half inch of water. Preheat the other burner on high for 5-10 minutes. Turn the temperature down to medium, then put the food on the rack over the drip pan and cover the grill. 

For indirect heat cooking on a single burner gas grill, preheat the grill on high for 5-10 minutes. Turn the temperature down to low, and place a large foil baking pan on the rack. You can also line half of the cooking rack with a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Place your food in the pan or on the foil, cover and cook.

Now that you know how to prepare your grill for direct and indirect cooking methods, and have the right tools at the ready, let's talk about what you should cook over the two distinct methods.  You can find that information in How To Barbeque - Bubba's BBQ Boot Camp Secrets.