THE JOURNAL
Lobster on the barbecue. Photograph by Mr Lloyd Ziff/Gallery Stock
As anyone who has wielded tongs will testify, there are countless opinions when it comes to what defines a good barbecue. True aficionados are fierce protectors of a tradition that dates back to our prehistoric ancestors. Cooking over fire connects us to our past, yet technique and method vary around the world. In the US alone – where a low and slow style is more popular than rapid cooking over hot, direct heat – barbecue differs dramatically from state to state and everything from the set-up and fuel to the base used for sauces is up for debate.
One thing we all agree on is that cooking outdoors is a universal crowd-pleaser and a sure way to bring us together. Whether you’re grilling, barbecuing or smoking, using wood, charcoal, pellets or, dare we say it, gas, there are multiple factors that determine the success of your event.
Ahead of Memorial Day, we asked some of the biggest names in barbecue for 20 tried-and-tested tips to ensure your cookout is memorable for all the right reasons.
Coals from Rodney Scott’s World Of BBQ: Every Day Is A Good Day by Mr Rodney Scott and Mr Lolis Eric Elie. Photograph by Ms Jerrelle Guy, courtesy of Penguin Random House
01.
Nail the basics
“When I grill at home, I always use hardwood lump charcoal, mostly hickory, but any neutral wood,” says Mr Rodney Scott, the James Beard Award-winning chef and author of World Of BBQ. “I use a firestarter chimney – it’s a little accessory that allows you to start a small fire to get the charcoal burning – and then add hot coals to a bigger pile of charcoal in the grill. My other essentials are a meat thermometer, tongs and good music.”
02.
Experiment with wood
Mixing up your charcoal can impart different flavours into your food. “I love cooking with pecan right now,” says US chef and four-time world barbecue champion Mr Myron Mixon. “It’s got a sweeter flavour to it than oak and hickory and the smoke is not as overpowering. Beef needs a lot of heavy smoke and hickory gives you that. And I love using cherry wood for fish.”
03.
Try a mother fire
“To have a consistent heat for cooking, I like to have a separate mother fire,” says legendary Argentine barbecue chef Mr Francis Mallmann, who will be hosting a six-day wood-fire cooking experience in Scotland with Satopia Travel in March 2022. “This fire is constantly burning and every half an hour I’ll put my shovel in and take beautiful red coals to feed my cooking grill.”
Mr Francis Mallman’s Wood fire, Patagonia, Argentina. Photograph by Ms Laura Austin
04.
Manage the heat
“It takes practice to know how fire and coals react,” says Scott, who builds a pit for whole-hog cooking, but otherwise uses a Big Green Egg-style smoker/grill. “Too much oxygen makes it hotter, so don’t open the grill too much. Understand how to build areas of coals that make a spot hotter and cooler so you can move what is being cooked around to control the cooking.”
05.
Take the indirect route
Chef Mr Bruce Kalman, whose SoulBelly BBQ restaurant opened recently in Las Vegas, recommends using indirect heat to cook meat evenly. “Don’t put your meat on the grill until the temperature, which will vary depending on what you’re cooking, is where it needs to be. And use indirect heat. If you’re working with charcoal or chips, put all that on one side and have the meat on the other. It allows the meat to cook evenly while the smoke gives it a kick of flavour.”
06.
Experiment with smoke
Scott is an advocate of smoking meats, a different method of cooking that relies on smoke and indirect heat to cook the meat through. “Smoke always enhances the flavour and it will happen naturally on the grill,” he says. “If you choose to smoke meat rather than grilling [direct heat], then you simply cook at a lower temperature – 110°C – for far longer, with the lid closed. That’s called low and slow, and the smoke flavour will be more prominent that way.”
07.
Trust the thermometer
“To turn out perfect meat, you have to use a meat thermometer,” says Mixon. “Every protein you cook – brisket, chicken, pork – has an internal temperature of perfection and whatever that number is you have to cook to it. Not only does a thermometer give you the perfect tenderness, it makes sure you don’t under or overcook it.”
Brisket for Everdure by Mr Heston Blumenthal. Photograph courtesy of Mr Heston Blumenthal
08.
Reap the rewards
“Cooking at low temperatures helps meat hold on to its juices and is efficient at breaking down the connective tissue that makes it tough,” says British chef Mr Heston Blumenthal, who launched his Everdure by Heston Blumenthal barbecue range in 2017. “The low-temperature approach lets you take neglected and underestimated cuts, such as brisket, skirt, tongue and cheeks, and turn them into something tender and delicious.”
09.
Fat matters
While inexpensive cuts work well, Mr Robert Cho, founder of Kimchi Smoke in New Jersey, advises choosing the very best quality you can afford. “If you can, get prime [produced from young, well-fed beef cattle],” he says. “You want to see white marbling inside of the meat, which gives a tastier, better-cooked product as the fat conducts heat more evenly.”
10.
Plan ahead
“The most important ingredient in grilling is patience,” says Mallmann. “Without that, you’re burnt. The meat should come out of the fridge three hours before cooking. If you put a very cold steak on the grill, the muscle will contract and the meat will be tougher. Room temperature is much better.”
11.
The science of salting
When it comes to seasoning ribs, pork butts and briskets, Mixon says he’ll never apply a rub until an hour before it goes on the grill. “Rubs and seasonings have salt in them, which, if you put it on overnight, draws moisture out of the meat, which can leave it dry. Instead, wait to season meat until an hour before it goes on the grill."
Brined Chicken Piri Piri by Mr Heston Blumenthal. Photograph courtesy of Mr Heston Blumenthal
12.
Time to brine
For meat that dries out quickly during cooking, such as poultry and pork, Blumenthal recommends brining – placing meat in a mixture of salt and water (add 6-15g salt per 100g water) and aromatics before cooking. “The salt renders the meat tender by breaking down muscle filaments while altering the muscle cells so that they can absorb the brine water, so it’s less likely to dry out,” he says. “Be sure to rinse and pat dry before cooking.”
13.
Apply vinegar
“Apple cider vinegar is awesome for steaks,” says Mixon, who mixes it with red pepper flakes, kosher salt, fresh garlic, chives and refined sugar before applying to meat. “Steaks need a little sweetness and vinegar really breaks down the fibres of the meat. I grew up in Georgia and vinegar is the flavour profile you look for with authentic Georgian barbecue.”
14.
Or keep it simple
“Marinades were born centuries ago to prevent food from rotting by using vinegar or salt, but we don’t need that today,” says Mallmann. “If the meat is good, it just needs salt. Instead, I like to add chimichurri afterwards, which is oregano, parsley, chilli flakes, salt brine, olive oil and a very, very good red wine vinegar.”
15.
Sauce diplomacy
Mixon advises having sauces to satisfy everyone’s taste. “You’ve got to be middle of the road,” he says. “Not everyone will love a vinegar-based sauce or something spicy. Almost everyone loves something sweet, so a honey-based ketchup-type sauce should appeal to all.”
Mac N Cheese at Soul Belly BBQ by Mr Bruce Kalman. Photograph courtesy of Soul Belly BBQ
16.
Elevate a classic
Mac and cheese is a classic side that’s easily adapted, according to Kalman. “Use your favourite mac and cheese recipe and add cheddar and parmesan powder,” he says. “We also top our mac and cheese with chicharrón crumbs. It’s an easy way to chef up a recipe you already love.”
17.
Try a lighter side
For Mixon, who explores low-sugar and carb-free barbecued food in his book Keto BBQ, cabbage can also make a great side dish. “I grill it in bacon fat, add salt and garlic to give it some flavour, add smoked sausage and then grate cheese over the top,” he says.
18.
Borrow from Korea
Cho recommends a zingy Korean slaw as a side, mixing julienned carrots with sliced red and green cabbage and spring onions. “For the dressing, mix two tablespoons of soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sesame oil, one tablespoon of fish sauce and gochugaru,” he says. “Add sesame seeds, whisk together and fold with tongs into vegetables.”
19.
Temperature matters
“You can have all the flowers and linen tablecloths you want, but if the food isn’t hot when people eat it, you’re going to flop,” says Mr Mixon. “You want the meat and sides to stay warm and you never want to put cold sauce on hot meat. I use pre-heated trays for meat and electric crockpots for sauces, which I put on low so they stay warm all night long.”
Bacon and Jalapeño Poppers from Keto BBQ by Mr Myron Mixon. Photograph courtesy of Mr Myron Mixon
20.
Don’t sweat the wine pairings
“You have to drink what makes you happy and you have to be adventurous,” says Mallmann. “I don’t like harmony in my mouth, I like dissonance. If I have nice wine and nice food in my mouth, they both try to convince me which one is better and I love that. Let’s have some clashes and some dissonance in our mouths.”