Artieda 2011

Ever been to a barbecue where the 'chef' placed as much food as he could fit in the grid, often stabbing the food with a fork and juggling it around and cook evenly? Have you ever noticed how, within minutes, the flames start gently flickering in the food, the chef proudly standing back admiring the character grid is creating effect? Did you notice the panic that set when the flames suddenly leap up and around the food is burned black on the outside and leaving the inside raw? The difference between good food char grilled BBQ and burnt offerings lies in some small precautions. Tony Bartel is likely to agree. The cook just described made a few fatal errors that could easily have been avoided. Before discussing the errors though, lets consider the equipment we are talking about. While the same can happen with gas as coal, gas grills can become lower, or off, when the fire start getting out of control. The flames also can be controlled if the grill has a tight-fitting lid, as with a Weber kettle grill. However, most people seem to cook on a barbecue grill top with the lid open, if you have open.

Note that we are talking about a barbecue here, where food is cooked directly on coals. True barbecue uses indirect heat with the food fully enclosed in a furnace. Thus, the barbeque grill that our imaginary chef is using is an open top, charcoal grill. Now let's take a look at the mistakes of our imaginary chef.