Posts Tagged ‘bbq’
Texas Eats
Whatever enticements bring you to the great land of Texas, I can guarantee you one thing, the food is what will keep you there. The South has perfected their own unique standard of cuisine, and the Lone Star State is saturated with it. The delicacies and delights found here are quite lacking anywhere else in the world.
It’s easy to spell fun in Texas — BBQ. Despite the population, the biggest cities and the smallest towns all have their own barbecue establishment of some kind. Each self proclaiming themselves, no doubt, to be “The Best Barbecue in Texas!” With only slight variations, you can easily expect an atmosphere of brushed steel, wood planks, hickory smoke, and country music.
But since you are only there for the food, you should know that there exists any choice of beef, pork, or chicken. No matter where you go for your experience, you can expect the variation of a spicy kick, a sweet honey glaze, or a classic hickory smoked saturation to fit your preference. When I first came to Texas, it came as quite a surprise to find at even the most elegant of events a banquet arrayed in barbecue.
The barbecue succeeds due to the excess of Texas’ most precious asset of beef. Driving through the state it is not rare to see land roaming for miles with the most beautiful livestock. The great land spanning these acres feeds the most delicious animals in the state.
If you don’t prefer to have your animals barbecued, surely you couldn’t resist a melting piece of tender steak in your mouth. Fine Texas Steakhouses are hard to miss around the state as well. I would suggest a medium grill to your choice of cut in order to achieve the most tender and yet sufficiently cooked dinner delight.
Texas also has a lucky connection so close to the border which has given birth to a fascinating genre of food that only exists here as TexMex. The further south you travel, perhaps to San Antonio at least, the hispanic culture has authentically romanticized the food here. Warm tortillas, fresh salsa, and explosive flavors lull us away in this perfect union of Mexican style food made by the Texan grown culture.
All the acres of land that makes Texas proud gives fruit to unending varieties of succulent produce. Undoubtedly my favorite is, the peach. You can’t find a better peach cobbler than in the South, for good reason.
Peaches thrive in this climate and humidity. In our own backyard we grow a large fruitful peach tree that satisfies our craving for juicy sweet peaches with each summer season. Everyone in our community also looks forward to this season for my family to bring over paper bags full of peaches to share.
The land and humidity here in Texas are not always so unbearable. They bring forth the great fruits of quite enjoyable eating. Livestock, fruits, and vegetables all have a happy home grown in Texas. Any traveller will gorge with substantial delight in any of the unique culinary creations that all Texans should be proud of.
Tags: barbecue, bbq, beef, chicken, culinary, dining, eating, Food, livestock, Peaches, pork, produce, steak, Texas
Fall Is A Great Time To BBQ!
Can you believe there are people who only grill during the Summer? I hope this isn’t you. If it is, stop it! You’re depriving your friends and family some of the best grilled and smoked foods of the year. Grillin’ when it’s chillin’ outside is one of the best ways to prepare meats and vegetables over a hot fire. Now go get that grill and smoker out of the Garage and fire it up. You have meat to cook!
The cool weather of Fall and Winter offers us backyarders a time to get out and grill up some of our favorite meat. Since the weather is so nice, why not make it a family affair? To me, cooking in the Fall and Winter sure beats standing over a hot grill when it’s 100 degrees outside. In fact, as I write this, it’s 28 degrees outside and I have a Venison roast in the smoker. Talk about good eats!
Any food you grill during the Summer only gets better in the Fall and Winter. It’s also the perfect time to try your hand at grilling Wild Game. Many hunters have some meat in the freezer from Fall hunts plus there are a lot of grocers now carrying Wild Game. Keep in mind that most Wild Game has less fat than beef, chicken or pork so it will need special attention. Mainly, that you should cook it slower and be sure not to overcook it. It should have a warm pink center.
There are a few things you will need to keep in mind before heading out in the Winter to bbq. For starters, it will take longer for your grill or smoker to heat up. So plan accordingly.
Electric smokers and gas grills may require an insulative blanket. This is especially true for electric smokers. Cold winds can quickly sap all the heat from an electric smoker and cause the internal temperature to fall below safe levels. Most electric smoker dealers carry these special blankets. Make sure what ever you use to wrap your smoker or grill, that it’s fire proof. It can be easy to set anything else on fire so be careful.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when grilling outdoors during the Winter months is to keep your grill or smoker hot. Cold Winter winds can quickly sap the heat right out of your unit. This lowers the internal temperature to an usafe level, especially if you’re smoking a large piece of meat.
You’ll also need to take into consideration where your grill and smoker are set up. Chances are you have some dead grass or other vegetation in the immediate area. This can go up like a Roman candle from the smallest of sparks, especially if there is a wind to help it out. Always keep these areas mowed and if in doubt, hose down the area around your grill and smoker.
So just because it’s a little cold outside doesn’t mean you have to put up the grill. Keep them out and use them on a regular basis and enjoy the tasty treats your bbq will serve up. Try cooking your Holiday meals out on the grill. Nothing says lovin’ like fresh smoked Ham or grilled Turkey for those Holiday dinners!
Tags: bar-b-que, bar-b-que recipes, barbecue, barbecue recipes, bbq, bbq recipes, cooking, Food, grilling, grilling recipes, outdoor cooking, recipes, smoking
The Ultimate BBQ in Three Simple Steps
To a purist, BBQ is all about slow cooking. This generally means using either a barbeque smoker or a grill with a large surface and a snug lid. The idea is to keep the food at some distance away from the direct heat. You can do this by rearranging the briquettes, or by having a flame on only one side of the grill. This will give you an area of lower heat that will allow you to get started on infusing, the first of three steps to the perfect BBQ.
With infusing, your objective is to get all of the flavorful ingredients into the meat before the surface layer is cooked sufficiently to seal the inside. Sauces, rubs, fat and the meat’s juices intermingle with the heat and smoke to create a symphony of effects within the meat. Both the fats throughout the meat and on the surface dissolve and form an exterior layer. The conditions are now perfect for the flavor compounds to spread. Some killer BBQ is right around the corner.
During the second step, the actuall cooking happens, and this usually takes a while. While the inside temperature of the meat increases, the proteins break down and convert to amino acids. Sugars change their composition and spread their sweetness. Enzymes get active, and salt becomes ionized. The final effect of this fired up chemical process is to transform raw meat into a delectable entree.
Throughout this stage, smoke from any wood which has been added lends flavor to the finished product. The meat seals itself and internal juices are preserved, heated up and altered. This is the phase where the meat needs to pass most of its cooking time. You need to keep the temperature lower than what you’d cook with indoors.
After the interior temperature of the meat gets to 200F, it’s ready to be taken off the smoker or BBQ grill.
The third step is where your meat completes the cooking process. As it cools, the internal heat is still high enough to continue to affect the meat. Throughout this stage, meat can become even more tender, creating a most satisfying meal.
When the temperature drops below 165F, it’s ready to serve. Make a cut to check the color. If you’re cooking beef, it should be dark red; chicken needs to be white, and its juices should be clear. Pork should be a grayish white. The flavor should be delicate and the texture easy to chew.
And there you have it: the perfect BBQ.
Tags: barbecue, bbq, bbqtips, cooking, Food, great bbq ideas, grilling, outdoor cooking
