It’s summertime and everyone loves to grill! But you’re not sure if you’re grilling or barbecuing, so we’ll tell you the difference!
Grilling: is when food is cooked over a grill with heat from gas flames, firewood, charcoal, or propane. Barbecue: is when food is cooked over coals that have been heated by wood. Grilling uses heat directly from the flame to cook meat and vegetables while barbecue relies on indirect heat to cook its food using hot coals.
How to Grill?
Preheat the grill to the desired temperature before placing the food on it. Brush or spray meat or vegetables with oil and season it with salt and pepper. If cooking meat, place it over direct heat until browned on both sides, then move it to indirect heat until done. To cook more than one piece of meat at a time, use skewers. Food should be placed away from direct flames if possible for safety reasons. Check out Argentine Grilling Blog for more techniques and styles which attract you towards Grilling techniques.
How to Barbecue?
When building a fire, allow it to burn down to coals before putting the food on it. If grilling meat, place it over direct heat until browned on both sides, then move it to indirect heat until done. For vegetables, leave them whole and use a skewer or wooden toothpick as a tool for turning to allow them to cook evenly. If using a sauce, brush it on the meat or vegetable at the end of cooking.
It’s not uncommon for people to say they are going to ‘grill out’ when they actually mean ‘BBQ’.
Grilling vs. Barbecue: the Differences, and What You Need To Know!
Grilling vs. BBQ: can they be done at the same time?
Yes, they can be done at the same time, but there are some safety issues to learn about first! Grilling food other than meat requires using indirect heat. This means that you angle the food on the grill away from the direct heat, and that you do not put more wood than is needed to produce smoke. Simply, if you use too much heat in the beginning or too much smoke from your wood, it will burn your food!
To understand this safety issue, think of a hot pan on a stove burner of medium fire. The pan is placed close to the burner with no space in between.
Indirect heat is similar to this example with meat being cooked over it. The meat is placed on the grill away from the direct heat.
What does this mean? It means that if you have no space in between your meat and your fire, your food will burn! This is why people often use two grills for their cooking; one for direct fire and one for indirect.
Think of how a briquette is to wood and coals. It is placed in between the wood and the coals and heats evenly and without burning.
How to know if you are using too much heat or too much smoke? Look for grease bubbles (if you have an electric grill) or a char on your food. This means that food is being burned, not just cooked.
To avoid this from happening:
Do not grill meat directly over the fire as it will burn. Keep it 1 or 2 skewers away from the fire.
Do not place too much of an oil marinade on your meat, as it will burn instead of melt into the meat.
Do not leave too much wood placed directly next to the coals.
When BBQing, you can add your food to any part of your barbeque. The direct heat of the coals will melt the fat into your meat, and maintain its moisture while it is cooking. This is why you can barbecue on various parts of your barbecue.
It is also a great idea to add vegetables to your barbeque as well. They will be cooked in little time with indirect heat (this can be done over a fire as well, just allow the vegetables about 3 minutes per side).
Tools Used for Grilling vs. BBQ
If you are grilling meat, you will need to use a meat thermometer (for the internal temperature of the animal) as well as a brush to oil the meat. A full set for grilling is a good set!
If you are going to barbecue, then a charcoal chimney is necessary, along with some charcoal and your grill. Slice up your vegetables and prepare them on skewers or by toothpicks.
Both of these tools can be found at any grocery store or hardware store, or even online.
Grilling vs. BBQ: cooking time and temperature?
When grilling, food should be cooked over direct heat for the stated amount of time. This is widely accepted and known as the BBQ Time Chart. You want to avoid burning your meat or vegetables!
On the other hand, when barbecuing, you can cook over any part of the grill except for the area directly next to the coals (direct heat). This makes it easy to manage because you do not have to worry about time as long as you follow the temperature chart.
Just remember, if you are using direct heat to cook your meat, use indirect heat to barbecue it, and vice versa.
What temperature should I use for meat grilling?
If you are grilling meat over direct heat, then the temperature should be at least 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius. Anything lower than this may dry out your meat without cooking it thoroughly inside.
When grilling meat over indirect heat, you do not need to worry about temperature. You can cook it at any temperature as long as the indirect heat is enough to cook the inside of your meat. This means that you can cook a piece of chicken on your grill at lower temperatures than you would a steak!
What temperature should I use for a BBQ?
When barbecuing, it is recommended that you start off with a low fire (250 degrees Fahrenheit or 120 degrees Celsius). When grilling, this may be higher. You only want to start the fire with coals or briquettes (for charcoal) or lighter fluid (for gas) as you build the fire.
Once your fire is created, you will need to give it time to grow. The temperature will rise above 250 degrees Fahrenheit and stay at this temperature for about an hour. Once it has reached a steady temperature, then you can start cooking your food. This is the “BBQ Time Chart”.
conclusion:
Grilling and BBQ can be done at the same time, but it is important to know how to do it safely. Both meats and vegetables can be cooked in either method. To avoid burning your food, you must use indirect heat on your grill, as well as not placing too much heat or smoke over your food. As long as you use these methods, you will enjoy a good meal every time.
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