Barbeque Tips For The Beginner. The Basics To Get You Started
I have some very basic barbeque tips that I hope you will find helpful and remember, this is not grilling. You are cooking slow and easy here.
Learning how to barbeque is fairly easy to do. Mastering it may take some practice though, and that is where all the fun comes from. You get to eat all your creations.
Like I discussed in a different area of our site. Real barbeque and smoking your meat is a slow process. You just can't hurry it along. If you are in a hurry then grilling is the way to go and if you need help there, please feel free to check out our grilling tips section.
When smoking your meat you can use wood, charcoal, electricity or propane for your heat source.
The first of my barbeque tips is when you cook this way you are cooking between 225° F and 250° F and good temperature control is a must.
Another tip is if you are using charcoal you will have to add between 10 and 15 briquettes per hour to keep your heat up. Also know that air temperature and wind can also effect your cooking. When it is really cold you may have to keep your vents wide open to keep your heat up.
One time when smoking in the winter I actually had to put our smoker under the deck (we had a split level home with a raised deck) and put a tarp all around it to actually create a smoke house. This was the only way I could keep my temps up. I could have waited for a warmer and less windy day, but really, why. I had it in my mind to do some smoking that day and I just didn't want to wait.
As far as food temperatures go, most foods are safe with an internal temperature of 145° F for meats and 165° F for poultry, however cooking your food slow and going for a bit higher internal temperature, say around 180° F, should let the smoke set in to your food better and it will help tenderize your meat.
That is why this cooking process is best suited for tougher cuts of meat. The slower cooking process gives the collagen, which is the connective tissues of the meat time to breakdown. This both sweetens and tenderizes the meat.
For a more detailed temperature guide see our chart below
In addition to our barbeque tips on this site, we have some great barbeque recipes for you to try. Please feel free to try that section of our site out if that is what you are looking for or if you would rather be grilling, you can look at our grilling recipes as well.
Getting your equipment right is probably the most basic of all barbeque tips. Once you have made the decision to buy a smoker, then you need to determine just what you want to buy. Here a couple of things to consider when buying your smoker.
- First of all determine your budget. You can get smokers priced from $100 to $10,000
- Secondly you need to determine your needs. Are you just cooking for yourself or will you be cooking for large groups
- Third, you need to determine what type of fuel you want to use. You can buy smokers that use wood, electricity, charcoal, propane and pellets.
This is considered a offset dry smoker. For more detailed information on smokers, you can visit our BBQ smoker section. We have some helpful information there for you to use.
One of the most important barbeque tips is getting your wood right. Below are some of the basic types of woods that would be good to use.
Generally speaking, hard wood that is free of resin can be good to use.
Alder: This wood has a medium tart flavor and is good for fish especially salmon, poultry and pork. This would be good for light game birds as well
Apple: Has a slightly sweet smell and fruity smoke flavor. It is good for beef, poultry, game birds and pork. It is very good for ham.
Cherry: This has a sweet fruity flavor and is good for poultry, fish ham and pork.
Hicory: This particular wood has a pungent smokey flavor. It is best suited for red meats, chicken and pork.
Maple: Has a mild smokey smell and it is good for pork, poultry and ham.
Mesquite: Has a strong earthy flavor and it is good for most meats, especially beef.
Mulberry: Has a sweet smell and is good for beef, poultry, game birds and pork. It is very good for ham.
Oak: This wood has a heavy smoke flavor and is good for red meat, pork, fish poultry and brisket.
Walnut: Gives off a heavy smoke. You could even mix it with lighter woods like apple or peach to tone it down a bit. This is good for red meats.
Pecan: Has a fruity flavor and is good for pork roast, brisket, fish and poultry
It is important to get your cooking temperatures right and as I said before, to maintain those temperatures, so do be sure that your smoker has a good thermometer. As you can see, my smoker has one built in. Also it is important to have a good meat thermometer so you know when your food is finished.
Your basic temperature chart
| Type of Meat | Smoking Temp | Time to Complete | Finished Temp | | Brisket(Sliced) | 225° | 1.5 Hours/LB | 180° | | Brisket(Pulled) | 225° | 1.5 Hours/LB | 180° | | Beef Rib | 225° | 3 Hours | 170° | | Pork Butt(Sliced) | 225° | 1.5 Hours/LB | 175° | | Pork Butt Pulled | 225° | 1.5 Hours/LB | 190° | | Whole Chicken | 250° | 4 Hours | 170° | | Chicken Thighs | 250° | 1.5 Hours | 170° | Chicken Quarters | 250° | 3 Hours | 170° | | Whole Turkey 12# | 240° | 7 Hours | 170° | Spare Ribs | 225° | 6 Hours | 170° | | Baby Backs | 225° | 5 Hours | 170° | | Whole Ham Cooked 12# | 225° | 3-4 Hours | 150° | | Fresh Whole Ham 12# | 225° | 8 Hours | 170° |
Please remember these cooking times are just an estimate.Times will vary with equipment and weather conditions.
Also as our site grows we will have a section on food safety that covers temperatures as well. I truly believe that being safe and using common sense is all part of the overall equation to having fun in your backyard.
Just a couple of additional barbeque tips.
Practice good temperature control. You are generally cooking between 225° F and 250° F. Keep your temperatures up by adding 10 to 15 briquettes per hour if using charcoal.
When using a smoker with a water pan do not let it go dry. Also this is where you can put a lot of spices, garlic and herbs etc. for flavoring.
Use good thermometers for both your cooking temperatures and your food temps.
Use tongs to move and pick up you meat. Don't use anything like a fork that would peirce the meat.
Once in a while on weekends we enjoy smoking many different types of foods at once. Our goal is to have foods cooking that finish at different times. For example salmon would finish quicker than ribs. This way we get to sample and eat all day long rather than waiting for one large meal. This is a great way to spend a Saturday if you have the time.
I sure do hope that you found our barbeque tips helpful to use. Also if you are looking for some great barbeque recipes you can click here as well.
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