Food for Thought

Grilling and Bar-B-Qing are two separate cooking methods that utilize the same aparatus. Bar-B-Que is LOW, indirect heat for a long time designed for the tougher cuts of meat, where as Grilling is HIGH, direct heat, for a short period of time, more for steaks, burgers, etc.. Both have unique and desireable characteristics, but DO NOT invite people over for a Bar-B-Que and serve them grilled hamburgers! Bar-Bar-B-Que hails from Natives who used to hang their kill on sticks around a fire so the smoke would keep the bugs away and subsequently cooked the meat. The pit Bar-B-Que probably came from a wild night around the fire and some of the meat fell in and got buried. The next morning when they realized what happened, they discovered a new cooking method! I don't know for sure, but some of our best creations have come about by accident.

Now is the time to start thinking about the outdoor cooking season, and the first thing on your mind should be cleaning last years gunk out of your grill/BBQ. Pull the grates out and knock off loose gunk then bomb them with oven cleaner. You can even use it on the iside of you BBQ if it is practical. Rinse completely. A can of high heat paint puts new life into any BBQ, if it is worth it, but NEVER paint the inside unless you want your food to taste like chemicals. The best thing to do is to oil the inside after it is cleaned out. I use Pam for ease of application, but any food grade oil will work. If you have a heavy metal BBQ, like my Brinkman, after oiling, a big hot fire sesons the inside for the summer. Now you have the outdoor cooking bug agin so what are we going to cook? Here is a simple favorite;
BBQ Tri-Tip

Light the fire and get a good set of coals going, or heat your gas BBQ to high. Stab Tri-Tip with a fork. Go nuts. Pretend you are in Psycho. Really perforate it! Lightly dust with you favorite rub, (I'm into rubs right now), and set aside until the BBQ is ready. You can also season the meat ahead of time and refrigerate which is a really good idea. Move all the coals to one side of the BBQ, or turn off all but one burner and put the meat on the grill as far away from the heat as possible. Put the lid on and try to regulate the heat down low by closing vents. Beef should reach 160 degrees internally, but you really should take the meat off before it reaches that temp because the meat will continue to cook even after you remove it. This should take AT LEAST an hour. Any shorter, you are cooking to fast. Remember, the slower the better. Slice thinly and serve with a sourdough baguette and a green salad or green beans.