Time and Smoke, the Soul of Barbecue - backyard smoker grill

The 1999 grill may be at the heart of the American summer, but the grill is its soul, and for the real BBQ, the grill has the personality and depth you simply can't reach.For example, real Texas BBQ cattle bris or North Carolina pulled pork relies on long, slow, smoked cooking, not just a brief hiss on hot coal or gas flamesThe result is an unforgettable smell of wood smoke and meat, so soft that you can separate it with your fingers.The real BBQ and grilled burger have as much in common as the fine spareribs and small steaks.The barbecue achieves these advantages by indirect cooking: the meat is placed nearby, not directly on the fire, and the temperature is deliberately kept low.The traditional fuel is wood, because the nature of the barbecue is smoke.Patience is essential because it can take up to 16 hours for large pieces of meat to get proper smoke and tenderness.The good news is that the real BBQ can be done on the grill in the backyard or even with gas.This is of course worth the effort, as there is no such traditional American method of adding flavor and meat to the meat.Initially, the barbecue was cooked in a pit or pit, and sometimes it was still the case, especially in the South.More often, the "Pit" is a brick or steel structure building on the ground and has been blackened by rain and wood smoke decades ago.Fire burns at one end and food cooks at the other.Or the fire burns at the bottom of the pit while the food is cooked on a high shelf above.Given the huge size of the traditional pit and the logs used to refuel it, the real BBQ seems to be hard to replicate on the backyard grill.On the contrary, today's kettle grill and gas grill are covered high and easy to bake.Like a professional pit, the fire is built across the grill, or on one side, and the food is cooked in the center or across the street.The grill must be covered and sealed in the smell of smoke.How close you get to the real BBQ depends on your equipment.Using a charcoal kettle grill, first ignite charcoal or charcoal (block charcoal) in the chimney launcher ).When the coal is red, pour them into the two piles opposite the grill.(Some grills are equipped with side baskets for this purpose.) In the center of the grill, place a foil drop plate between the Ashes.Place the grate on the grill and grill your food in the center of the drip tray.Throw some pieces of wood on the coal to produce smoke.Keep the grill covered and adjust the vents to keep the temperature between 325 and 350 degrees.When you grill large pieces of meat, you need to replenish the coal every hour.Add 10 pieces of coal to each side and open the grill for a few minutes to get them lit.Charwood lit faster and cleaner than a coal ball, so I prefer it.It's in nature-Food stores and many supermarkets, or Woods, a company specializing in charcoal and hardwood fuels;(800) 729-5800.The gas grill is easier to use as the temperature remains more consistent.If you have a burner with two burners, illuminate one side (set the burner at a height) and cook the food on the other side.If you have three burners, ignite the front and rear burner (or left and right burner) and cook food in the center.If you have four burners, ignite the leftmost and rightmost burner and cook food in the center.The challenge with a gas barbecue is to produce enough wood smoke.Many gas grills have special cigarette cases where you can add potato chips, but some work better than others.Now, here's the tricky part.If one of the fries in the smoker's box does not produce enough smoke, you may need to add all the wood chips at once and then place the grill high until you see the smoke.If your grill doesn't have a smoking box (or if the grill provided doesn't work well), pack the fries loosely in a heavy box --Duty foil, poke a few holes at the top with a fork, and place it under the grate, directly on one of the burners.No matter what grill you use, there are two options for meat: pork and beef.Chicken is another good option, especially the whole bird that can't be cooked by traditional barbecues.For me, the Barbecue started with friction, a vibrant spice mixture used to season the meat before cooking.Good friction will be able to enhance the flavor of the meat without disguising or overwhelming it.Although there are only four ingredients: salt, sugar, pepper and pepper, it does.In North Carolina, barbecue refers to pork, especially the smoked Boston ass.off-the-The bones are tender and then torn into pieces or chopped.The traditional condiment is vinegar sauce, which is mixed with meat.In Texas, barbecue means beef, especially bris.This is more challenging than the pig shoulder, as the cow bris is a tough, rough cut with an inherent tendency to dry.To prevent this, I chose the cow bris with a thick layer of fat on the top and cooked it in a foil pan so as to protect the meat on the bottom.One thing is for sure: no one mistakenly thinks this is a barbecue because of the barbecue.NORTH CAROLINA-Style pull PORKTime: 5 to 7 hours 1 boneIn pig shoulder roasting, 5 to 6 lbs 1/4 cup basic rub (see recipe) 4 cups of pecan fries, soak in cold water for 1 hour and drain. Please click on the box to verify that you are not a robot.The email address is invalid.Please re-enter.You must select the newsletter you want to subscribe.View all New York Times newsletters.For vinegar sauce: 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp sugar or taste 1 tbsp of pepper flkes2 teaspoon salt or 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.1.Preheat the grill to 325 degrees, if charcoal is used, fire on the opposite side of the grill, and if gas is used, fire on one side or opposite side.Season pork with friction.2.If charcoal is used, fresh coal and toss1/2 cups of wood chips are added per stack of coal per hour for the first 4 hours.If gas is used, place the wood pieces in the smoker's box and warm up until you see the smoke (depending on the model of the gas grill, use all 4 cups at a time in the first 4 hours or 1 cup per hour ).Advertisement3.Put the fat end up on the baking tray and stay away from the fire.Grill for 4 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature is 195 degrees so the meat is properly chopped.4.At the same time, mix the ingredients of the vinegar sauce with 3/4 cups of water in a bowl and mix.Add extra salt or sugar to taste if needed.5.Transfer the cooked pork to the cutting board and cover it with tin paper to rest for about 15 minutes until it cools enough to be processed.Pull the meat into pieces and remove any skin, bones or fat.Cut each piece of pork into pieces about 2 inch long, 1/4 inch wide with your fingertips or fork.(Or chop up the meat with a kitchen knife.) Transfer to a metal or foil pan and stir with 1 cup of vinegar sauce or enough to keep the meat moist and delicious.Cover with tin paper and place it on the grill to keep it warm until served.Order on the burger buns with a dish and sauce.Output: 10 to 12 copies.TEXAS-Style: 6 to 8 hoursto 6-Pound block cow bris, rub with a thick layer of fat1/4 cups of base (see recipe) 5 cups of pecans or oak slices, soak in cold water for 1 hour and drain.1.Preheat the grill to 325 degrees, if charcoal is used, fire on the opposite side of the grill, and if gas is used, fire on one side or opposite side.Season beef brisket rub.2.If charcoal is used, fresh coal and toss1/2 cups of wood chips are added to each stack of coal every hour for the first 5 hours.If gas is used, place the wood pieces in the smoker's box and warm up until you see the smoke (depending on the model of the gas grill, the first 5 hours, use all 5 cups at a time or 1 cup per hour ).3.Place the cow bris, with the fat side up, in a foil baking tray enough to hold it.Place the pan in the center of the grill, away from the heat.Advertisement4.BBQ cattle bris is very tender after 5 to 7 hours of cooking.If the cow bris starts to get too brown, tie it up loosely with foil.5.Transfer the cooked cow bris to the cutting board, cover the tin paper, rest for 10 minutes and keep the pot juice.Trim and discard any large piece of fat with a sharp knife.Cut into thin cattle bris on the grain.With a slice of white bread, scoop a pot of juice on it.Output: 8 to 10 copies.Basic friction of barbecue Time: 5 minutes 1/2 cup of kosher food 1/2 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of black pepper 1/2 cup of pepper.Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then mix them together.Put it in a closed jar.Yield: 2 cups.We are constantly improving the quality of text archives.Please send feedback, error reports, and suggestions to archid_feedback @ nytimes.com.A version of the article appears in print on May 26, 1999, on page F00003 of the national edition, with the title: Soul of the barbecue-time and smoke.