School Supplies
The inaugural Moist Heat BBQ class isn't until May 12 but it's not too early to start preparing and getting your supplies ready. Below is a list of the essentials as well as some of the extras that the pros use.
How to Grill - Steven Raichlen
This is the "Dummies Guide to Grilling". This book covers everything from choosing the right tools, to how to set up your grill, and also includes some great recipes. While most of us agree that Raichlen is a bit of a geek, the man knows his BBQ. You don't have to like him, but you should start off by following his methods.
Peace, Love, & Barbecue - Mike Mills
Consider this your history lesson in BBQ. This book covers the true origins of BBQ. Scattered throughout the quirky anecdotes and history lessons are some authentic southern recipes including the famous Big Bob Gibson's Smoked Chicken with white BBQ sauce. Yes, white BBQ sauce! Don't be afraid, you will learn.
Tools
Ok, so you got your grill, you read your books, now you're ready to start smoking!! What's the first thing you need to do? Get your fire going. The best way to do that is with a Weber chimney starter. Don't even THINK about using lighter fluid! Fill this baby to the top and with the right control, you should be able to get anywhere from 3-4 hours of cook time from one load.
So what should you fill the starter with? Well, charcoal of course. But what kind? There are so many to choose from and everyone has their favorites. For a more authentic smoke, use lump charcoal. Lump charcoal is made by taking wood, usually limbs, branches, slabs from lumber mills, scraps from milling operations, etc. and heating this wood in a closed container in the absence of oxygen. While lump charcoal may give you a better flavor, it will burn hotter and faster than briquettes. Moist Heat team members typically use a mixture of lump charcoal and briquettes to get a great flavor and long slow burn.
Once you get your fire going, you need to get your utensils ready. The most important utensil you need is an instant read thermometer. During a long smoke, temperature control is key so you don't want to lose precious heat by keeping your grill cover open for extended amounts of time when checking your meat. An instant read thermometer will give you an instant (go figure) reading of the internal temperature of whatever slab of meat you are cooking. Get your reading and close the lid! Cooking your meat to the proper internal temperature ensures that your meat does not get under/over cooked.
Grill
Obviously this is the most important item you will need. The Moist Heat team recommends two grills:
This is a great charcoal grill with a front access panel to make it easy to add more wood or charcoal when needed. Since this grill does not have a separate fire chamber, you will utilize the indirect heat method for smoking with this grill.
This is one step up from the Santa Fe and will take you to the next level of smoking. You can purchase the grill by itself and use it the same way you would the Santa Fe (although no front access door). Or you can go all the way and purchase the side fire box which will give you the true smoking experience. For a mere $55 more, if you are going to get the Chargriller, definitely get the side fire box. You will then have the option to use the grill as a weeknight charcoal grill and your weekend smoker.
Books
What would a class be without books? These are required readings for the Moist Heat team:
How to Grill - Steven Raichlen This is the "Dummies Guide to Grilling". This book covers everything from choosing the right tools, to how to set up your grill, and also includes some great recipes. While most of us agree that Raichlen is a bit of a geek, the man knows his BBQ. You don't have to like him, but you should start off by following his methods.
Peace, Love, & Barbecue - Mike MillsConsider this your history lesson in BBQ. This book covers the true origins of BBQ. Scattered throughout the quirky anecdotes and history lessons are some authentic southern recipes including the famous Big Bob Gibson's Smoked Chicken with white BBQ sauce. Yes, white BBQ sauce! Don't be afraid, you will learn.
Tools
Ok, so you got your grill, you read your books, now you're ready to start smoking!! What's the first thing you need to do? Get your fire going. The best way to do that is with a Weber chimney starter. Don't even THINK about using lighter fluid! Fill this baby to the top and with the right control, you should be able to get anywhere from 3-4 hours of cook time from one load.So what should you fill the starter with? Well, charcoal of course. But what kind? There are so many to choose from and everyone has their favorites. For a more authentic smoke, use lump charcoal. Lump charcoal is made by taking wood, usually limbs, branches, slabs from lumber mills, scraps from milling operations, etc. and heating this wood in a closed container in the absence of oxygen. While lump charcoal may give you a better flavor, it will burn hotter and faster than briquettes. Moist Heat team members typically use a mixture of lump charcoal and briquettes to get a great flavor and long slow burn.And of course, if you plan on smoking, you need wood. You can use hickory, pecan, oak, apple, etc. or any combination. Most commonly you will find hickory and mesquite chips or chunks at your local store. Chips will give you a quick smoke, but will burn up quickly, while chunks will give you a more prolonged smoke, which is good for longer cooks. Always remember to soak your chips or chunks for at least an hour before you start cooking
Once you get your fire going, you need to get your utensils ready. The most important utensil you need is an instant read thermometer. During a long smoke, temperature control is key so you don't want to lose precious heat by keeping your grill cover open for extended amounts of time when checking your meat. An instant read thermometer will give you an instant (go figure) reading of the internal temperature of whatever slab of meat you are cooking. Get your reading and close the lid! Cooking your meat to the proper internal temperature ensures that your meat does not get under/over cooked.Of course there are hundreds of other tools available to you. You will want a nice set of tongs, a decent grill brush and grill gloves (welding gloves work great and they are cheap!). Once you get more advanced, you will learn the need for a sauce mop and bucket, a rib rack, and maybe even a pair of meat pulling gloves.
That pretty much covers the basic tools needed for the job. Only thing left to do now is decide what you want to cook and how to prepare it. We'll save that for the next lesson. Until then...
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