Proper preparation of high quality barbecue takes time, effort, a good sense of flavor, a good cooking vessel, and fuel. Gas, propane, electricity and pellets are good sources for heat but in my humble opinion the best barbecue is prepared over wood or charcoal.American barbecue draws it roots from a process where meat was cooked over a fire on a structure of sorts. This was called barbacoa. This is not a bad method of creating good barbecue, if you have the time to spend with an open pit. The lean meats from wild game, fish and fowl didn’t cause problems with fire management. Flare ups were kept to a minimum. However, the introduction of the fatty pig caused fires to become unmanageable, and the early settlers learned to burn wood to coals to keep from burning meats. They also started to dig trenches to better focus the heat. These trenches were generally two or three feet deep and as the “pits” evolved, covers made of wood then cardboard to enclose the vessel for a more efficient burn. Traditional barbecue was then made by burning wood to coals in a separate area and then sprinkling the “live” coals under the meat. This method started the “thin blue smoke” that creates the subtle flavor that barbecue cooks desire.
Modern wood burning pits are designed to keep grease drippings from directly falling on the fire. Raw wood must be burned carefully on a hot bed of coals to keep the wood from smoldering and the smoke sweet. Most cooks use charcoal for heat and add a few chunks of seasoned hardwood for smoke flavor.
If you prefer to burn wood, it should be dry and well seasoned. Green wood produces bitter smoke. Fires should be built to be hot enough to keep wood from smoldering. Smoldering creates creosote which is not very tasty on the meats. Most hardwoods are good for smoking. Enthusiasts prefer wood from fruit or nut trees. Hickory, pecan, apple and cherry are the most popular. Softwoods and pines contain too many resins and tars that produce bitter smoke and should be avoided.
Charcoal is wood burned to coals then deprived of oxygen. It burns hot and clean leaving very little ash. Once the coals are fired up they act just like live coals and are a good fuel choice for pits.
Charcoal is available in different forms.
· The best is natural lump. It is the purest form of charcoal and burns hot and very clean. Most of the residuals have been burned off so it imparts very little smoke flavor.
· Natural charcoal briquettes are a good product. Wood char is made into a paste, a vegetable binder such as cornstarch is added and the resulting mix is formed into pillow shapes. They are uniform in shape, easy to handle and burn at a fairly predictable rate. They are becoming easier to find but are still a bit pricey.
· The most recognized charcoal is the formulated charcoal briquette. This is the product that you purchase at the grocery store or at discount stores. They are made from a mixture of carbonized sawdust, clay, limestone, sodium nitrate, anthracite coal and soft coal. They contain some raw sawdust for smoke flavor and paraffin to aid in quick lighting. Clay and limestone leave a lot of ash which will block air flow and interfere with heat transfer. Coal has a characteristic odor when burned which can be detected in barbecue, particularly when unlit coals are added during the cooking process. In some contest cases this can work to your advantage. Inexperienced judges are reminded of backyard barbecues; an experienced taster will object. Briquettes are good for open grilling, but when the environment is enclosed and meat is exposed to charcoal for a long period of time, caution should be exercised.
Taking the time to learn how to build and maintain a good clean fire will result great tasting, traditional style, barbecue. If burning sticks is not something that is viable for you, then charcoal is a great alternative. Using good charcoal mixed with some high quality wood chunks will produce a barbecue product that you will be proud of. Propane may become traditional in the future, but for now, I like my fire and live coals.
