I have received a lot of questions that just deal with the basics of barbecuing and I thought that I would answer a few of those. Sometimes we who have been doing this for so long might not understand some of the terms and words which we use. So I thought that I would address some of those issues.

Cooking Temperatures

One of the first things we should discuss is the range of cooking temperatures. There are really only three major ones...and of course, we have all the various ranges in between. But basically only about three big ones.

1) HOT!- This is above 400 degrees. You are not going to use this much. Sometimes you will so that you can have those nice grill marks on them, but then almost immediately you will take the meat to the medium or lower side to finish off what you are doing.

2) MEDIUM - 300 to 400 degrees F. This is the temperature where you will grill most items.

3) LOW - Below 300 degrees F. Your low temperatures are where we BBQ large cuts of meat like roasts, tri-tip, prime rib, etc. This is especially important where the meat has a large amount of fat.

A couple of side note about basics, we don't need no stinking basics:
* we really cannot sear the juices in on a BBQ grill. What we are doing is carmelizing the outside, and this really adds a lot of flavor so don't knock it. Try not to get the two mixed up.
* Other than smoking (and I don't mean cigars or cigarettes) we usually do not cook at temperatures lower than 225 degrees F. However, smoking with your BBQ setup is a totally different post and we will get into that as time goes by.
* try to always marinate the meat. Well, shoot, sometimes I even marinate my veggies in white balsamic vinegar - you want to talk about FLAVOR! But we are talking meat here, so marinate for a few hours on chicken if it has an acid in the marinate. Overnight for chicken is too much for the chicken will start to cook.
* But on beef, pork, ribs, items which are not as delicate as chicken, you can marinate them overnight. This really adds to the flavor and taste.
* Same on fish, only about an hour, or two at the most. The acid will start to cook the fish. Such as in ceviche.

That is enough for today and Basics? We don't need no stinking basics! And I say we do if we want to do it right. Barbecue can be great and you will be known far and wide for your abilities with a pair of tongs. But done wrong and when people are invited over to your house for an outdoor BBQ you will be surprised at all the excuses there are in the history of mankind to beg off and stay away. Check out our opt-in newsletter. We fill it with all kinds of tips and hints on barbecuing and even include some fantastic recipes which you can try out this summer on all your friends and family.

Shoot, I even time mine so that when the UPS guy comes to the door I have a plate of Ribs, or tri-tip for him. I know he appreciates it!! On paper plates, of course. Otherwise I might not ever see the plates again. It pays to be my neighbor and we can turn you into the BBQ king or queen in your neighborhood.