By: Amit
Barbecuing began in the late 1800s when cattle were driven out from the West by cowboys on horseback. While on their trail, they had nothing to eat except low quality cuts of beef. These men, the cattle barons, were more concerned about earning profit than feeding themselves, so they ate disposable cuts of beef. Their main choice was Brisket, which is a very tough piece of meat. However, the cowboys learned that if the brisket is allowed to cook for a long period of time, say 5-7 hours at a very low temperature, it would make the disposable cuts of beef a tasty treat. They tried out different ways of cooking in a barbecue, thus making a tastier piece of beef. This is how different recipes came out into existence. The cowboys did not allow the other cowhands to know their ways of preparing it. They kept it as a secret and guarded it for decades. And that is why Texas barbecue recipes are famous.
Barbecue dishes are very easy to prepare if done properly. A smoker is the best type of cooking device because it has the cooler heat that cooks the meat at a slower pace. It allows the smoke to penetrate the outer layer of the meat, thereby giving a nice taste. It takes more patience and attention as it takes a lot of time to cook.
The best way to cut down the cooking time is by first cooking the Brisket at 200 degrees in the oven till it is half done. Then transfer it to the smoker and finish cooking. Adding favorite ingredients to it will make the Brisket ready to eat. Meat can also be cooked using a grill but it takes lot of time. Traditionally a grill is used for grilling pork, beef, fish, or chicken by holding it directly over a fire that is fueled by gas or charcoal. A barbecue sauce applied to it will make the dish perfect.
There is a problem with lot of barbequed chicken recipes. The outside of the chicken burns before the inside of the chicken is cooked. So, to avoid the problem, barbequed chicken recipes use a grill-to-oven method for barbecuing. The chicken is seasoned just slightly with ground black pepper and salt, and then placed on the grill without any barbecue sauce on it. Remove the chicken from the grill when it gets the grill marks, baste it with the barbecue sauce, and finish it off in the oven. The result is a perfectly-cooked barbecued chicken every time. This recipe also works fine with chicken legs and thigh quarters, except for the fat and calories which will be a bit higher.
To prepare a healthier and safer barbecue recipe, the meat should be seared or slow-cooked at a low temperature. If the temperature is very high, carcinogens are more likely to be formed in the meats. Consuming this will lead to cancer. When smoke hits the bare meat, proteins are transformed into benzopyrenes, which are carcinogens. If the meat is well coated with barbecue sauce before grilling, it will protect the outer layer of meat from changing in character. So learning the right way to cook barbecue recipes is good for the health.
