Mark Jenner

Cutting against the grain gives an entirely different ‘mouthfeel’ to meat during eating. It can be the difference between the same cut of meat feeling tough or wonderfully tender. So learn how to cut against the grain in our guide to getting the best results from meats you cook.

There are four essential knives that we need, cannot do without, and if we don’t own them, we are just making our lives during food prep and serving much harder. Different knives suit different jobs, and while there are general-purpose chef knives, you’ll enjoy the ease and simplicity these different knife types bring to your cooking.

Despite its common name, a sharpening steel doesn’t actually sharpen, it simply hones. But what does it mean to hone a blade? How do we do it, and why? Learn how to use a sharpening steel in our guide to this essential knife sharpening tool.

There are four different types of knife sharpener. Which do you have? Are you using it correctly? In this guide, we detail step-by-step how to use every kind of knife sharpener, with instructional videos to help, so you can be sure you’re getting the most from your efforts.

The Kamado Joe line of ceramic smokers is my favorite. I own three, one of each size. So you can guess how I feel about them? See why I love them so much in my review, where I take you through their build quality, latest innovations, pros and cons.

Food continues to cook and rise in temp after coming off the heat, be that a grill, smoker, hob, or oven. Understanding this and planning for carryover cooking is essential if you want to nail the correct doneness of your food every time and not serve it overcooked.

Some people don’t wrap their meat during smoking, and others use aluminum foil. But recently, some have started to use pink butcher paper. But what is pink butcher? Why are people using it in their BBQ? What does it do that other wrappings do not? Find out below.

Wet brining is a fantastic way to drive extra flavor into meat, while helping to retain moisture after cooking. Great for whole birds such as chicken and turkey, but can also be used for smaller cuts to add extra tenderness and a big punch of flavor.

Dry brining gets seasoning deep into the meat and not just sitting on the surface, which increases the flavor considerably. And contrary to belief, it does not lead to dryness! In fact, it helps meat hold onto moisture for a more tender and delicious result.

Learn what a smoke ring is, what causes it, whether it changes the taste of BBQ at all, and the steps you can take to make sure you get one every time when smoking low n slow. The info in this guide will surprise many of you!

Learn all about the stall in BBQ, the science behind it, why you shouldn’t hate it, and how to get around it if you so desire. In a short reads time, you will know EXACTLY what’s happening and be guided through wrapping at the right time to cut down on cooking time dramatically.

In this article, we look at the many different parts of a knife. You will find detailed descriptions, along with illustrations, of each piece of a knife from end to end, so you will be able to understand common terminology when discussing knives with others.

You often have to cook food ahead of time, so it’s ready early, and then keep it warm for serving later when guests arrive, so you get to spend some time with them instead of slaving away in the kitchen. Here’s how to do so for hours, without loss of quality.

It pays to keep a stock of charcoal, so you never run out when needed. But are there rules for storing charcoal? Are there things to do and things to avoid? Can charcoal go bad or be ruined by storing incorrectly? And what are the best containers to use?

Rib membrane is tough and chewy, even after a long smoke when the meat is tender, and it spoils the presentation of the final cooked product. Some people like it, most don’t, so let’s get rid of it. Here’s how to remove rib membrane before cooking, in a few simple steps.

There are specific techniques and tools for pulling or shredding pork correctly. We cover them all in this article on how to pull pork, including how to pull with meat claws, a couple of forks, in an electric mixer, and even with an electric drill!

When food sticks to the grill, it tears, falls apart, can be lost into the void below, and ruins the presentation. It happens to us all but is something we can easily prevent with a bit of preparation. Here’s how to avoid sticking food happening.

Did you know you can grill steak from frozen? It can actually result in fantastic steak, done to perfect doneness levels if you keep in mind these few little tips. Maybe not surprisingly, it can even help avoid overcooking the center while you build a deliciously tasty crust!

Ever defrosted some food, reheated it, but then found out you didn’t eat all that you reheated? Can you re-store it, then reheat it AGAIN? How many times can you safely reheat food? Does the quality suffer? We explore this in depth below.

Every recipe advises to leave a fat cap on your brisket, for flavor and to protect the meat from drying out. But they rarely say whether to cook it with fat side up or down. It does make a difference, so read on to find out which way is best.

Liquid smoke is made by condensing down real smoke into a liquid form. It’s often used in place of cooking food on a smoker to add a smoky flavor. This article looks in-depth at how it’s made, its flavor profile, and what the experts think about its use.

Why do we rest meat? What is the science behind it? Is it worth doing, or is it pointless and just somehow ingrained into our psyche? This guide digs into the facts, dispels the odd myth, and answers all your questions on resting meat.

Brisket can weigh 7KG or more, so there’s often leftovers. But reheated brisket can be dry and undesirable if not done with care and proper technique. So use the storage and reheating methods in this guide to get the best results possible.

Open up many more possibilities on your grill by learning how to set up for indirect cooking. In this configuration, you can grill, smoke, roast, and even bake, pretty much enabling you to cook anything on your grill that you would in your kitchen. Here’s how to do it.

Not all pork ribs are created equal. They are different sizes, yield different amounts of meat, and need different techniques and times to cook them. Learn all about spares, baby backs, St Louis ribs, and more in our guide to the different types of pork ribs.

Thermometer accuracy can drift over time, so they need calibration to prevent false readings that can lead to woefully under— or over-cooked food and potentially even unsafe food. So follow the steps below to calibrate your thermometers, so you can trust them.

Many people mistakenly call a griddle a grill…and vice versa. But they are different cooking surfaces, suited to different food types, requiring different techniques to use. This guide answers all your questions on griddle vs. grill, so you know how to use each and when you should pick one over the other.

Most chefs sear a steak on both sides, then put it into a low oven to cook slowly up to their desired finished temperature. The reverse sear flips that backward by cooking low n slow first, before searing the outside for a tasty crust. Here’s how and why.

Wood comes in logs, chunks, chips, and dust. Each serves a different purpose and needs to be used differently. In this guide, we focus on chips and how to use them properly to smoke on a charcoal or gas grill, to add smoky flavor to your food.

Can you roast and bake on your outdoor grills and smokers? Of course, you can! You can perfectly mimic your kitchen oven outdoors and cook anything on your grills and smokers you can in your oven with the proper technique. Here we look at exactly how.

Prime rib, also known as a standing rib roast, is cut from the rib primal. It’s usually roasted bone-in as an impressive centerpiece for a dinner party, and it’s a fantastic cut for grilling or smoking if your aim is to impress. Learn all about it here.

Porterhouses are T-bones, but not all T-bones are Porterhouses. Confusing?! We do away with the confusion in this guide by discussing the differences between these two premium steaks. We also discuss how to buy, select and prepare each, and how to cook them.

Flare-ups are not only scary, but they can also be damn well dangerous too! In this guide we cover tips for preventing flare-ups, as well as what to do in case you’re faced with one, for both charcoal and gas grills.

The charcoal snake method of fire management is one you need to learn if you want to do low n slow smoking on your standard kettle-style grill. It’s an easy-to-use, reliable, and highly effective way to smoke food controllably for many hours. So, brisket and ribs, here we come!

The Texas crutch is used to help keep meat moist during very long cooks, and also to speed up cooking time by pushing through the stall instead of waiting. You lose some crunch in the bark, but the extra tender meat more than makes up for it.

The minion method is a way to configure, light, and burn charcoal in your smoker to get many hours of controlled, low-temperature cooking and smoking.

Grilling on a charcoal deck comes with some issues. Not only can you easily ruin your decking by dropping charcoal and charring it, but it’s an obvious fire hazard too. So you need to protect it and manage the fire risk. Here’s how to grill on your decking safely.

When planning a meal or party, you need to know how much meat to buy and cook per person. It’s not always obvious and depends on the type of meat, whether a main ingredient or side and how much weight is lost during cooking. That’s where this guide will help you.

You can’t just buy a brisket, rub it up and throw it on the smoker. For the best results, you need to trim it first. And though it’s a big, intimidating piece of meat, trimming a brisket properly is easy if you follow the advice below.

Here’s how to take any cut of meat from tough to melt-in-your-mouth tender. With five different methods to choose from that suit any kind or size of cut, there’s bound to be a way for you, using stuff you already have in your kitchen.

If you marinate chicken too long, it can go soft and mushy. If you don’t marinate long enough, the flavor doesn’t penetrate. So in this guide, we look at just how long you should marinate chicken to achieve perfect tenderness and flavor penetration.

Your new grill comes with oils and contaminants from the factory it was made in that when burned, produce nasty smoke and taint the taste of any food you cook. Seasoning is all about burning this off before it gets on your food. Here’s how.

Reheated food often suffers a loss of quality, and particularly moisture. But it doesn’t have to if you follow the tips in this guide to reheating pulled pork. If you store it properly, then reheat it carefully, it can be as good as if you just cooked it. Here’s how.

Curing — or seasoning — A new smoker, is a must-do process before cooking your first food that burns off all the oils and contaminants picked up or leftover after manufacturing. The seasoning also helps protect your smoker from corrosion, so it lasts longer. Here’s how to do it correctly.

In this guide, we talk you through 5 different ways to light your charcoal grill or smoker without lighter fluid. Some methods are more efficient, effective, and quicker than others. We also talk you through using lighter fluid correctly, just in case and for completeness.

The Maillard reaction is what we traditionally call ‘browning.’ It adds incredible flavor and is something you need to master if you wish to serve food at its very best. Grilling is one of the very best ways to create a seared crust via the Maillard effect, and today we learn all about it.

Hitting and maintaining consistent temperatures inside your grills and smokers is probably the most essential skill you will learn toward mastering outdoor cooking. So in this guide, we look at how to control the temperature in your charcoal grill precisely. It’s easy when you know how!

After hours of nursing a brisket through a low n slow smoke until perfect doneness, you don’t want to miss any trick when it comes to serving. You need to slice a brisket against the grain to get the most tender mouthfeel. Here’s how to cut a brisket correctly for the best results.