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General Knowledge

Below you will find general knowledge articles and guides relating to the world of outdoor cooking.

There are sometimes thoughts, ideas, tips, and techniques that we need to know, but that do not quite fit into other areas of the site. So we throw them in here.

Don't be put off by that lame description, though. There are some gems of knowledge here, they're just slightly harder to categorize!

A pellet grill with the lid open, showing various meats being smoked.
General Knowledge

Traeger Grill Problems, Error Codes, and Troubleshooting

If a Traeger pellet grill has an issue, they have the feature of telling us exactly what’s wrong with error reporting displayed right on the controller. Learn to read these codes and what they mean, to help you troubleshoot your grills problems and fix any issues that arise.

Some cuts steaks, and some whole joints, wrapped in clear plastic in a glass refrigerator.
General Knowledge

How Long Can Raw Steak Stay in the Fridge?

I think we can all agree that we love steak? And that it’s hard to resist cooking and eating a steak the moment you get it home? Sometimes, though, we have the foresight to purchase our meat before we need it. The question is: how far in advance is it safe to do so?

A man turning meat with tongs on a very smoky looking gas grill.
General Knowledge

Does BBQ, Grilling and Smoking Meat Cause Cancer? Truth or Scare?

We all know that smoke contains carcinogenic chemicals, so does that make BBQ, grilling, and low and slow smoking cancer-causing? Is there any connection between cancer and the smoke we use to flavor our meat? We wanted to find out, and in this article, we provide the research and what we discovered.

lava rocks in gas grill, under a chrome or SS grate.
General Knowledge

Why Don’t Gas Grills Use Lava Rocks Anymore?

It sounds like a “when I was your age” story, but it’s not; once upon a time, we loaded up our gas grills with lava rocks. Sounds straight out of a Flintstones episode? Well, it’s true. And here’s why we did it, and why we stopped.

Ribs on a charcoal grill, with a thermometer probe attached.
General Knowledge

How Much Charcoal Should You Use in Your Grill or Smoker?

Got your bag of charcoal ripped open, and you’re ready to grill? Now you’re asking yourself, “How much of this stuff do I need?” As always, we’ve got this — keep scrolling to learn the right amount of charcoal to use for every type of grilling and smoking session.

2 photos of smoking and grilling meats, side by side.
General Knowledge

Smoker Vs Grill — What Are the Differences? Which Should You Buy?

The word ‘BBQ’ has loosely come to mean all outdoor cooking, even though techniques and cookers are very different. Do you know the difference between a smoker and a grill? Or smoking and grilling? If you do, that’s great! If not, you will find out in this guide.

Lamb leg sitting on foil, about to be wrapped and rested until carryover cooking ends.
General Knowledge

Carryover Cooking — What Is It, and Why Is It Important?

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.

Diagram showing the parts of a knife.
General Knowledge

The Parts of a Knife — The Anatomy of Kitchen and BBQ Knives

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.

View from the inside back of a microwave, looking out over meat through the open door.
General Knowledge

How Many Times Can You Reheat Food, Especially Meat?

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.

A bottle of Stubbs liquid smoke on a wooden cutting board.
General Knowledge

What is Liquid Smoke? How to Make it home and When You Might Use it!

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.

Griddle vs Grill: One of each installed in a kamado Joe Classic I.
General Knowledge

Griddle Vs Grill — What’s the Difference? How and What to Cook on Each?

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.

A leg of lamb beautifully roasted and browned showing the Maillard reaction.
General Knowledge

The Maillard Reaction — What is it? And Why Should you Care?

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.

Different smoked meats, slaw and pickles as a BBQ platter on a cutting board.
General Knowledge

BBQ Myths Debunked — 32 Things You Get Wrong About BBQ

Countless tips and tricks get passed around the BBQ community, becoming widely believed as gospel truth, despite many being wrong. So in this article, we list many things people believe — that are wrong — and then say what is actually right. There’s some great learning in here!

Brisket smoking on a two tier grill or BBQ.
General Knowledge

Grilling Vs. BBQ — What’s the Difference? (If There is One?)

There’s BBQ, and there’s grilling. They are both performed outdoors, often on the same equipment, but they are very different things with different goals, despite the terms being used interchangeably. Learn the difference between barbecue and grilling in this quick guide.