An electric Fire starter that looks a little like a lightsaber, gets a charcoal grill going quickly, and saves money over regularly buying firelighters. What’s not to like? In this review, I take a detailed look at the Looftlighter, what it is, how it’s used, its pros and cons, and more.
Delicious yet quick and easy to cook grilled corn. I brush with butter, then dust with spicy dry rub halfway through grilling to ramp up the flavor! And this is geared more toward grilling without husks instead of the easier grilling with husks on.
My flame boss 500 gets used at least weekly, which should tell you something about my overall opinion on this product. But discover my exact thoughts on it, with a discussion of the good and the bad, and whether I think it’s worth your money, in my unbiased, hands-on review.
You often see pitmasters mopping their meats partway through cooking. But why? What are the benefits? Is it recommended for all cooks, or only for certain meats, or during the use of specific BBQ methods? Let’s find out, and look at some of our favorite mop sauce recipes.
The Genesis is one of Weber's premium lines of grills, well-built, feature-rich, and made for those who want the very best and are willing to pay for it. Have they hit the mark? Find out in our review where we put it through its paces and compare it to the rest of the field.
The gelatinous texture of beef cheeks is off-putting for some, who find them too soft, squishy, and a bit too ‘mouth-coating.’ But after smoking them low n slow after applying a good BBQ rub, then braising for the second half of the cook, they are simply delicious.
Beef ribs are one of my all-time favorite meats to BBQ! Similar taste to brisket, easier to cook and ready in half the time, while also being cheaper to buy. What’s not to like? So here’s how I turn these ‘brisket on a stick’ behemoths into a wonderful beefy treat.
ABTs are jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese and sausage, then wrapped in bacon before dusted with a BBQ rub, slow-smoked, and then slathered in sauce. Wow! Need I say more? Learn how to make this delicious side dish that also does well as a snack.
Try it to believe it! Dry aging concentrates and intensifies the flavor of meat, taking the flavor to a whole new level. Here’s how to dry age your beef and steak at home yourself, which can save you A LOT of money over buying it pre-aged from a butcher.
Using the right amount of rub in the correct way, can be the difference between a superbly complemented and elevated tasting piece of meat or an overpowered disaster. Learn how much rub to use, when to apply it, proper technique, and more in this guide.
What do we consider best between gas and charcoal smokers? Charcoal...but why? And we also say this with caveats because what’s best for us is not best for everyone. So find out in our latest comparison style article, looking at all the pros and cons, which type will be best for you.
This guide compares gas smokers to electric smokers, looking at their respective pros and cons, so you can decide which of the two might be right for you. And please be aware that there’s no one right answer because it highly depends on your particular needs! We explain all below.
If you’re looking for a new grill but are undecided between a gas or an electric grill, this article will help you cement your decision. We contrast and compare both types, looking at ease of use, initial cost, running costs, quality of food they produce, and more.
Which type of smoker is right for you between electric and charcoal? It mostly comes down to taste or convenience, in my opinion. But that’s not all. You should also consider the initial cost to buy, ongoing costs, reliability, and more. Let’s dig into which we feel is best.
Wagyu beef is widely regarded as the best in the world, and it’s certainly up there with the most expensive! Epic marbling and flavor, it’s a luxury and a treat. Combine that with the king of low n slow smoked meats to get Wagyu brisket? Now we’re talking epic!
To help you choose between a pellet or pellet gas grill, we’re going to compare them side by side, looking at the most important aspects such as ease of use, required cleaning and maintenance, the flavor of food produced, initial cost, ongoing running costs, and more.
When you are faced with buying choice, select, or prime beef, do you know what this means and what the difference is? There are, in fact, eight different grades of beef as determined by the USDA, based on meat maturity and level of marbling. Here’s what they all mean.
Which is best: Pellet grills or charcoal grills? They are very different, and there isn’t a clear winner. So let’s look at the pros and cons of each, comparing important characteristics such as effect on final flavor, initial and ongoing running costs, ease of use and clean up, and more.
Beef ribs have a real caveman element about them, are unctuous, flavor-packed, and are always real crowd-pleasers. But did you know there are different types, that are very different in size and how you would cook and present them? Learn all about these BBQ’ers favorites in this guide.
Spritzing ribs is said to add moisture, flavor, and help in bark development. Is this true? Are there really any benefits? We did some research on it, and below you can see our findings, how to get the best results when spritzing ribs, and some tips from the experts.
There’s a lot of disagreement on cooking pork butts fat side up or down. We put the debate to rest by discussing the pros and cons of each way, as well as flipping part way through, and whether your type of smoker affects things. Have a read and make your own mind up.
Himalayan salt is loved for its healing benefits and nutritional value. But did you know you can grill on it too? Learn the technique and benefits in our latest guide covering how to grill on a slat block, why you should, and many tips and tricks to get you going.
Tri-tip is a complicated cut of beef, with the grain — which you want to cut across — running in different directions in different places. Learn why you need to slice tri-tip across the grain, and how to do so properly in our guide.
Did you know you can smoke on your gas grill? It sounds a bit far-fetched, but is actually easier than you think! All you need is a smoke box or foil pouch, some wood chips, and this guide that details all the required steps, plus a video to follow.
Can you get outdoor grilling quality and taste while cooking indoors? It’s debatable. We explore this question and look at options in our latest guide on grilling, where we take a good look at the many options for indoor grilling equipment and a few cheats you can make with your existing hob and oven.
BBQ bark is a wonderfully tasty, desirable, chewy crust that forms on meat after hours of low n slow smoking. So it’s something we really want to aim for, and we can plan and do things to help make it happen. Learn how to get the best bark in the following guide.
Burnt ends are the point end of the brisket, cubed, sprinkled with sugar, then coated in sauce and returned to the smoker until they become melt-in-your-mouth, beefy candy bites. There are many methods and recipes you can follow to produce your own. Here’s our take on them, which we’re sure you’ll love.
Prime rib and ribeye may look similar, but they are different cuts that should be treated and cooked differently. But how do they differ? When would you choose one over the other? Why do we have to cook them differently? We answer all your questions below.
If moisture and flavor are two top goals of your BBQ sessions — and they should be — then you should learn how and why to inject meat before BBQ-ing. In this guide, we look at why you should inject certain meats, what with, and precisely how to do it.
Here are six popular ways to tenderize steak, to take even the cheapest of available steak cuts and make them feel like more expensive, higher-quality prime steaks than they are. You will be able to find at least one method using things you already have in your kitchen!
Taking an accurate internal temperature of your food is the ONLY way to know when it’s cooked to your desired doneness. To do so, you need to use an instant-read food thermometer that reads quickly and accurately. Here’s how to use one correctly.
This is my take on the famous South American, zingy, tangy, herby, spicy, garlicky condiment that is, in my opinion, the absolute best accompaniment to many cuts of grilled steak. It’s easy to make, packs a real punch, and will impress anybody you serve it to.
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!
