This document provides a primer on barbecue cooking. It discusses choosing between gas or charcoal grills, with charcoal providing a hotter flame and distinctive flavor while gas offers portability and easier cleanup. The basics that most grillers need are then outlined, including tools like tongs, a spatula, and grill brush. Accessories to consider are also mentioned. Finally, the document notes that smoke flavoring distinguishes barbecue and that the type of wood used impacts the flavor, with coniferous trees not recommended due to high sap content. Efficient smoking involves preventing flaming and achieving clean white or blue smoke.

1. A Quick Primer on Barbeque
Cooking
Aaron Jack

2. A Quick Primer on Barbeque Cooking
 A longtime resident of Kansas, Aaron Jack utilizes over 16 years of experience in
financial management to help families manage their assets. In his spare time,
Aaron Jack enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and
experimenting with new barbeque recipes.

3. A Quick Primer on Barbeque Cooking
 Grilling may be a classic American pastime, but it is an acquired skill. Below are
some basics to get you started. Gas or Charcoal?

4. A Quick Primer on Barbeque Cooking
 Choosing a grill is largely a matter of personal preference, though one with a solid
lid is essential for indirect grilling and smoking. Many grillers enjoy working with the
hotter flames and distinctive flavor that a charcoal grill provides, while others value
the portability and simpler cleanup of gas grills.

5. A Quick Primer on Barbeque Cooking
 The Basics
Most grillers can easily experiment with a simple set of supplies, including a heavy-duty
spatula, tongs, fork, grill brush, and a roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil. In a
pinch, you can use tongs and a firmly crumpled up a wad of foil as a makeshift grill
brush. For marinades, sauces, and rubs, invest in quality glass or stainless steel
mixing bowls, which will not react with acidic ingredients or retain odors. Other
accessories to consider include wood planks, a chimney starter, a grill basket, and
a high-quality food thermometer.

6. A Quick Primer on Barbeque Cooking
 A Word on Smoking
Smoke flavoring is what sets barbequing apart from other types of cooking.
Flavoring depends largely on the type and composition of the wood (alder, apple,
hickory, cherry, pecan, etc.), though coniferous trees such as pine and redwood
are not recommended due to their high sap content. The keys to efficient smoking
are to prevent the wood from flaming up and to achieve a clean white or blue
smoke, rather than black sooty smoke. If the wood catches flame, try starving it of
oxygen by wrapping it in a crimped pie pan or heavy-duty foil with a few holes.