Which city has the best BBQ in the United States?
Top cities for BBQ in the United States.
Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Top cities for BBQ in the United States.
Come for the BBQ loving info, stay for the BBQ photos:
The barbeque competition is sponsored by Goodstock, owned by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
In Texas, they take their high school football seriously. One of the rare things that might take precedence is barbecue—which is actually a sport in the state. And at least one coach has managed to find success in coaching both.
According to Dave Wilson at ESPN, former Rockwell varsity football coach Sean Hill has led his team to a 2023 Texas HS BBQ State Championship.
“Just three years after his change of careers, Hill coached a team to his elusive first state championship. His 205 Pitmasters Team Smoke, representing Rockwall Independent School District’s Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy, was named grand champion out of 92 teams at the 2023 Texas High School BBQ State Championship on May 6.”
The barbecue competition is sponsored by Goodstock, owned by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
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We share the best barbecue recipes and tips, plus how to buy a gas or charcoal grill, which accessories matter, and the top pitmasters.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Before we explain everything you need to know about barbecue and grilling (and share the best videos about those topics), we need to define a few terms.
What happens if we don’t do this? Someone will point at you at the next outdoor food event and laugh when you claim you know to barbecue —because what you really mean is that you know how to grill… unless you really do know how to cook low and slow. As alfresco cooking experts frequently note: The two types of cooking (and the resulting flavors) are not the same. But they are often invoked as if interchangeable. So it’s now mandatory to begin any discussion with this kind of disclaimer.
To save you valuable time, and show you only useful videos, we scoured the Internet — Youtube, Instagram and TikTok included — to find the best buying tips, discussions of charcoal and gas, cleaning demonstrations, and a who’s who of legendary pitmasters. Plus, of course, the best barbecue and grilling recipes.
No longer do you need to watch several dozen videos tagged #bbqporn (1,262,279 posts), #smokedmeat (865,293 posts) or #grillinfools (137,692 posts) — though this is a fun rabbit hole to fall down. Just watch the ones below. We embed all videos with full attribution, and we are always updating our stories to make them better.
Technically, grilling is the act of cooking food over a fire, quite hot (250°F – 450°F), and quickly — using gas or charcoal. Barbecue, on the other hand, is most often cooking “low and slow” (between 190°F and 300°F for several hours). Smoking, bear with me here, requires smoke, and is an even lower and slower kind of cooking; it’s not uncommon to smoke meat for over 24 hours (68°F – 176°F).
Grills generally come in two styles: propane gas-powered with knobs to adjust flames vs charcoal. The variables with both include size (how much space to cook on), the portability (wheels, handles, weight), special features (like a smoker or a dedicated searing flame) and the price.
Pros of gas grill:
Cons of gas grill:
Pros of charcoal grill:
Cons of charcoal grill:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFDurJvUw4/view
Consumer Reports gets right to the point in this 44-second overview (below the photos). They even share a few of the most recommended grills:
Top Pick: Weber Genesis II E-310 $780
Best Value: Nexgrill 720-1046 $450
Great for Small Spaces: Permasteel PG-40301-BK $380
@consumerreports It’s grillingseason! In our lab, we wire the surface of each gas grill with thermocouples and perform four temperature tests. See ratings and reviews at cr.org/grills. #grilling #outdoorcooking #foodtiktok
Lowe’s “How to Choose the Right Grill” covers the basics in 2:37, includes electric grills as well, and, equally important, they show how to use the grills, charcoal, and chimney.
No science here. Just a regular guy sharing tips that get the job done. What you need: wadded up newspaper, long lighter, tongs, 20 minutes or so.
After watching a few dozen videos on how to use a chimney starter, we finally found a video that shows you where to put the newspaper at the bottom, how to dump the hot coals out of the contraption, why you need two cooking zones, and everything else you need to know in under a minute… set to AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” Winner.
@barbequesgaloreusa Healthiest way to fire up your smoker. Grill tip by @Uncle Dibbz #fyp #foryoupage #grilltip #tipsgalore #grillhack #charcoal #fireupyourgrill #recipegalore
So you’re passionate about the flavor that only charcoal grills can achieve, but are you equally headstrong about what kind of charcoal to use? Cookout Coach gets to the point fairly quickly and doesn’t meander. At 1:23 in the video, he compares lump charcoal to briquette. Briquettes are basically lumps that have been broken up and reconstituted — and have grooves to allow airflow. The result? More consistent pieces, more even cook times, more uniform heat.
The flipside? Some companies add chemicals that you can taste (or that affect the smoke). Lump burns hotter and adds wood flavor. Briquettes are better for low and slow cooking. Bonus tip: You want thin, white smoke — not thick clouds. Be patient and wait for the damn thing to hit optimum temperature.
Watch BBQ Hall of Famer Meathead compare the various forms of charcoal. Binchotan, for example, burns more evenly and hotter than wood. He also demonstrates how to work with wood logs, chunks, untreated oak flooring, wood chips (which cook quickly), compressed sawdust bricks, and compressed sawdust pellets (no glues or binders). Shape and size matter most.
Best unintentionally funny line at 4:26: “Let’s start with a little lesson about thermodynamics.” Then he explains radiation, convection, and conduction as if they were interactions with a lover.
There are two smoking techniques: cold smoking and hot smoking. While it’s all about temperature, sure, the techniques actually represent two ways of cooking — and one is best for immediate eating while the other is more of a preservation method.
Hot smoking is basically cooking with smoke. Cold (or warm smoking) changes the exterior of the product but it’s not cooked. Hot smoking — which can get hotter than 200F to 250F — breaks down collagen in the meat to tenderize it, and also fully cooks it. During hot smoking, the smoker keeps the temperature from 126F to 176F. Cold smoking cooks meat at temperatures between 68F and 86F for 12 to 24 hours or more, but meats smoked this way first have to be cured; coat them in salt or soak them in brine before smoking and then cook afterward to be safe.
Brandon, of Farmstead Meatsmith, explains with ample detail his experience with smoking in this rather personal and passionate five-minute clip.
Here’s how to shop for brisket, trim it, and what’s in chef Aaron Franklin’s “secret” rub.
World-champion pitmaster Danielle Bennett (Diva Q) offers five minutes of detail-oriented pig shoulder tips while wielding a huge injector that looks (and works) like a caulk gun and carries “straight-up peach nectar.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNzcN8fFwiS/
The “winningest” man in barbecue shows us how to grill ribs (below).
Watch this guy at Weber Grills explain how to use a cedar plank to get the most flavor out of your seafood. Note: You have to soak the plank in water for at least an hour before using it.
Simply put: Some foods need more heat than others and you want to be able to cook more than one type of food at a time on a grill. Use direct heat when you want to cook a steak, burger, kebab or seafood that you will be eating within the hour. Indirect heating is used for slow-roasting dishes and pizzas.
What’s the secret ingredient that some pitmasters use for brisket, especially in Texas? Answer: Lawry’s seasoning. That, plus the requisite kosher salt and fresh pepper, as well as garlic, mustard, and pickle juice. In what proportions? Aha! That’s a matter of taste and may require a few viewings. But we’ve seen something like this:
Burgers, steaks, and ribs are not the only options. Nathalie.Vegan shares an infographic that reminds us of all the other options — grill-friendly vegetables, vegan sausage, and various types of tofu, seitan and plant-based products.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRO0AVr5NF/
The clips in this video demonstrate everything you should not do. Don’t pour lighter fluid on a flame. Don’t put off cleaning your grill (fails are mostly flareups). If you watch one of these “fails” compilations, you’ll have seen about 75% of what’s online — enjoy, sure, but learn from other people’s mistakes too.
In addition to a grill (and plates), you should own at least some of the following gear:
You might expect Home Depot’s video to shamelessly sell cleaning products — soaps, scrubbing pads, towels. But no. This video, at 3:10, quickly details how to clean every part of your grill (ceramic, stainless steel, and porcelain), not just the grates where food cooks.
We’ve abbreviated the steps below:
Ok, it shouldn’t take 2:41 to demonstrate this very simple “hack” but you don’t have to watch the whole thing. You can stop at 1:23. The gist of it: Ball up a sheet of aluminum foil, hold in one hand, scrape lengthwise up and down the grill grates, knocking food bits off, knowing that this kind of cleanup is cheap, easy, chemical-free and won’t leave brush bristles potentially in your mouth.
Why an onion?: MexicanXConnection claims that it removes whatever food was leftover from previous users (especially if you grill at public parks and beaches), it also seasons the grates, and it smell freaking amazing. Good to know: Place half an onion at the end of a large fork or other sharp instrument, turn gas grill to 400 degrees (charcoal grillers can just wait until grill is clearly hot), and scrub in any direction you want. Savor the needless burp at 4:54.
See more grilled and barbecued recipes.
Southern Living profiles seven barbecue legends of the South offering inspiration for anyone cooking on a grill or smoker.
The video features:
Former LSU star cornerback and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Kristian Fulton shares his favorite things, including the best place to get wings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his favorite NBA team (don’t call him a bandwagoner) and more.
Former LSU star cornerback and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Kristian Fulton shares his favorite things, including the best place to get wings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his favorite NBA team (don’t call him a bandwagoner) and more.
Georgia football team treated to BBQ while down in New Orleans
The Georgia football team has been actively prepping for Wednesday’s Allstate Sugar Bowl against Baylor in New Orleans, but not without a little bit of fun.
On Monday, the Bulldogs paid a visit to Central City BBQ, a New Orleans staple with local Pittmaster James Cruse.
Take a look.
"New Orleans—living life" 🌴 Watch us get down 🎵#SugarBowl #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/coxMfoYLcw
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 31, 2019
We’re going to bet the offensive line had quite a bit of fun on this trip while visiting the Big Easy down in Louisiana.
Georgia kicks off against Baylor at 8:45 pm on Wednesday after a week of fun in New Orleans.