Barbecue can be defined as “the cooking of beef on skewers or on the grill using heat from coals and embers ”. It also means a gathering of family and friends, a ritual, culture, and more than anything else, an excellent and tasty meal. Therefore, here are several tips to guarantee an excellent barbecue!

THE BARBECUE GRILL
There are barbecue grills that are made of cement and others that are portable. Many houses and apartments in the south of Brazil have barbecue grills in their housing complexes, reflecting the local culture. These barbecue grills are covered with refractory bricks. A good cement barbecue grill should be closed in the back and side parts, forming an oven with the heat concentrated inside. Other important aspects to be considered are: the barbecue grill should not allow smoke to leave from the front part, and it should provide easy handling of the skewers and grill. It should be easy to clean and should be adapted to the size of the family or group of friends that will share this pleasure. Be careful if you decide to put stone (granite, marble) in the front part of the barbecue grill: despite their beauty, you can burn your arms since the stone can get very hot.

In a barbecue grill with these characteristics, it is possible to roast beef by placing it far from the brazier, and to grill beef by placing it closer to the brazier. The definition is simple: grilling occurs when the beef is a maximum of 20 cm from the embers, on a grill or skewer. Further away than this, the beef is roasted in a slower process. Of course these distances can vary as the intensity and temperature of the flames are arranged. Usually, you should grill small pieces (400 to 600 g) and roast big pieces (above 1 kg). Remember to consider the weight of any bones.

If you buy a portable barbecue grill, choose one that is strong, and easy to set up and clean. It is important that it contains several height adjustments. This will allow different cuts to be roasted and better temperature control. Several types of portable barbecue grill are available today: electric, gas or charcoal ones. Before using it, read the manufacturers instructions carefully. When the barbecue is done, clean the barbecue grill and dry it well. The heat can burn off the protective layer that covers the grill, which will become rusty if the grill is not cleaned.

The barbecue grill should be at a pleasant place in the house, where everybody feels comfortable and can get together. The place should be sheltered and, although fresh and ventilated, should be protected from the wind. It is important to have a sink near the barbecue grill to allow people to work hygienically and in peace. Always have a cloth, towel and soap near the barbecue grill, as washing your hands frequently is a good health practice.
The typical roasting method practiced in the south of Brazil, and considered the origin of the whole process, is the “ground fire”. The skewers used for ground fires are carved from wide long wood branches and have sharp points. If you want to barbecue in a ground fire, be careful with your choice of wood. There are cases of people that got seriously intoxicated because they used wood from toxic plants. A good tip is to observe if the plant has latex or white sap: most of the plants with these characteristics are toxic and should not be used in beef preparation.

CHOOSING THE BEEF
Choose the beef in advance in a leisurely state, preferably the day before it is needed. Quality beef comes from a good origin and has been inspected by the relevant organizations. It should be a bright cherry-red color, with a characteristic scent, and should be refrigerated or frozen. Do not buy “hot meat” which comes from animals slaughtered very recently. Despite being common in several parts of Brazil, this beef is not submitted to the necessary procedures of sanitary inspection and refrigeration, and is therefore not suitable for consumption.

Ribs for barbecue should be covered by a layer of fat, otherwise the beef can get too dry. The most important issue related to ribs is to observe the proportion of beef, bone, and fat. It is important to picture how this meat will be after it is roasted. A good proportion would have the bone part corresponding to 30% of the total cut weight.

Learn more about suitable beef cuts for barbecue by clicking here.

AMOUNT OF BEEF
In order to have a good estimate of the amount of beef to buy for a barbecue, it is important to consider that some people may consume 250 grams, while others might consume up to 1 kg. The estimated average per person is usually 400 to 600 grams for adults, and 300 grams for children. However, if you are going to serve several types of beef, increase the estimated average amount in order to avoid a lack of meat should everybody choose to consume one type. It should be taken into consideration that besides meat, most of the guests will consume side dishes such as garlic bread, salads, manioc flower, rice, vinaigrette, chimichurri (mixture of seasonings enjoyed by Argentineans and Uruguayans) etc.

CHOOSING THE CHARCOAL
Perhaps you didn´t know, but the choice of charcoal is very important. There are several brands and packages to choose from, and it is important to know how to recognize good charcoal. The best coals are the ones made of acacia or eucalyptus wood that are homogeneous, do not yield much smoke and have good texture. In production terms, they are very efficient in making the whole process less expensive. When the coals produces lots of dust, are brittle and deformed, it should not be considered a product of good quality.. For this reason, it is important to check on the packing label from what type of wood the charcoal is made. It is important also to check that the charcoal pieces are dry and big. If you find a type of charcoal that you like, write down the brand name so that you can purchase it again.

How much charcoal is used in a barbecue?
The necessary amount of charcoal for a good barbecue varies according to the type of barbecue grill, the type of beef being roasted, the beef cut (ribs take more time to roast than slices of grilled beef), the weather (winter or summer), the ability of the roaster etc. But in general, for a ten person barbecue, a 5 kg bag of good quality charcoal should be enough. It is important to consider that some barbecue grills consume more coals than others; therefore, it is always advisable to have one or two extra bags of charcoal on reserve in case it is needed. A red ember is one of the big secrets for a good barbecue. Let’s not run out of charcoal in your barbecue grill!

GRILL OR SKEWERS?
The person barbecuing should be the one to decide whether to use skewers or a grill. The choice also depends on the cut of beef and on how easily they roast.

Grill
Most people who barbecue prefer using a grill. They say that the meat cooked on the grill is roasted completely and does not lose any juice, as a skewer does not pierce it. Our Mercosul neighbors use the grill more frequently than the skewer. With the grill it is possible to work with several types of beef, and at the same time, with other foods, such as provolone cheese, pepper, sausage, tomatoes, onion, black pudding etc. Boneless beef is better cooked on the grill when compared to cuts that have bones, such as ribs. Therefore, the best cuts for grilling are top sirloin cap, tri tip, thin slices of rib, sausage, knockwurst, flank steak, thin skirt and full tenderloin.

When using the grill, it is important to have long metal tongs to turn and to handle the beef. Avoid using a long fork with two teeth, which is quite commonly used for beef, because the juice can come out of the holesand the beef will be drier and less tender. Start grilling the beef on the hottest part of the barbecue grill, singing it well on one side, and later on turning it to the other side. Then, place the beef on a part of the grill where there is less intense heat, where it will be roasted to the desired doneness. Ask your guests how they like their meat cooked, as it might be a fundamental factor in the success of your barbecue.

Types of grills

a) Plain grill	b) Foldable Grill	c) Grill with stainless steel screen

Skewer
To barbecue using skewers, use skewers made of stainless steel. In spite of being more expensive they are of better quality. Because they are not wrinkled, they are much easier to clean, last longer and do not leave metallic residues in the beef. Choose skewers of appropriate length for your barbecue grill. This is very important because you will avoid burning yourself on the hilt of the skewer, and the skewers won't drop inside of the barbecue grill, as can happen when they are too short.

SALT
Nowadays there are several types of seasoning for beef; even so, most people still believe that the best option is to use coarse salt. For better results, separate the thickest cubes of salt from the thinnest ones; use only the thickest to season the beef. Do not use table salt, there is a high risk of salting the beef too much. Using salt water (mixture of water and table salt) is not recommended. The water changes the pH of the beef, and the fine salt hardens the beef fibers.

Do not use humid coarse salt, the beef will absorb the salt much more and its taste might be compromised. To decrease the humidity of the salt, heat it up for some minutes in the oven, stirring it constantly until it is dry.

Do not season the beef with coarse salt too early as the meat will dry up. To salt the beef in the correct way, spread coarse salt on its whole surface. When the beef begins to transpire it means that the salt is getting well stuck and soaking into the meat (it does not mean that the juice is being removed from the meat, as one might believe). This is the right moment to take the beef to the barbecue grill. However, before placing the meat onto the grill, the salt should be removed by scrubbing the beef with your hands. If you follow this advice, it will be hard to go wrong when using salt.

Removing the salt from the meat
To remove the salt from the beef, hold the skewer firmly and hit the beef with the back of a knife. This should be done far away from the fire, the salt can burst in your eyes if the beef is still on the barbecue grill.

ROASTING BEEF
How well done the meat is cooked is a personal choice, and for some cuts there are more appropriate level of doneness than for others. The ribs, for example, should always be served well-done. For barbecue, the levels of doneness are: rare, medium and well done. Most people prefer medium. However, the best tip is to discover and to respect the best doneness for each cut, which will vary according to the meats´ characteristics. Try to figure out which doneness your guests prefer, this will guarantee your success.

It is also very important to check the temperature of the beef that will be taken to the barbecue grill. If the meat is frozen, it should be thawed and at room temperature before being taken to the grill. This will guarantee its ideal doneness when cooked. Avoid taking the beef from the refrigerator straight to the grill.

Learn more about beef doneness by clicking here

The skewers or beef cuts should be constantly moved around the grill in order to avoid fat dripping in the same area of the brazier. When the fat drips into the brazier, it forms flames that should not touch the beef. Therefore, the height of the skewers or grill should be adjusted to avoid the flames from touching the meat. To turn the beef, to season or to pencil it, use long utensils, such as tongs. Remember that you should not press nor pierce the beef when it is roasting as this will result in juice being lost.

If by chance some part of the beef is burned by direct contact with the flame, it is recommended that that piece be discarded. Remember that it is the heat that roasts the beef, and not the flame touching the beef. Finally, avoid roasting the ingredients too much in order to avoid hardening them.

Cook ribs approximately 60 cm from the ember. The bone part should face the brazier (down).

ROASTING BEEF WITH FAT
Whenever possible, beef should be roasted with its own fat. This will protect the meat against the intense heat of the barbecue grill. Keeping the fat will also help prevent the heat burning the beef proteins. When the fat is removed before cooking, the beef can get very dry. Most of barbecue beef comes with its own fat layer, i.e. top sirloin cap, hump and rib
The top sirloin cap should start to be roasted with the fat layer upward, allowing the bottom part to form a crispy crust. Turn the top side down only at the end to allow the fat layer to melt.

KEBOBS
Orinally come from Arabia, where it is named sish kebab, kebobs havethe advantage of allowing several colors and tastes to be put together on one skewer. A good combination for barbecue is beef (sirloin, tenderloin or striploin), pork chops, sausage or knockwurst, chicken (chest, or thigh), onion, colored peppers and tomato. It should be seasoned with coarse salt only and a little olive oil. You should also use only one type of beef, such as tenderloin seasoned with other ingredients



LIGHTING THE BARBECUE GRILL
Remember that dealing with fire demands safety in order to avoid accidents. A spark dropped in an alcohol bottle can cause an explosion. A simple piece of plastic that drops in a barbecue grill will create toxic gases that can make those people who are nearby feel sick and may also cause eye irritation. Before lighting the fire, be sure there are no children nearby and that inflammable products are removed from the area.

To light the barbecue grill, NEVER use toxic products such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel or other inflammable products directly on the coals because you can cause an explosion and may be seriously burned. There are several ways to light the fire safely.

Buy good quality charcoal, choose the brands with big pieces because these allow the circulation of air. If the coal has many small pieces, let it burn a little, moving it in the fire so these small pieces burn first. Always do this before placing the beef on the grill. The charcoal needs to be very dry and it should be placed in the center of the barbecue grill. Some rosters prefer to place the coals on just one side of the barbecue grill, leaving a space without embers that can be used in case it’s necessary to move the beef so that it doesn't burn.

One way of lighting the fire is to cover the barbecue grill with a thin layer of charcoal and to prepare several rolls of newspaper, placing approximately eight rolls in one direction, and eight perpendicular to these, forming bars. Cover with more coals and use 3 cups of alcohol to wet it. Never take the alcohol bottle too close to the barbecue grill. Throw on a lit match and stand back immediately. Fan with a folded newspaper to light the embers.



In the illustration: how to position the rolls of paper in order to light the fire

Another system is to prepare a newspaper tube, which should be done in the following way: Put several sheets of newspaper, carton or common paper on the table and roll around a bottle forming a tube (without closing the ends). Remove the bottle and place this paper tube in the middle of the barbecue grill. Surround it with charcoal and put a little charcoal inside the tube. Wait a minute, then set fire to the tube. This is an efficient and safe method.

You can also find barbecue grill lighters for sale at supermarkets or specialized stores whose instructions will be in the package.

And how do you know whether the embers are at the right point to begin roasting? Just observe when the charcoal is covered uniformly by a layer of white ash, there are no flames or smoke and the temperature is high, this can take 20 to 30 minutes. The coal will be totally burned and will have given off all the initial smoke. If you use the brazier too early, the smoke can damage the taste of the beef. Knowing that you should wait for this stage, before using the brazier is very important to remember: the flame is one of the reasons why the barbecue ends up burned. Therefore, it is important that the temperature is very high when you put the beef on the grill, so the heat can singe and seal the surface without flames that can burn the beef.

CONTROLLING THE BARBECUE GRILL HEAT
To control the heat, you can spread the embers in the base of the barbecue grill, decreasing its temperature, or pile them together to increase the heat.

If the charcoal burns away very quickly, it is okay to put some more coals on as the fire weakens. For this reason, those experienced with the barbecuing process always keep an extra bag of charcoal near by. To place more coals on the fire, move the beef away and place the coals beside the brazier, dragging it close to the embers, taking care not to lift up soot.

Remember that close to the walls of the barbecue grill the heat is higher than in the central part, so don't leave the beef ' forgotten ' in a corner of the barbecue grill because it will continue to roast and it will dry out.

Be careful if you are going to pour water on the barbecue grill

As the beef fat drops in the barbecue grill, flames come up. Unlike what a lot of people think, using water is not always the best solution. That makes the barbecue grill lose its heat, affecting the doneness of the beef. Besides, when water is poured, white soot comes off the brazier and sticks to the beef. However, those experienced with the process say that a small amount of water (a third of an American glass) produces good results without lifting smoke. When pouring water, move the beef away to avoid smoke contaminating it.

Another tip is to use the ashes from the previous grilling to extinguish the fire. How? Simple: when finishing the barbecue, keep the ashes. During the next barbecue, pour the ashes onto the flames. This way, the fire is extinguished without harming the heat.

Don't allow your guests to throw napkins or any other object to burn in the barbecue grill. These can liberate smoke that will alter the flavor of the beef.

SERVING
Don't forget to hit the beef with the back of a knife to remove some of the salt that has remained. Once the beef is ready, it is better to remove it from the skewer and to place it on a wood or polyethylene board in order to cut it correctly. (Polyethylene is more hygienic because the absence of pores in the plastic impedes the entrance of pollutants.) Cut the beef in the opposite direction to its fibers as it makes a big difference in tenderness. If the meat is still on the skewer, the tendency is to cut it parallel to the skewer, which is not the ideal way. Always clean the tip of the skewer with a dry cloth, to remove soot and coal.
Try not to use a board that was used to cut raw food, vegetables or fruits. This is a good practice, and will guarantee your alimentary safety.

After the cap of rump is roasted, a lot of people like to serve it sliced. If you are one of them, always cut from the thin point toward the thick side. Remember that the cap of rump has a triangular shape.

AND AFTER THE BARBECUE
At the end of the barbecue, letthe fire burn itself out in the barbecue grill. You can help by spreading the embers.

If the barbecue was made in an open area, especially if it was done in the field, don't leave without making sure that the fire is completely out. The best thing to do is to pour plenty of water over the embers or to cover them with sand until they are buried. This way you avoid the risk of provoking a fire.

Immediately clean the grill, skewers, boards, knives and all materials that were used. Besides being easier, you prevent any salt from eating away and damaging the barbecue accessories. Clean the skewers and grills with a steel scrubbing brush, scrubbing vigorously to remove all the residues, later use a steel sponge with plenty of soap, followed by a normal sponge with soap and water.

We hope that these tips are profitable and we wish you a great barbecue! Remember that beef is very tasty and makes excellent meals and gatherings.

Our Brazilian way of barbecuing is becoming very popular with Americans, Germans, Japanese and even Thai. Using coarse salt as the only seasoning for barbecue can leave them distrustful in the beginning, but after they try our barbecue they are charmed.

If you want to send some tips or comments, write for sic@sic.org.br.