We recently found this great blog post from the Grill Maestro which sheds light on the distinctions.

Grilling Vs. Barbecuing:

- Act of grilling or char grilling is cooking something over an open flame, usually resting over a grill.

- Barbecuing is actually smoking meat (cooking it over an indirect heat source that produces smoke and heat for a longer period of time) and usually covered.

- Barbecuing is generally considered more flavoursome and the meat, especially bigger pieces, should be more tender throughout.

- Grilling or char grilling is good for those who enjoy a steak that is slightly tougher on the outside and tender on the inside.

This is why in true BBQ restaurants across the U.S. you will see dishes that have been smoked, such as pulled pork and beef brisket rather than steaks and burgers.

Recently the Heat Beads^® team enjoyed a delectable BBQ lunch of baby back ribs cooked by Product Manager Sharon Leake.

There were two lots of ribs served – one was smoked and the other wasn’t. It came pretty close between the two but in the end it was decided the smoked came out on top.

Why not try out this delicious BBQ recipe yourself this weekend?!

Rib sticking BBQ pork ribs with Bender’s special sauce by Ben O’Donoghue

You can get baby back ribs from any quality butcher but you may have to order the day before.

If you happen to be on the road, heading to Lismore and camp oven cooking (aka Dutch oven cooking) is your thing, there’s a treat in store!

Derek will be running the camp oven cooking competition – the Country Energy Great East Coast Camp Oven Cook Off – with Rachel and Kim, of 4 Ingredients Cook Book fame, conducting the judging.

The Country Energy Great East Coast Camp Oven Cook Off kicks off this Friday, July 10 and ends Sunday July 12. There are four categories: baking, main meals, damper, desserts.

So, if you feel you have the right stuff and want to show off your camp oven cooking skills, give it a go?

You could be in the running to win incredible prizes such as: a Bedourie Camp Oven, an Aussie Camp Oven, a Camp Oven Mate from Southern Metal Spinners, Heat Beads^® BBQ Accessory Packs or some cold hard cash!

Find out more about the Country Energy Great East Cost Camp Oven Cook Off or register here.

Lots of fun was had at the stand, where attendees learnt all about the new Bar-Be School BBQ Charcoal cooking classes, checked out the Heat Beads^® Entertainer BBQ and picked up tips on mastering the art of superb cuisine cooked over Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes.

Do you have a passion for food, and better yet all things BBQ? If you were unable to get to the Melbourne show, not to worry, the Bar-Be School stand will also appear at the Sydney show to be held this weekend!

Get down to the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre from July 3-5 to say hello to Ben and the team from the Bar-Be School and hear all about their new Charcoal BBQ classes during which you are shown how to use Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes and achieve that authentic, irresistible flavour in all your BBQ meals!

EVEN BETTER - if you purchase an Entertainer BBQ at the show, you will receive a FREE charcoal BBQ class from the Bar-Be School!

A culture of char grilling (cooking over live coals) is very prevalent in the United States.  Serious barbecue aficionados’ are shocked to discover that Australia, which has been promoted as a leading barbecue nation, generally lacks an appreciation of the flavour difference of food cooked over live coals. It is good to note that this is changing and Australian barbecue enthusiasts are no longer just settling for gas. The char grilling bug is spreading.

According to the 2009 Heat Beads^® Annual BBQ Lovers survey respondents, solid barbecue fuel (e.g. Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes) is fast becoming a favourite: food cooked over them has better taste and flavour. Furthermore, the survey has revealed that the use of solid barbecue fuels is up by 4.8% on last year. Comparatively, the use of gas is up only 2.3% on last year.

Australian barbecuers have also become more open to the variety of meals that can be thrown on the Barbie, venturing away from the traditional “shrimp” or more accurately the burnt snag and chop. The majority of survey respondents would like to barbecue vegetables, bread, vegetarian meals and fruit. In addition, 39% of barbecuers in Australia are competitive, wishing to take part in a barbecue competition like those held in Europe or the U.S.

We could see the revival of a traditional barbecue culture in Australia to be proud of, yet!

About this survey:
This voluntary survey was conducted with the help of the Heat Beads^® eNewsletter Subscribers. This sample is not necessarily representative of the Australian population and may not be particularly accurate in predicting growth trends.

Ask Chef Neal Corman

“I have heard that if your chickens’ come off the grill and taste like the grill, it is because your grill is not hot enough. Is that true?

My dad used to grill scrumptious chickens, but they tasted like chickens, not that smokey taste. I know, then why are you grilling? But maybe it is because you want to cook a chicken and it is too hot to turn the oven on. And, my husband is not real crazy about chicks on the grill. So, any light you could shed on this would be super helpful”. -Stephanie

If there is one thing that people mess-up more than anything else on their grill, it has to be chicken… You’re not alone… I feel your pain.

The truth is this; chicken is no different than any other protein on the grill. If your grill is set up properly and the chicken is prepared correctly you should have no problems. There is a difference between cooking chicken pieces (either boneless skinless breasts or a cut up fryer) and grill-roasting a whole chicken. We’ll look at both of these options:

First, you need to configure your grill for both direct and indirect cooking. Simply stated (we there must be sufficient area on the grill grate that is over a heat source, (a pile of hot coals) and an area that is not. This way you have the option of moving your food on or off of the heat. This greatly enhances your ability to control the cooking process.

Next, you need to prepare your chicken properly for grilling. For a whole chicken, start with a 3 to 4 pound fryer and marinate it overnight. This marinade can either be a dry rub such as BBQ rub or perhaps Cajun seasoning, or a liquid marinade such as vinaigrette. The easiest way to cook a whole bird is to use a poultry roaster that allows you to roast a chicken standing up and provides even cooking while simultaneously catching the juices for a sauce or gravy option for serving. Weber happens to have a very good roaster for sale on their website. Configure your grill to cook indirect, placing the roaster over the non-heated portion of the grill. Set your grill to med, medium low, close the cover and your marinated chicken on the poultry roaster should be done in approximately 45 minutes.

Ensure that the coals are generating approximately 300 to 350 degrees F of heat. Periodically check the bird and turn it if necessary for even browning. The chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F or when the juices flow clear.

For cut-up whole chickens or boneless skinless breasts, the chicken pieces can be prepared the same way as the whole chicken (either seasoned in a marinade or rubbed with a spice mix and allowed to set overnight.) Configure your grill for direct and indirect cooking as you would with the whole bird. The grill should be set to 400 to 600 degrees F for charcoal. Be sure that the grill is pre-heated and the grill grates are clean. Place the chicken pieces skin side down (if they are not skinless) on the hot grates and allow them to acquire grill marks (approximately one to two minutes). If the chicken pieces are marinated, remove the excess marinade liquid to avoid flare-ups. This may be the smoky taste that you want to avoid. Flip the pieces and cook for an additional minute. Remove the chicken pieces from the direct section to the indirect section. Close the lid of the grill and continue to cook until the meat reaches 165 degrees F or it feels firm. If you are going to use a BBQ sauce, baste the chicken one-minute prior to being done to allow the sauce to set to a glaze.

Well, there you have it. Follow these simple steps and you’re all set to give the ‘Colonel’ a run for his money in the grilled chicken market.

John has just returned to his adopted home of Kansas City, from the 5th Annual Great American BBQ Festival in Bonner Springs (about 15 miles from KC). This 3-day event had over 170 teams participating in the open contest, 70 teams for the invitational contest and 60 teams for the brisket competition. All teams were cooking over live coals and the event showcased the best of American ‘Q’ing’.

The event is one for the entire community – even the restaurants are encouraged to enter a team – with fireworks, carnival rides, free BBQ tasting, a BBQ expo, a rib eating contest, culinary demos and of course the BBQ competitions!

John had a great time at the event, stating, “I’m almost smoked out, and as you know me and BBQ smoke, that’s saying something!”

A Kansas City.com article best described the atmosphere of the event:

“As invitational cookers fastidiously put the finishing touches on their final entries, event organizer Paul Satterfield’s golf cart zoomed about the event grounds, careening around sunburned children, ice-cream stands and entertainers clad in Renaissance clothing.”

These live coal BBQ competitions are serious business with the 70 teams competing in the invitational contest vying for a $US 73,000 prize!

Venison, lamb, vegetables and a good drop, not forgetting the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes and a couple of quality cast iron camp ovens, were the essentials for the feast below, when the group finally arrived at Wonnangatta Station.

The menu:
Boneless leg of lamb (marinated for 24 hours) and a small roast of venison, placed on a rack inside the camp oven (aka a dutch oven), with a mix of water and oil in the base of the pot.

Pumpkin, sweet potato, potato and carrot, well coated with oil in the second oven. Make sure the base of the oven is very well oiled.

The meat, with a combined weight of just over 1 kilo was cooked for around 2 hours, and the vegetables for 90 minutes.

NB: It is a good rule of thumb to allow about 2 hours for every kilo of meat to be cooked.

Bobby Flay, so his website tells us, is famous for being ‘a critically-acclaimed chef/restaurateur, award-winning cook book author and television personality’. Amongst his ventures, Bobby is one of four chefs on the American version of Iron Chef and he has vegan barbecue sorted.

Watch this video to find out how.

You can catch Bobby Flay on American Iron Chef, available on the Cooking Channel (118) on Foxtel.

“Have you ever wandered down past the bakers early in the morning and sniffed the air and taken in that wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread? Well, let me tell you, I can create that same aroma out in the bush! Fresh bread is a delight, especially your own fresh bread, but to bake it in a camp oven in the middle of nowhere is a real treat.

There are two main things you need to do when baking bread:

1. Knead, knead, knead and more kneading. On the first knead I time myself for 12 minutes.

2. A warm, draught free place to let your bread rise. I use the car. Even on a cool day in winter, the inside of your car sitting in the sun is quite warm.

How do you make bread in the bush? It’s simple; you just buy the bread mix from your local store. I use the ones that come with four bread mixes and four little yeast sachets.

Get your bowl and mix the ingredients as directed on the pack. Remember to use warm water to assist the yeast to activate. Then, the fun starts and the kneading begins! You can’t make good bread without kneading it properly.

Once it’s kneaded, let it rise. I use a stainless steel bowl with a tea towel over the top. Let it at least double in size, this will usually take anything up to an hour.

Now it’s time to find a nice warm place for the dough to rise. I have found over the years that the best place is your car in the sitting in the sun. Even on a cold winter’s day, the car warms up quite quickly in the sun.

Then, depending on the directions on the pack, knead it again. Place it in your well-greased bread tin and allow it to rise again for up to an hour.

Place it in your camp oven that has been preheated with Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes (16 Heat Beads^® BBQ Briquettes on the top and six underneath) and cook for around 30 minutes.

Bread cooking in a Lodge cast iron camp oven

The bread is cooked when tapping the base produces a nice hollow sound.

Lifting the lid after 30 minutes for a look

How’s That For Camp Oven Bread?!

Bread rolls are another favourite. I cook these directly in the camp oven. After the first rise, knead again and then divide the dough into round balls and place into the camp oven and leave to rise.

Bread rolls freshly baked still sitting in the camp oven

Cheese and bacon bread rolls are delicious. After the second rise I sprinkle grated cheese and chopped bacon on them before cooking.

Hows That For Camp Oven Bread Rolls?!