What is a barbecue? First of all, grilling is a process of directly heating food at a high temperature above 200 °C without using water, oil, and other media. Under such a high temperature directly, the protein inside the food is solidified, the water is squeezed out, and the food becomes soft. At the same time, the zest of the sugar will release flavors and other flavors. When grilling, the internal temperature of animal food is 75℃-90℃, and the best temperature of plant food is about 105℃-110℃. At this time, the surface temperature is all around 250°C, but the food with high water content is best heated at 300°C for a long time. Compared with the general cooking methods “boiled”, “steamed”, “fried”, etc., “boiled” is about 100 °C, “steamed” is about 150 °C, “fried” is about 200 °C, and grilled is about 200 °C above high-temperature heating. The temperature difference between the surface and the interior of the food is very significant, which is the secret to the deliciousness of grilled food.
The importance of temperature difference:
Using a microwave oven cannot be called grilling because the microwave oven cannot make the temperature difference between the surface temperature and the internal temperature of the food to achieve the same effect as grilling. To achieve the effect of temperature difference, there are various methods in Japan, but they are roughly divided into two types: “direct type”, which is roasted directly with fire, and “indirect type”, which uses an iron plate and aluminum foil to transfer heat.
Direct grilling is to convert firepower into radiant heat and uses thermal convection for grilling. Indirect grilling is a grilling method that uses some intermediate media to indirectly and continuously heat food under certain firepower. These intermediates include enamel, iron plate, pebbles, sand, clay, salt, etc.
Barbecue Tips:
Control of firepower:
The internal temperature of general animal food is completely cooked at 75℃-80℃. Because it is heated at a high surface temperature of 200°C-300°C, it is not possible to judge whether it is cooked by the state of the surface alone. You should insert a thermometer into the food to measure its internal temperature, or cut the food and observe its internal state to determine whether it is cooked.
Precautions when using gas:
It is crucial to be able to cook the food safely, adjust the gas to a large fire, and keep the flames away from the food. There is generally no need to worry about using charcoal fire, but the gas will emit flames, and using it near the fire will cause the surface to be scorched, but the inside is not cooked. At this time, if a perforated iron plate or wire mesh is placed on the gas, the heat of the gas is absorbed and converted into radiant heat for burning, which is a method worth learning from. Because it is taboo to put food directly on the flame in a hurry.
