Here's a motto that will improve your food immensely: Mise en place (pronounced MEEZ-ahn-plahss).It's French and it means, roughly, "to put in place" or more loosely "put everything in its place", and it is the best thing from France since Pinot Noir. It can prevent disasters. The basic concept is to get all the ingredients out and ready first. The Boy Scouts have a similar motto: "Be prepared".
Before I learned mise en place, this was a typical scenario: I'm going to make a barbecue sauce. The recipe calls for me to heat some onions in oil until limp, add fresh garlic, add spices, add ketchup, then vinegar, and molasses. So I get the pan hot, add the oil, and start chopping the onions. The oil starts smoking so I pull the pan off the stove. The smoke alarm goes off, so I turn on the vent fan, finish chopping, toss the onions in the pan, which cools off the oil, so I put it back on high and head for the fridge to get the ketchup. But there's none there because the wife used it up on her lunch, so I run to the pantry for backup, where I hear the smoke alarm going off again because the onions are burning. So I have to clean the pan and start all over again.
Mechanics know the concept of mise en place. Before you raise the hood, read the manual and get all your tools ready. Surgeons too. Chef Anthony Bourdain calls it his religion. Make believe you are doing a TV cooking show. Be prepared. Everything in its place. Makes, cooking, and life, waaaay easier. Here's how to prevent disaster, make better food, and make cooking more fun, by practicing mis en place.
1) Read the entire recipe, start to finish.
2) Clear off your work area.
3) Get all your tools together. That mean charcoal, gas, knives, bowls, pans, paper towels, spices, etc. Clean the grill.
4) Go through the ingredients in the order they appear in the recipe and wash, measure, and chop them as described in the recipe. Measure accurately. Remember a tablespoon has a level top, not a big round hill in the center and valleys along the edges. Put the ingredients on plates so they are easy to handle.
5) Preheat the grill or oven.
6) Start assembling and cooking.
7) Clean as you work. There's plenty of time while pots are boiling and meats are searing to wash your utensils and get them ready in case you need them again. If nothing else, it will make the cleanup when you're done go faster. It also keeps my wife from making that disgusted look at me. The one with her hands on her hips. You know...
Tell Meathead what you think, or ask him a question
But please, please, please read this first:
1) Please use the sitemap or the search box, at the top of every page. There's a good chance the answer is already on this site.
2) Please read this article about thermometers.Chances are your thermometer is the problem! I cannot help you troubleshoot unless you tell me that you are using a digital oven thermometer at meat level (not in the lid), and/or a digital meat thermometer. You simply cannot believe your grill's built-in bi-metal dial thermometer. They are often off by as much as 50°F!
3) Please tell me everything I need to know to answer your question.
4) Please don't ask me "What grill (or smoker) should I buy?" Read my Buyer's Guides and follow the links. I've shared just about everything I know on those pages. I cannot pick the right cooker for you any more than you could pick the right car for me. But I've explained everything you need to know to make your decision.
AmazingRibs.com is all about the Zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Barbecue baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, rubs, and side dishes, with the net's best buying guide to barbecue smokers and grills. It is written, photographed, illustrated, and coded solely by Meathead.
My philosophy about food is simple. First of all it must taste great. It must be easy to make and emphasize fresh seasonal products with a minimum of processed ingredients. I think that people need to know why as well as how, and that there are no rules in the bedroom or dining room.
About Product Reviews and Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards. Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards are highly recommended products that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
About links on this site. Other than clearly marked ads, links and recommendations on this site are all products, services, and websites I truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. Your suggestions are always welcome. If you would like me to link to your website, click here to read my links policy first. Advertising policy. I do not accept ads from products that I review such as grills, charcoal, etc. Click here for more on my advertising policy.
Meathead's Personal Privacy Promise.I promise to never sell or distribute any info about you individually without your express permission, and I promise not to, ahem, pepper you with email or make you eat spam. Click here for more details of my privacy promise.
Disclaimer. The information on this website is for educational purposes only. All material within comes without warranties of any kind. I am human, and capable of mistakes, so I make no guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or safety of the information. Under no circumstances am I liable for any damages that result from use of the site (so you can't sue me if you burn your tongue on hot ribs, or get a tummy ache, OK?).
GrillGrates are the best new product I have tested in years and the best thing to happen to beef since salt and pepper. The base superheats, eliminates hot spots, smokes, and blocks flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. Click here for more about GrillGrates.
The Smokenator:
A Necessity For Weber Kettles
If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the amazing Smokenator and Hovergrill. The Smokenator turns your grill into a first class smoker, and the Hovergrill can add capacity or be used to create steakhouse steaks. Click here to read more.
ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. No more guesswork. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
This link takes you to Amazon.com and tags anything you buy with my affiliate code so I get a small referral fee. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay. Low prices, fast delivery (often free), good refund policies, and often there is no sales tax, are the best reasons to buy from Amazon.com, but clicking on that link before you shop helps me devote more time and money to you. Thanks!
With a $25 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of 
