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BBQ And Grilling 101: A Guide To Better Live Fire Cooking (2 Recipes, 8 Pages, 18 Articles)

Published On: 7/1/2019 Last Modified: 6/16/2025

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Your quest to create amazing BBQ and grilling begins here!

If you are new to BBQ and grilling or simply want to step up your outdoor cooking game, start here. These articles and basic recipes give you a solid foundation on BBQ and grilling equipment, ingredients, and techniques.

By using the guideposts below, you’ll learn about thermodynamics (how heat moves through your cooker and your food), how to turn your grill into a smoker with the 2-zone method, how to control temperature, why it is critical to use a digital thermometer (don’t worry – they’re cheap), the fascinating science of meat, how smoke ends up flavoring your food, our top recipes, tips and tricks, and so much more!

homer simpson barbecue

What Is Barbecue?

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Barbecue is a hotly debated topic. Read here about a new definition of BBQ that is distinct from its legal definition.
bookshelf

Cooking And Barbecue Glossary

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Here is an A to Z glossary of barbecue and cooking terms. Get to know these terms and you'll be on your way to becoming a barbecue insider.
Barbecue ribs

Amazing Ribs Defined: Kissed By Smoke, Hugged By Sauce, Licked By Fire

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

What are amazing ribs? When I judge barbecue, here's what I look for: look, scent, flavor, seasonings, smoke, sauce, texture, and balance.
types of fat in a steak

Basic Meat Science For Cooks

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

What is meat and how does cooking alter it? Discover the science of what meat is made of. And find out what happens when meat meets heat.

Grill And Smoker Setup And Firing Up (1 Page, 18 Articles)

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

What's the best way to set up your grill and smoker? The secret is to have temperature control. Click here to learn more.
2 zone setup

2 Zone Grilling Setup: How Best To Control Temperatures On A Grill

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Improve your recipes and make the best BBQ possible with this one essential concept: temperature control. The secret? 2 zone grilling setup.
grilling presa

The Thermodynamics of Cooking and How Different Cooking Methods Work

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Learn about thermodynamics: the basis of all cooking! Find out how heat transference works in your grill, bbq, and smoker.

The Top Mouthwatering Recipes From The AmazingRibs.com Team (33 Recipes, 3 Articles)

By:

Dave Joachim, AmazingRibs.com Editorial Director

Here's a list of the AmazingRibs.com top 15 recipes of the year, the best and most visited ones on our site.
rib cooking temperature timeline

Are My Ribs Ready Yet?

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Since ribs come in so many different weights and thicknesses, knowing when they are done is an inexact science but here are some guidelines.

Food Health And Safety: What You Are Doing Right And Wrong (12 Articles)

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Hundreds of thousands of Americans alone are sickened every year by their food. Here's an overview of the hazards and how to reduce the risk
Amazingribs.com temperature magnet

Award Winning Food Temperature Guide And What You Need To Know About Food Safety

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Here's the ultimate guide to understanding cooking temperatures and food safety to ensure that your meat is cooked perfectly every time.

All About Our Pitmaster Club, The World's Largest BBQ Forum

By:

Clint Cantwell, AmazingRibs.com President And BBQ Personality

AmazingRibs.com's Pitmaster Club is the world's largest BBQ and grilling forum, providing members with access to flame-war-free discussions.

How to Buy the Best In-Food And In-Cooker Thermometer

By:

Bill McGrath, AmazingRibs.com Chief Thermometer Reviewer

An in-food/in-cooker thermometer should be a part of every chef's tool collection. Here's what to look for and how to buy the best ones.
termometer comparisons

Thermometers: How They Work, How To Select Them, and How To Use Them

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

How to use our comprehensive buying guide and reviews of thermometers for barbecue, for cooking, for the grill and for the smoker.

How To Buy A Grill (5 Articles)

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Before you sink money into a grill check out this article. It could save you from buying a lemon and make sure your grill meets your needs.

How To Buy A Smoker: Take This When You Shop (1 Page, 5 Articles)

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

There are many choices when picking a smoker. Before you go shopping click here and print out our article on How To Buy a Smoker.
bread grilling

How to Calibrate Your Grill or Smoker with Dry Runs

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Calibrate your cooker. Here's how to prepare your cooker with a dry run so you can control its temperature when it's showtime.
composite image of BBQ smokers and grills

BBQ Gear Guide: The Best Smokers And Grills To Buy Today

By:

Clint Cantwell, AmazingRibs.com President And BBQ Personality

Picking the right smoker or grill for your personal needs can be a difficult task, with countless brands, styles, and prices to sort through. To help you find the best smoker grill to buy, we have compiled an elite list of top rated AmazingRibs.com gold and platinum medal winners.
burning charcoal

Charcoal Grills: Buying Guide, Reviews, And Ratings

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

A comprehensive review and buyer's guide of almost all the wood burning and charcoal grills available from experts, with ratings.

Charcoal Grillin’ Starter Kit

By:

Dave Joachim, AmazingRibs.com Editorial Director

New to charcoal grilling? Here's everything you need from the best grill and charcoal to tongs and a reliable thermometer.
photo of the weber calibration

Using the Vents to Control Temperature on Charcoal and Wood Burning Grills and Smokers

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Read this article to learn how to use the two vents to control temperature in a charcoal or wood grill or smoker.
Gas Smoker

Gas Smokers: A Buying Guide And Reviews

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Here is how to shop for gas fired barbecue smokers. These are simple smokers that produce good flavor, on a modest budget.
komodo kamado

Buying Guide To Kamado, Ceramic, Egg Smokers And Grills

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

The kamado, ceramic, egg grill, smoker, and oven is a fast growing category with more choices every year. Here are reviews of them all.
Camp Chef Woodwind

Pellet Smokers And Grills: Buying Guide, Ratings, And Reviews

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Ratings, reviews, and recommendations on what to look for and what to buy when shopping for pellet barbecue smokers and grills.
Weber Genesis EPX-35

Gas Grills: Buying Guide, Reviews, And Ratings

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Here's how gas grills work and what to look for when you go shopping. This article has all of the information you need.
man burning wood in a burn barrel

What You Need to Know About Wood, Smoke, And Combustion

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Learn all about wood smoke and how it adds flavor to BBQ. Discover the truth behind the claim that different woods have different flavors.
the perfect grilled steak

Recipe Secrets Revealed For Grilled Steaks That Put The Best Restaurants To Shame

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

Create grilled steaks as good or better than they do in the best expensive steakhouses with this comprehensive how-to and recipe.
pulled pork sandwich with sauce

An Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe With Mouthwatering Results

By:

Meathead, AmazingRibs.com Founder And BBQ Hall of Famer

This easy pulled pork recipe skips the slow cooker to create authentic low-and-slow smoked pulled pork on a smoker or grill.

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