Barbecue Glossary - Grilled Vegetable Cooking Terms

Kettle grill: A round charcoal grill, usually on three legs. These have heavy covers and can be used for indirect as well as direct grilling.

Lava rock: Natural rock produced from volcanic lava, which is an alternative to ceramic briquettes in gas grills. Lava rock can be used many times but will need to be replaced eventually.

Lump charcoal: The carbon residue of charred wood in lump shapes. This is used in charcoal grills as a heat source.

Marinade: A liquid to soak meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables in. Acidity is needed to ensure it soaks into the food and this is found in wine, vinegar, and most fruit juices.

Marinate: To steep food in a marinade before it cooks. Marinades tenderize meat and add flavor to meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables before grilling them.

Medium doneness: The center of the meat should have a pinkish red color and the meat will be springy and slightly firm when you press it.

Medium rare doneness: The center of the meat should be bright red and the meat will be slightly springy when you press it. Medium rare is not recommended for pork, ground meats, or veal.

Medium well doneness: The center of the meat should have very little pink and the meat will be firm and springy when you press it.

Portable grill: A small camping style grill with a push button ignition.

Rotisserie: The long metal skewer or spit that suspends and rotates food over the heat source of the grill.

Rub: A blend of seasonings rubbed over the food before grilling.

Searing: Cooking meat over a high heat for a short time to create a crunchy outer surface. It is a myth that searing seals in the juices.

Side burner: A burner on the side of the grill for non-grill cooking.

Skewer: A long, thin wooden or metal stick inserted through meat, poultry, fish, or vegetable pieces for grilling.

Smoker box: A perforated metal box which goes on the briquettes or lava rocks of a gas grill or on the grill rack of a charcoal grill to hold wood chips and release smoke.

Spices: Powder made from dried bark, berries, seeds, roots, or pods. Used to add flavor to grilled foods.

Thermostat: A device for measuring temperature and regulating heat.

Tuning a pit: Modifying a cooker for good, even smoke and heat distribution.

Vents: Holes in a firebox or grill cover. The air circulates through open vents to increase a fire's heat.

Water smokers: A water pan close to the heat source. The moisture evaporates, keeping the humidity high. You can use beer, wine, juice, celery, herbs and more in the water pan and the resulting steam flavors the food.

Whitebone: What happens if you cook ribs too long. If you pull on two adjacent ribs and the meat falls off one rib, exposing the bone, it is overcooked.

Woodchips and chunks: Natural wood added to a fire to give a smoky flavor to the food while it cooks. Apple, alder, hickory, cherry, oak, mesquite, pecan, and maple are popular. These woodchips are soaked in water, drained and then added to the fire just before putting on the food.

For more cooking and grilling terms and definitions go to - Barbecue Glossary - Grilled Vegetable Cooking Terms A to K