One of the joys of grilling is tossing some meat over an open flame and letting it sputter and spatter until it's cooked perfectly. That's direct heat grilling, and it probably makes up the bulk of what you do with your grill, especially if you're a dedicated carnivore.
But here at BBQ Island, we’d like to offer another option for exceptional cooking. If you haven't yet mastered indirect heat grilling, it's worth learning about! You'll be able to double your skills and cook a whole lot more on your grill with this unique technique.
What Is Indirect Heat Grilling?
Simply put, indirect heat is when you cook your food on your grill without having any flame turned on directly beneath it. There are a few ways to do it. If you have a gas grill, you just need to turn on one burner and place your food on the other side, away from the flame. You can also turn down the heat and put down the cover for more even heating, essentially using your grill like an oven rather than a stove. Cooking with a smoker is another form of indirect grilling.
The best foods for indirect heat are thick pieces of meat, like a whole chicken or a thick pork butt. If you try to cook these too fast and hot, you'll char the outside but leave the inside underdone. Other candidates are sugary foods (think marshmallows or a heavy coating of barbecue sauce), vegetables and flaky white fish.
The Best Grills for Indirect Heat
Applying indirect heat is much easier with a gas grill, and the more burners you have, the better you'll be able to control your technique. We love the Lynx Professional Sonoma With a Built-in Smoker for this — it even comes with Wi-Fi to help you get the perfect doneness every time! Of course, if you're planning to cook a whole bird regularly, the Lynx Professional Grill With Rotisserie can't be beat. Come by one of our stores or give us a call to learn more about how our gas grills will turn you into an indirect heat pro in no time!