The freedom of being outdoors is a significant aspect of BBQ cooking that contributes to its popularity. This article, written by the team at California Spas & Leisure, discusses some of the benefits of an outdoor BBQ cooking experience.
Connection with Nature: Grilling outdoors allows individuals to connect with nature in a unique and immersive way. Whether it’s in your own backyard, at a park, camping trip, the open air and natural surroundings create a refreshing environment. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature add a layer of enjoyment to the cooking process, creating a sense of relaxation and tranquility. The act of preparing and cooking food amidst natural surroundings can be a therapeutic experience. It offers a break from the fast-paced, indoor lifestyle, allowing individuals to unwind and appreciate the simplicity of nature. The sounds of crackling flames, the aroma of sizzling food, and the gentle breeze all enhance the sensory experience, making outdoor cooking a multi-sensory delight.
Social Interaction and Bonding: Outdoor cooking, particularly BBQs and outdoor kitchens, has a unique ability to bring people together. It serves as a catalyst for bonding with friends and family. The relaxed atmosphere created by grilling outdoors encourages conversation, which is healthy for mental wellbeing, by creating memories and connecting with a social circle. Furthermore, the interactive nature of BBQ cooking allows guests to engage in the culinary process. They can witness the food being prepared, offer suggestions or assistance, and even participate in the cooking. This involvement creates a sense of ownership and pride, further deepening the bond between individuals and the overall experience. Outdoor cooking on a BBQ or wood-fire is also a learning environment with people less familiar with BBQ techniques and process’. As we share techniques and experiences, we grow as a society and bring more knowledge too cooking at home.
Adventure and Knowledge: Grilling outdoors adds an element of adventure and authenticity to the cooking experience. Cooking over an open flame, whether it’s a charcoal grill, gas grill, or even a campfire, evokes a primal connection to our ancestral roots. It hearkens back to a time when humans relied on fire for warmth, cooking, and survival. The unpredictability of outdoor cooking, such as managing temperatures, tending to the fire (if using wood-fired grills) and adjusting cooking times, adds an exciting element of challenge. It requires individuals to be attentive and responsive, honing their cooking skills and improvisation abilities. This sense of adventure and adaptability elevates the overall cooking experience, making it more engaging and rewarding.
Health Benefits: BBQ cooking usually involves whole cuts of meats and vegetables that absorb the distinct aroma and smokiness that comes from cooking with live fire, wood or charcoal, enhancing the food’s flavour profile and giving it a distinct taste from other cooking techniques. Using whole cuts of meats and vegetables reduce the consumption of unwanted preservatives and chemicals that are commonly found in pre-made foods or fast foods. Pre-packaged and fast foods are packed with salts and synthesized flavours that are chemically necessary in mass production. Being able to control your spices and seasonings by adding simplified and whole ingredients means you can add as much of the salts and fats as you desire and take advantage of using pure ingredients instead of derivatives.
A Focus on Quality: The smoky flavors imparted by grilling outdoors are often considered a hallmark of authentic BBQ cooking and the quality of cut you choose becomes ever more noticeable. As you cook more on BBQs, you begin to understand what works and what meats/vegetables you like.
FISH – Cooking certain foods such as fish on BBQ is always a challenge, light and flaky fish such as tilapia and sole do no fare well on a flame. Salmon and Swordfish are heartier and fare much better on BBQs, but are more expensive, especially quality choice options.
BEEF – Higher quality cuts of steaks such as rib-eye or top sirloin, T-bone and tenderloin are always excellent cuts for BBQ and charcoal cooking. Paying close attention to the marbling (fattiness) in the meat will help with maintaining juiciness when cooking over flames. Premium beef like Wagyu and Kobe are quite pricey, and should be confident on your grilling techniques before attempting this quality of beef.
CHICKEN – Chicken is a white meat and does not show the quality as much through the cooking process on a BBQ, but skinny pieces and undersized chicken should be watched carefully. Too much heat too fast will destroy your food.
PORK – Usually a “Low and Slow” approach is recommended for virtually all pork, but sausage is another story. Quality sausage is always more flavourful, and many options are available from grocery stores that are quite good. However, we recommend a quality hand made sausage from a local butcher over a factory-made option. Single animal source (or at least small volume) is usually a more expensive option but offer a better cook on the BBQ.
The outdoor cooking experience in BBQ cooking offers a connection with nature, fosters social interaction and bonding, and provides a sense of adventure and authenticity. These elements combine to create a memorable and enjoyable cooking experience that goes beyond merely preparing a meal. Grilling outdoors becomes a holistic sensory and social event, making it a popular choice for individuals and communities worldwide.