The Magic Wand of Barbecue

By Tom Brohamer

Are your steaks always overdone?  Is your chicken tough and stringy?  What if I could tell you how to get moist and tender barbecue every time?  Believe it or not, getting your barbecue to come out "just right" is actually easier than you think.  What you need is the Magic Wand of Barbecue... a good quality meat thermometer! 

I've been asked on many occasions what I feel is the single most important tool for the barbecue enthusiast.  My answer, a good meat thermometer!  While there are some that will argue that a thermometer is a crutch, I say that unless barbecue is what you do ALL day long, it's a necessary tool, not a crutch.  The long time pitmaster, the one who's cooked more meat than you or I can even imagine, might be able to judge the doneness of his product solely by "feel", but for the rest of us, a trusty, high quality thermometer is a necessity!  It's the tool that will help you to achieve a consistency in your cooking that takes your barbecue to the next level.

After my answer, the question I often here next is "which type of thermometer should I have?"  There are several types of meat thermometers on the market, everything from a single-use pop-up probe, to a thermocouple that would be suitable for laboratory work.  Thankfully there are several choices between these two extremes.  The most common meat thermometer is the instant read bi-metallic coil, often referred to simply as an Instant Read.  These are affordable, accurate (when used properly), and readily available.  In fact, many folks already have one in their kitchen drawer and may not even realize it.

If you barbecue occasionally, the instant read is probably the right magic wand for you.  If, however, you barbecue often, I'd recommend investing a few extra dollars to buy a thermistor-style thermometer.  These are the ones you often see with a digital readout.  Besides the fact they're easier to read, the advantage to this style is that they only require that you insert the probe only 1/4" to achieve an accurate reading.  This advantage makes the thermistor-style thermometer much more suited to taking temperatures of thin meats, such as steaks, ribs, hamburgers, or chicken breasts.  Another advantage is that the thermistor-style thermometer does not generally require calibration.

Did you know that you should occasionally check the calibration on your thermometer?  Didn't know that?  Don't feel bad, many folks don't.  Whether it's from age, being dropped, bumped, or just "because", most instant read thermometers fail to read accurate temperatures after a period of time.  The good news is that "most" of them can easily be returned to a state of accuracy quite easily.  The only requirement is that they have an adjustment nut on the underside of the dial, which many do. 

There are two methods that are used to calibrate a thermometer, the "hot" method, and the "cold" method.  While my preference is the cold method, I'll describe both so you can choose for yourself.

Hot Method (Boiling Water):

To use the hot method, bring a pot of clean tap water to a full rolling boil.  Place the stem of the thermometer in boiling water a minimum of 2 inches, and wait at least 30 seconds.  Without removing the stem from the pan, hold the adjustment nut (on the underside of the dial) with a suitable tool, such as a wrench.  Turn the head so the thermometer reads 212° F.

For true accuracy, distilled water should be used and the atmospheric pressure must be one atmosphere (29.921 inches of mercury.) Using tap water in unknown conditions will probably not measure water boiling at 212° F.  Most likely it would boil at least 2 degrees, or perhaps up to 5 degrees, lower.  Water also boils at a lower temperature in high altitudes.  You can check with your local Health Department for exact temperatures of boiling water in your area.

Cold Method (Ice Water):

To use the cold method, fill a large glass with finely crushed ice.  Add clean tap water to the top of the ice and stir well. Place the stem of the thermometer a minimum of 2 inches into the ice water, taking care not to touch the sides or the bottom of the glass.  Wait a minimum of 30 seconds before adjusting.  Without removing the stem from the glass, hold the adjustment nut (on the underside of the dial) with a suitable tool, such as a wrench.  Turn the head so the thermometer reads 32° F.

In my opinion, the benefit of the cold method is that you don't have to be concerned about the altitude, atmospheric conditions, or dealing with boiling water.  Either method will work, just pick the one that feels most comfortable to you.  The thing to remember is that if the calibration on your thermometer isn't accurate, then there's not much difference between using a thermometer, or a wood stick... you really don't know where you are with either.

Now that you have an accurate thermometer, what temperatures should you be looking at for the various cuts of meat you might cook? I have copied a portion of the doneness chart available elsewhere on our site. If you follow the temperatures listed below, you'll find that your Magic Wand of Barbecue truly can help you achieve the goal of consistently moist, tender, and properly cooked barbecue every time!

(For complete chart, click here.)

Parting Tip:

Remember that all meats continue to cook after they are removed from heat. It is best to remove steaks and chops 5° F, and roasts 10° F before their desired doneness. The meat will continue to cook in the time it takes to serve. Let roasts sit loosely covered in foil in a warm area for 10 - 20 minutes. This will allow the meat to rest, juices to redistribute evenly, and the temperature to continue to rise to the desired doneness.  

Be sure to visit our BBQ Gift Shoppe to purchase what we feel is the best digital instant-read thermometer on the market!  Click here to learn more.