Barbecue Legend Shares His Secrets to Level Up Your Grilling Game

6 steps for ruling the backyard cookout.

Steven Raichlen has written 32 books and hosted several TV programs on the art and science of barbecue. Oriana Zhang/The Epoch Times

Some die-hards roll out the grill in the dead of winter, but most of us know summer is synonymous with backyard grilling. But perhaps you’re a newbie or could use a refresher course before inviting the neighbors over. Who better to ask than barbecue and grilling guru Steven Raichlen?

Mr. Raichlen began his barbecue journey in 1994 with an epiphany: “I remember where I was sitting, what I was wearing, what the weather was. It was like time slowed down. I heard this voice that said, ‘Follow the fire.’”

And so Mr. Raichlen did. He traveled to 20 countries to research and compile what he thought would be a modest collection of recipes. It soon “grew into a 537-page monster.”

Steven Raichlen first published 'The Barbecue Bible' in 1998, followed by a second edition in 2008.

Mr. Raichlen's revised 'Beer-Can Chicken,' published in April 2024, updates his original 2002 release.

“Grilling is the world’s oldest and most universal cooking method, but everywhere it’s done differently,” he said. His international bestseller, “The Barbecue Bible,” has been translated into 17 languages.

Mr. Raichlen is now the author of 32 books, including his recently updated “Beer-Can Chicken,” and host of several TV programs, such as “Project Fire” and “Barbecue University,” and has also developed signature sauces and grilling tools—such as a spring-loaded pair of tongs with an LED light (you can still grill after sunset!) and elbow-length leather gloves. He has won James Beard Awards and has been inducted into the Kansas City Barbeque Society Hall of Fame.

With summer around the corner, he took some time to talk shop and share his most important tips.

Steven Raichlen is one of the country’s foremost barbecue experts. Mic Garofolo

Choose Your Fighter

At home, the process begins with an important decision: Gas or charcoal?

Your “grilling personality” dictates the choice, Mr. Raichlen says. “If you’re more of a ‘process’ kind of person, love the journey, the act of building a fire and waltzing food from hot spots to cold spots, charcoal is the way to go,” he said. For those who just want to get it done and feast on the results, gas is a better choice. In either case, the grill is straightforward: the heat source—gas or coals—goes under a grill surface, which is under a removable cover.

“If you like true barbecue, you want to get a smoker,” Mr. Raichlen said. The process and temperatures are different from a grill. One option is an upright water smoker such as the Weber Smokey Mountain.

If you don’t want a dedicated smoker, you can get similarly smoky results from a pellet grill. Instead of a direct flame, an auger feeds wood pellets into a lower fire pot to create heat and smoke, which fans distribute throughout the covered grill. “They make smoking a cinch,” Mr. Raichlen said.

Different types of grills distribute heat and smoke differently. See which types you prefer. Randazzo and Blau

Ceramic grills with temperature control, such as the Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe, are a hybrid option. They can work as a traditional grill, but when covered, the ceramic’s heat retention is greater than metal’s, creating a steady, stable heat suitable for barbecue.

But why settle on just one style? “Multiple grill ownership has become a real big thing in the years that I’ve been in barbecue,” Mr. Raichlen said. Why not keep a quick and convenient gas grill for weeknight cooking, and a charcoal grill or smoker for laid-back weekends?

Light Your Fire

The gas grill is straightforward and easy to turn on, with lower and upper grills for fast and slow heat and even multiple knobs that vary the heat on different areas of the grill surface. Mr. Raichlen does add a note of caution: Always have the lid open when you light it. “Otherwise, sometimes you get a build-up of gas that can explode—and that is an unhappy situation,” he said.

Charcoal requires a bit more effort, and most of us have at one time repeatedly doused coals with lighter fluid in desperation. The best way to light coals is using a chimney starter, Mr. Raichlen said, as “it lights the charcoal quickly, evenly, and efficiently without having to resort to lighter fluid, controllers, or starters.”

Lump charcoal, which is made from actual wood pieces, glows red when ready. Less expensive charcoal briquettes, made with wood byproducts, glow red first and then become lightly ashed over.

Start with a pile and spread the ready coals out under the grill, but not evenly. Mr. Raichlen advises leaving a coal-free “safety zone,” an unlit portion taking up 25 to 30 percent of the grill. “Should flare-ups occur, and invariably they will, move your food to that zone,” he said.

Using a chimney starter to light your coals will make your job much easier. Spread your coals out unevenly, leaving a “safety zone” in case flare-ups occur and you need to save your food. Randazzo and Blau

Prep Your Cooking Zone

Now that the heat is on, how do you make it food-ready? Mr. Raichlen has a three-step grilling mantra: “Keep it hot, keep it clean, keep it lubricated.”

Clean and lubricate the grates before the food goes on and after it comes off. Use a stiff wire brush or a wooden scraper to clean, and lubricate with oil on a folded paper towel—or a piece of steak fat or bacon fat. Always start with a hot grill grate. These steps prevent sticking and encourage nice grill marks.

Make sure your grill grates are clean before adding any food items. arinahabich/iStock/Getty Images

Handle the Heat

Different parts of the grill—or different knob settings on a gas grill—create different temperature zones. On a charcoal grill, the areas directly over the coals provide high, direct heat, while cooler spots not directly over the hottest coals serve as a zone for low, indirect heat. On a gas grill, the concept is the same: closer to the source for direct heat, an upper grate for indirect heat.

Generally, if you’re cooking meat, the smaller the cut, the higher the temperature you can work at. The heat will reach the center quickly before burning the outside, while thicker cuts need more time at a low temperature to let heat get to the center before charring the surface too much.

“A skirt steak would be high heat all the way along,” Mr. Raichlen said. But for, say, a three-inch-thick porterhouse, he recommends a “two-zone method”: Start on indirect low heat to cook it most of the way, about five degrees shy of your desired internal temperature, then put it over direct high heat to finish it. The same goes for chicken: Whole chickens require indirect grilling, while chicken breasts cook faster and hotter.

Arrange your food neatly on the grill, with space to easily flip items or grasp them with tongs.

“If you’re cooking multiple pieces of food, let’s say chicken wings, line them up starting at the back, working toward the front,” Mr. Raichlen said.

Strategically arrange your food on the grill to optimize the cooking process—and make it easier on the cook. grandriver/Getty Images

Know When It’s Done

“Get yourself a good instant-read meat thermometer and then know the five key temperatures,” Mr. Raichlen said. For steak, 125 degrees F is rare; 135 is medium-rare; 145 is medium. Chicken needs an internal temp of 165 degrees to be safe, while brisket and pulled pork demand 205 degrees to reach the tenderness you want.

No thermometer? For a steak or chicken breast—something thin, up to an inch—“I would just poke it,” Mr. Raichlen said. “If it feels soft and squishy, it’s probably too rare in the center. If it’s gently yielding, it’s medium rare. If it’s hard and springy, it’s well done.” For fish, press it. If it breaks cleanly into flakes, you’re good to go.

Using a thermometer is the safest way to ensure your meat is fully cooked. JasonDoiy/Getty Images

Spice It Up

But don’t miss the opportunity to spice things up a bit.

“A very important principle in the world’s grilling and barbecue is the layering of flavor,” Mr. Raichlen said. He’s a big proponent of adding rubs before the food goes on the grill.

“For rubs, balance is the keyword,” he said. “A classic American barbecue rub starts with equal parts salt, pepper, paprika, and brown sugar.” From there, you can customize it with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, and so on.

Apply sauces later in the cooking process, within the last 5 to 10 minutes. That gives them time to caramelize. “If you apply it too early, the sugar in the sauce burns before the meat is cooked,” he said. Err on the side of caution until you have it down.

Have fun with the rubs and sauces, but make sure to apply sauces later in the cooking process to prevent the sugars from burning. Edwin Tan/Getty Images

The ultimate flavor is smokiness—“and the key to that is real hardwood,” Mr. Raichlen said. You can buy wood chips to add to the coals. It’s tricker on a gas grill, but for every challenge, he has a solution: “I make a smoking puck you can use on a gas grill,” he said

Follow his advice and your grill will bring all the neighbors to your yard.

Ready to fire up the grill? Get Steven Raichlen’s menu for a summer feast: 

Beer-Can Chicken

Corn Roasted in the Husk With Basil Butter

Grilled Pound Cake With Berries and Smoked-Scented Whipped Cream