What’s the difference between barbecuing and grilling?

When it comes to cooking methods or techniques, we often mention about boiling, pan-frying, and deep-frying. You will be surprised to know that in India, we use more than 16 cooking methods and each one is different in terms of processing, adding flavour and texture to the final dish. Today, we are going to talk about the two most common cooking methods that we habitually get to hear about while dining out. Scroll to know the difference.

As we know, grilling a basically a method of cooking, where the food is cooked hot and fast at 500-550 degrees Fahrenheit and above. In this, the food items like meat steaks, pork, seafood, paneer, tomatoes, and mushroom are exposed to direct heat via parallel iron-rods (grill). Grilling uses either gas or charcoal to cook the food. The latter gives a smoky flavour, while the former just adds to the texture of the final dish.

Barbecuing is cooking foods low and slow. In this method, meats like chicken, mutton, pork, and turkey are slow cooked over low heat of 225 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. They are tough and require low, slow heat in order to turn them tender and juicy. Here, the cooking time is longer that stretches for hours and even a day. In barbecuing, the heat is directed from a chamber, and the food is held at a distance. Charcoal or wood are the most common sources of heat that give the dish a nice texture and smoky flavour.

In barbecuing, the food is cooked on low heat for long hours, even all day long. Whereas in grilling the food is cooked last at a high flame. Also, in barbecue, the food is not in direct contact with heat, while in grilling, the food is over direct heat.

Sauces: People often get confused with the name of sauces like ‘barbecue sauce’. Let us tell you that all sorts of sauces can be used for both the methods of cooking.
Marinades: Marinades are often used for foods that are grilled. Under this process, the meat or veggies are soaked in a marinade for an hour or two. The food item absorbs the flavour and is then grilled.
Spices: Spices are used in both the cooking methods. The timing of spices can differ, as in many barbecued dishes, the spices are added after cooking, whereas in grilling the spices are added beforehand.

Now that you know the basic difference between grilling and barbecuing, so, this summer what will you prefer-barbecuing or grilling?