Monthly Archives: March 2018

Frequently Asked Questions About Barbecue

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Spring is here and warm weather is on the way. This means that backyard barbecues will soon be a weekend regular for many families and friends. If you are planning on hosting a few backyard barbecues this season, be sure to catch up on some facts that can help you turn out delicious, juicy, and flavorful barbecued meats, every time.

Continue reading to review some common questions and answers about barbecue, including where you can find the best authentic BBQ takeout when you don’t have time to cook out!

BBQ Smoked Meats 317-688-7290

BBQ Smoked Meats 317-688-7290

Is There a Difference Between Grilling and Barbecuing?

Yes! Barbecuing is a different method of cooking than grilling. Barbecuing involves cooking meat low and slow using indirect hot air in a sealed environment. Grilling involves openly cooking meat over a direct source of heat. Some grills can be used for both grilling and barbecuing; however, if your grill has only one burner, it is for grilling, not barbecuing.

Is it Healthier to Cook With Charcoal or Propane?

There is a study that shows that meats cooked with charcoal contain more carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared to meats cooked with propane. When meat is cooked, the fat that drips from the meat burns, and subsequently creates PAH-infused smoke, which smothers what you’re cooking. In the same study, it was suggested that charcoal flames burn hotter than propane. This singes the meat even more, which produces another carcinogen called heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

Propane also produces some PAHs and HCAs, so use certain precautions to lower the content of both in your cooked meats. This includes trimming the fat as best as you can, marinating the meat, and flipping meat often. It is even recommended to soak your meat in either in vinegar or lemon juice to reduce PAHs and HCAs by up to 90 percent.

How Can I Make Meat Taste Less Smoky?

There are several things you can do to reduce the level of smokiness in your meats. A popular method is using alder, cherry, or apple wood chips since they are consistent with producing less smoky flavor profiles. You can also burn down your wood chips ahead of time in a burn barrel, and then use the remaining hot coals to cook your meat. Also, be sure your exhaust vent is wide open; otherwise, the smoke will not flow through the cooking chamber properly and add to much smokiness to your meat.

Which Cut of Beef is Best-Suited for Barbecuing?

There are several cuts of beef that make excellent candidates for barbecue. The most popular is brisket, which comes from the cow’s shoulder. Other cuts include rib-eye, sirloin, rump, beef top rib, steak mince, and filet.

How Do I Prevent Meats From Sticking to the Grill?

A clean grill is the best grill. If your grill grates are dirty, anything you cook on them will definitely stick. Try using a thin coat of cooking oil. Not only will this help season your meat, it will encourage food to release easier from the grates. Furthermore, be sure the grill grates are very hot so that the flesh of your meat sears and seals well.

How Long Can Barbecued Foods Sit Outside After Cooking?

In room temperature, the rule of thumb for food safety is to never leave food sitting out longer than 2 hours. However, at a backyard barbecue in the hot sun, bacteria grows faster in meat. So do not let your barbecued meats sit out longer than one hour in temperatures higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Visit Rackz BBQ for Authentic Barbecue Dining and Takeout!

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ offers a wide selection of delicious smoked meats and southern comfort foods that are sure to please the entire family. Located conveniently in Carmel, you can stop by anytime for lunch or dinner. Enjoy our made-from-scratch menu filled with traditional barbecue classics, like ribs, brisket, chicken, mac-n-cheese, corn bread, and more! If you don’t have time to sit down at our restaurant, place a takeout order for a hot and fresh meal on the go! Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.

The 4 Most Popular Woods for Smoking Meat

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Although there are various kinds of wood chips you can use to smoke meat, there are some that take the lead in terms of dependability, consistency, and popularity. The most common woods for smoking meat may vary from region to region, but around here, the top 4 are maple, pecan, hickory, and oak wood chips.

Continue reading to learn more about these four wood chip varieties, and what they can offer your premium cuts.

Smoked Meat Dinners Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290

Smoked Meat Dinners 317-688-7290

❶ Maple

Maple wood chips offer a mild and subtly sweet flavor profile. They are commonly used for smoking poultry and small game birds, such as turkey, chicken, duck, and quail. Many people choose maple for smoking other foods besides meats, like cheese and vegetables.

❷ Pecan

Of all fruit wood chips, pecan is the strongest. However, this strong wood is still a milder alternative to hickory and mesquite. Pecan wood chips pair best with poultry, but can provide added flavor and zest to all other meats too. Just be careful using it in excess, as it can turn overpowering and bitter.

❸ Hickory

Hickory wood chips are very popular in the Midwest meat smoking industry, partly because they offer a sweet smoky flavor with strong hints of bacon. But because the smoke is pungent, its flavors are quite strong. These chips are well-suited for most meats, but couples best with pork and ribs.

❹ Oak

If you are looking for a lighter, milder flavor profile than maple and hickory, oak is the answer. Oak wood chips offer a medium-strong smoky flavor, and work great with virtually all meats. Although great alone, they can also be combined with cherry, hickory, or apple wood chips for added flavor.

IMPORTANT WARNING:

It is strongly recommended to not use Eastern cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce, and sycamore. These trees are high in resin and oils that cause a thick smoke when lit.

Smoked Barbecue Meats Near You!

BBQ Restaurant Catering 317-688-7290

Carmel BBQ Restaurant 317-688-7290

If you are craving delicious barbecue smoked meats and homemade side dishes, come to Rackz BBQ in Carmel for authentic flavors and great prices! We offer a wide selection of barbecue classics, house-made sides, and tasty desserts, all prepared using the freshest local ingredients. We also offer call ahead take out ordering and catering! Call 317-688-7290 to learn more about our current menu selections and specials, anytime.

The Benefits of Wrapping and Resting Your Meats After Cooking

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With all the work you put into your roasted, smoked, or barbecued meats, it is only natural to want to dig into your master piece as soon as it’s done cooking. However, this is the exact opposite of what you should do! Continue reading to learn why you should wrap and wait.

Smoked Meat Dinners Carmel, Indiana 317-688-7290

Smoked Meat Dinners in Carmel 317-688-7290


When it comes to preparing the perfect cut of meat, wrapping and resting is an important part of the process because it delivers several significant benefits. If skipped, you not only jeopardize the quality of the meat and essentially un-do all the prep work you put in to it, you can also put your health at risk. This final step is critical to creating a truly delicious and juicy cut of meat.

Germs and Food Borne Illness

Typically, our minds tell us that we should not let food sit out for too long because it can develop germs which can lead to food-borne illnesses. But when it comes to cooked meats, the contrary theory applies. As meat rests after being cooked, the internal temperatures remain constant or continue to rise, which actually kills off any harmful germs.

Moisture and Quality

Allowing meat to rest after cooking helps keep it moist, which in turn improves overall texture and tenderness. You see, meat is a muscle, which is made up of various constituents like protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals; but mostly, muscle is made up of water. As meat cooks, muscle fibers begin to firm up and contract, which pushes the internal water to the surface of the meat. Some of the water evaporates during cooking, while the rest retains in the meat.

After you remove the cooked meat from its heat source, the water inside needs time to redistribute back through the muscle fibers. If you skip this step and cut right into the meat after cooking, juices will flow out everywhere and the meat will end up dry and flavorless.

Overcooking

When you follow a recipe for cooking a cut of meat, the directions will often instruct you to take the meat off its heat source a little before it is done cooking in order to prevent overcooking. That is because internal temperatures are still hot within the meat, so it will continue to cook as its rests. If you do not allow the meat to rest, you can potentially consume under-cooked meat. If you do not take the meat off its heat source early enough, it can overcook and dry out.

Wrapping Meats

To properly rest meats after cooking, you must wrap them. After a cut of meat is finished cooking, gently wrap it with aluminum foil in a tent-like fashion. This will keep the meat warm after it reaches its peak internal temperature while resting. Depending on the cut of meat, rest times will vary.

Here is a quick guide to suggested resting times for the most popular cuts of meat:

⏲ Roasted Chicken = 5 Minutes, 165°
⏲ Pork Butt = 30 Minutes, 145°
⏲ Whole Turkey = 20 – 30 Minutes, 165°
⏲ Brisket = 5 Minutes, 145°
⏲ Ribs = 0 Minutes, 145° (Enjoy pork, spare, and loin back ribs, RIGHT AWAY!)
⏲ Prime Rib = 15 Minutes, 145°
⏲ Thick Streak Chops = 10 – 15 Minutes, 145°
⏲ Ham = 3 Minutes, 145°

Looking for Top-Choice Barbecue in Carmel?

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ offers a wide selection of delicious smoked meats and southern comfort foods that are sure to please the entire family. If you don’t have time to sit down at our Carmel BBQ restaurant, place a takeout order for a hot and fresh meal on the go! Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.

Which Meats Are Best To Smoke?

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For those who love great barbecue, smoking meats is an artistic and worthwhile endeavor. It is a slow and measured cooking method that couples low heat and smoke to add richness, flavor, and tenderness to meat. Although there are various types of meat to choose from when it comes time to plan your meal, there are some cuts that are better left to the grill rather than the smoker.

Continue reading to learn which meats and other foods are well-suited for smoking, and which are not.

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call 317-688-7290!

For Great Smoked BBQ, Call
317-688-7290!

Meat Quality

Many misconceive their meat options when choosing a product to smoke. It is not always true that a more expensive or higher-end cut of meat is better in the smoker than a cheaper one. In fact, many suggest that cheaper cuts of meat often work well with smoking since leaner cuts can have difficulty withstanding long hours of cooking without drying out. For this reason, using cheaper meats is a great way to experiment as a beginner smoker.

Cuts of Meat

For smoking meat, the best cuts to use are the ones with enough fat and connective tissue to tenderize and fill with flavor. As fat melts and connective tissues breaks down, meat is kept perfectly moist during smoking. So cuts of meat with high fat and connective tissue generally improve with smoking, and finish tender and flavorful. Meats that are chewy and rough tend to do well in the smoker, such as pork shoulders, ribs, and beef brisket.

Best Meat Choices for Smoking:

☑ Ham
☑ Pork Ribs
☑ Pork Shoulder (i.e. Boston Butt or Picnic)
☑ Beef Brisket
☑ Seafood (i.e. Salmon, Mackerel, Herring, and Cod)
☑ Shellfish (Scallops and Oysters)

Additional Foods to Smoke:

Not only can you smoke meats, you can also smoke various other foods. Here are some recommended foods to try in your smoker!

☑ Spices (i.e. Paprika, Salt, and Liquid Smoke)
☑ Nuts (i.e. Pecan, Almonds, and Walnuts)
☑ Cheese (i.e. Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Gouda, and Gruyère)
☑ Vegetables
☑ Olives (Green or Black)
☑ Bologna or Mortadella
☑ Tomatoes (Cherry or Grape)
☑ Peaches
☑ Capers
☑ Potatoes
☑ Hard Boiled Eggs

Meats Better Prepared Using Other Cooking Methods:

☒ Pork Tenderloin
☒ Steak
☒ Lean Roast
☒ Fish
☒ Shellfish

Get Great BBQ in Carmel!

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

If you are craving delicious barbecue and smoked meats, come to Rackz BBQ in Carmel for authentic flavors and great prices! We offer a wide selection of barbecue classics, house-made sides, and tasty desserts, all prepared using the freshest local ingredients. We also offer call ahead take out ordering and catering! Call 317-688-7290 to learn more about our current menu selections and specials, anytime.