One of the great aspects of being involved in writing about BBQ is that I get to meet lots of people. Most of which know a great deal more than I do about outdoor cooking. One of the people I have had the privilege of getting to know is Barry “CB” Martin. Barry is responsible for the outstanding Char-Broil website “Sizzle On The Grill.” Barry likes to pretend he knows very little about cooking but he’s really quite knowledgeable and more importantly Barry is willing to share that knowledge.
Recently while attending Memphis in May I got a chance to see Barry in action. His take on the use of “oils” in grilling is educational and a little different than what I’ve always thought was the norm. With his permission I have republished his extensive treatise on “oil.”
What you’ll see is an explanation on the various oils he uses followed by his personal comments in blue.–The BBQ Grail
If you are a regular reader of Sizzle on the Grill you may have noticed I usually mention in recipes or online posts that I ’spritz’ meat with a bit of canola oil prior to grilling. There are a couple of reasons I use this oil and why I spritz the meat, not the grates. First of all, unless the grates are being seasoned, the oil will burn off the grates before I place meat on it. The oil serves a purpose of helping to rapidly transfer heat from the grates to the meat. The seared meat proteins release when they are ‘done’ or brown and the oil merely facilitates this. The second reason is because ‘grilling’ for me usually means I’m searing at a higher temperature, say 500F degrees or higher, before finishing at a lower temperature and I want an oil that will be OK for the higher heat. There really aren’t any that are both great for this high heat AND affordable. After testing a variety of oils I settled upon Canola for it’s generally higher temp capacity and affordability.
