by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: April 08, 2010   Last Updated: April 10, 2010

Southerners pride themselves on their skill at true barbecue. To them, and especially to Texans, real barbecue doesn't come from throwing a piece of meat on a grill that is heated by gas or by charcoal. Real barbecue comes from cooking over hard woods, and don't even mention barbecue sauce, because that has nothing to do with real southern barbecue - at least the barbecue as it is done in Texas.

People seem to be easily confused about the difference between grilling and barbecuing, at least when these terms are used in connection with outdoor cooking. To some people, grilling and barbecuing are interchangeable terms for cooking over coals or an open fire. There is actually a big difference between grilling and barbecuing, and perhaps the only way  to fully appreciate how distinctive the differences are is to bite into a piece of meat that is cooked both ways.

So what is the difference between grilling and barbecuing? There are three main things that distinguish real barbecue from grilling, and along with those go the difference in the quality of the meat that is used. Because of the cooking process that is used in authentic barbecue, it is possible to use lesser quality cuts of meat and to have them turn out as good, if not better than an expensive cut of meat.

1.) The first difference is the heat source.

When cooking on a grill, you cook with very high heat and the meat that you cook has direct contact with the heat. This allows the outside of the meat to sear and cook rather quickly. It also keeps the inside of the meat from drying out. Because the heat is so much hotter, naturally, the food cooks faster. Grilling is ideal for cooking certain types of meat. You wouldn't want to barbecue a hamburger, but a grilled burger is delicious. You probably wouldn't want to grill a steak because the meat would dry out and toughen, but a grilled steak that is cooked to perfection is fabulous.

Barbecue uses indirect heat, and most of the time, the heat source is wood. Because the heat source is indirect, the meat doesn't get all dried out, but in order to get a lesser quality piece of meat to the desired tenderness, the meat has to cook for a while. Tough meat that would be the consistency of rubber if cooked over direct heat can truly benefit from barbecuing. The indirect heat source allows the meat to cook evenly without drying out, but it also helps to tenderize an otherwise potentially inedible piece of meat.

2.) The length of time that it takes to cook.

Grilling

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