What to Look for When Buying Ribs

When buying a rack of ribs there are a few things that you need to look for. Always buy the freshest ribs possible. So, skip the frozen ribs. Fresh ribs will always give you better flavor. When looking at a rack of ribs make sure that the edges are not dry. 

Another thing to avoid is yellowing fat. This is another sign that the rack of ribs are not the freshest. To make great ribs, you need fresh ribs, so make sure you always check out the ribs closely.

What are St. Louis Style Ribs

What is a Shiner?

The exposed bone on a rack of ribs is referred to as a shiner. This happens when the butcher trims too close to the bone on a rack of ribs. Normally they should have meat all around. When buying a rack of ribs whether it be baby back or spare ribs make sure that there are no shiners, otherwise look for a different rack.

Baby Back Ribs vs. Spare Ribs

Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Many people argue both sides of this. I have always been on the side that a tomato is a vegetable. In a recent post I discussed whether or not an olive is a fruit or a vegetable too. It can be such tricky area.

It gets all muddled because of how it is defined by cooks and scientists. So, is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Scientifically speaking, a tomato is a fruit. If you are like me, you find this hard to swallow since I have always considered fruits to be sweet. And I use tomatoes as I would vegetables because they are savory and not sweet.

Still, if you go to the grocery store you will still find that tomatoes are with the vegetable and are labeled as such. No wonder there is so much confusion. Legally, tomatoes are considered vegetables, that is why you find them listed as a vegetable, and with other vegetables. The Supreme Court ruled that since tomatoes are consumed in a manner like other vegetables it should be classified as a vegetable.

So, there you have it. Scientifically tomatoes are really fruits, but legally they are considered vegetables.

||Grilled Asparagus||

Is an Olive a Fruit or a Vegetable?

I always wondered for the longest time whether an olive was a fruit or a vegetable. It doesn't look like either one. When I think of fruits, I always think sweet, like a strawberry. And when I think about vegetables, an olive doesn't fit that picture either. Defining what makes something a fruit and what makes something a vegetable can be somewhat confusing. Just look at tomatoes. Some people say it is a fruit, but still others say it is a vegetable.

So, what is an olive, a fruit or a vegetable? The answer is olives are fruits. They are specifically the fruit of the olive tree. Olives by no means are your typical fruit. You can't just grab them off the tree and eat them like you could an apple. The olive would be pretty much inedible because it is really bitter before it is cured.

So, there you have it, olives are considered fruits.

||Grilling Vegetables||

How to Use Charcoal Grill Vents

Believe it or not the vents are really important when it comes to grilling. So, it is really important to know how to use your charcoal grill vents. I know this may seem odd, but a grill with open vents cooks hotter than a grill with them closed. If you had your vents all closed it would actually shut down the heat. So, knowing how to use your vents is really important.

Before you even start your coals up, open the bottom vent fully. When the coals are ready and you have the meat on the grill, place the lid on and open the top vent fully as well. The air flows in through your bottom vent and out through the top. The top vent on your charcoal grill is used to keep heat and smoke in, or allow it to escape.

Adjusting the bottom vent will reduce the heat and also extends the burning time of your charcoal. If you close the bottom fully or too much you are going to put out the fire.

Ever thought of aging your meat? Visit >> Should You Age Your Meat

||Smoking on a Gas Grill||

Should You Age Your Meat

Many people think about aging their meats. The reason for this is the meat becomes a lot more tender. Aging allows the enzymes in the meat to soften all of the connective tissues, which in turn makes the meat more tender.

If you plan on aging your beef you should keep it at 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the perfect temperature to keep the beef from freezing because freezing the meat would inactivate the enzymes that are needed to break down the connective tissues. At a higher temperature you would just be introducing bacterial growth.

Want to know why certain cuts of meat are more tender? Visit >> Why are Some Cuts of Beef More Tender

||Learn to Grill||

Why are Some Cuts of Beef More Tender

There are several reasons why certain cuts of meat are more tender than other cuts. The reasons can be the area in which the meat is cut from, the age of the animal, and the amount of activity the animal had. So, a fat lazy cow will be pretty tender.

Basically if the area in which the meat is cut from is an area on the animal which wasn't exercised much, it will be a lot more tender. If the animal was exercised heavily, it will have a lot tougher meat. Kobe beef cattle from Japan are actually massaged. What this does is reduce the stress and loosens them muscles making for tender cuts of meat.

So, if you want a tender steak, don't go with old, heavily exercised beef cattle, stick with the fat, lazy ones. Want to know how the freezer life of beef compares with chicken? Visit >> Freezer Life of Chicken vs. Beef

||Top Grilling Foods||