FOOD NEWS
The Charcoal Herb Hack To Bring Out The Maximum Flavor In Your BBQ
By John Segura
Placing herbs directly on top of the charcoal or briquettes in your barbecue creates aromatic smoke that infuses your food with pleasant flavors while also tenderizing it.
This trick can be used while grilling, barbecuing, and smoking. The longer your food spends in the smoke, the more of those savory, hazy aromas it will soak up.
This is due to chemicals like lignin and cellulose, which make up the main components of wood and are also in smoke. They provide savory scents and flavors during cookouts.
These gases help protein cook because the flavors envelop the meat and permeate the fat, resulting in the Maillard reaction, which gives grill-cooked items a brown, crusted look.
As Carolyn Dille, herb authority and cookbook author, told The Washington Post in the '80s, soaking herbs in water will produce an abundance of smoke due to smoldering.
She adds, "...the tricky part is knowing your grill so that you put the wet herbs on the fire in the right amount at the right time." Too many at once could cool the fire too much.
Subtle herbs that may complement your food include rosemary, thyme, oregano, or bay leaves. Avoid using dried herbs since they tend to burn quickly, and use pungent ones sparingly.