Indirect Grilling

Indirect grilling places food beside or above a barbecue's heat source rather than directly over the flame, achieved by lighting only some burners on a gas grill or piling coals to one side of a charcoal pit, with a drip tray set beneath the food to keep dripping fat from igniting. The method produces a more moderate temperature, roughly 135 to 177 degrees Celsius, and makes it easier to add wood smoke for flavor, so it suits larger cuts such as pork shoulder or whole chicken and tougher cuts such as brisket or ribs that would burn over direct flame. Some versions add a physical barrier between food and fire, such as a soaked wood plank or a pizza stone, so heat rises around the barrier's edges and circulates around the food; the technique also underlies beer can chicken, a 1990s practice of standing a chicken on an open can of beer while indirect grilling it, although tests have cast doubt on whether the can's contents actually flavor the meat.