What is direct and
indirect heat? What is the difference?
What
is the difference between them? I believe that many kamado new hands will be
very unfamiliar with them at the beginning. And I will explain the definition
and difference between indirect heat and direct heat here, so that kamado
beginners can have a better understanding.
What is direct heat?
Direct
heat means cooking food directly above the heat source. When you put food
directly on the grate of the kamado charcoal
grill, you are using direct heat. Through direct heating,
heat is transferred from the hot grate to your food, a process also known as
conductive heat. Since the hot grate can transfer a lot of heat very quickly,
direct heating is a way to cook food quickly.
What is indirect heat?
With
indirect heating, heat is not transferred from the grate below it to your food,
but from all the hot air circulating through the combustion in the furnace.
This is a process called convective heat. Indirect heating is probably the most
common cooking method on Kamado. With this method, there is a baffle between
your food and the flame. The heat spreads around the plate, heating the food
evenly.
The difference between direct roasting and indirect heat
• Direct heating is usually used for cooking ingredients that can usually be completed in 25 minutes or less. Steaks, burgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts and vegetables are usually finished with direct grilling.
• Indirect heating is usually not as strong as direct heating, so it is suitable for dishes that are cooked at a low temperature for more time, such as whole chicken, pork neck, barbecue, ribs and sirloin.
• Choose direct heating or indirect heating, the answer depends largely on how thick your ingredients are, how much time you have, and what flavors you like.
• Basically
everything can be cooked under indirect heating, the main difference lies in
the different tastes brought by the two methods
Can I only choose between direct heat and indirect heat?
The
answer is not necessarily. Using the kamado ceramic grill can avoid this
trouble. Use a combination of direct heating and indirect heating to grill. You
can set up sub-zones on kamado, and set up two zones for direct and indirect heating
through a half-moon heat deflector, allowing you to take into account two heating
methods at the same time. Place foods that require longer and more delicate taste
in the indirect grilling area, and then happily grill some steaks, burgers and
sausages at the same time. Let your barbecue not be in a hurry, and you can
taste a variety of ingredients.