How to Put Beer in the Drip Tray for Barbecuing

Pouring from a glass bottle provides greater control than pouring from a can.

Grilling meat on the barbecue is part science, part art. When slow-cooking ribs or grilling steaks, you can pour beer into a drip pan beneath the meat to create a beer vapor that will infuse the meat to add flavor. After the meat is finished cooking, you can deglaze the leftover mixture of beer residue and pan drippings and thicken it to form a beer-infused pan gravy. The delicious results are disproportionate to the simplicity of the technique.

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to the desired temperature before inserting the drip pan.

2. Place the drip pan under the grill rack. Pour enough beer into the drip pan to cover the bottom. It is normal for the beer to foam up initially.

3. Place the meat on the grill. Close the cover of the grill to hold in the beer vapor. Open the cover periodically to monitor the liquid level in the drip pan. If most of the liquid has evaporated, add water or beer to keep the pan drippings from burning.

References

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Grilling tips: Boning up on rib techniques