LET’S START WITH THE BASICS:

Grilling and barbecuing are not the same. In casual conversation, this distinction doesn’t matter much. “We’re having a barbecue!” is a fine way to describe your burgers-and-dogs cookout. But if you’re talking about technique—and this story is all about the essentials of live-fire cooking—the definitions matter.

Grilling is a way of cooking smaller cuts of meat such as burgers and chicken thighs (or vegetables or fruit or pizzas) quickly and directly over high heat. Barbecue is a “low and slow” approach for larger cuts such as pork shoulder, brisket, and ribs. To barbecue is to turn tough cuts tender through long applications of time and heat, breaking down connective tissue, rendering fat. Grilling is a way of cooking already-tender foods while searing the outside to crispy browned deliciousness.

Grilling is about making dinner. Barbecue is a labor of love.

Andy Husbands knows both the obsessive love and the day-to-day craft of grilling and barbecue. He earned his stripes in the early 1990s cooking over live fire in the kitchen of East Coast Grill, Chris Schlesinger’s groundbreaking restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Later he opened Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel in Boston, and, most recently, the Smoke Shop in Cambridge’s Kendall Square. In 2007 his barbecue team, IQue, took first place out of 510 teams in the brisket category at the American Royal barbecue competition, and three years later IQue became the first New England team to win the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg, Tennessee. But Husbands is quick to credit his team leader, Chris Hart, saying that “his relentless practicing, research, and tenacity is the reason for our success.” Husbands shares some of his and Hart’s combined wisdom in a new cookbook, his fifth, called Pitmaster: Recipes, Techniques, and Barbecue Wisdom (Fair Winds Press, 2017).

Even without “relentless practicing,” you can still become a deft backyard cook by understanding the principles of live-fire cooking. For instance, cook smaller, thinner things for less time and at a higher heat than you would when cooking, say, a whole chicken. “Grilling is inherently about speed,” Husbands says. “Barbecue is about time. You can’t cook over high heat for more than two to three minutes per side or it’s going to burn. So that’s burgers, steaks, and boneless chicken thighs. By the time a bonein chicken thigh center would cook through on high heat, it’ll be burned on the outside.”

We asked Husbands to demonstrate these basic principles as he prepared home cook–friendly recipes for meat and vegetable dishes, each chosen to illustrate a different technique. But there’s one line on which he holds firm: the benefits of charcoal grilling over gas. “Everybody wants to make really good food, which is fantastic,” he says. “And here they have this opportunity to use live fire and develop really great flavors, and they use a gas grill because it’s easier. But grilling over charcoal brings your food from good to great.” Why? “Charcoal burns hotter than propane,” he says. “With both grilling and barbecue, you’re caramelizing the amino acids in your meat, and that happens better and faster with charcoal or hardwood.” Not to mention it lends the flavor of that particular kind of smoke.

And it doesn’t have to be difficult, Husbands says. “Once a week, I go out and clean my grill. If you have a chimney to light the coals, which is the best way, you’re talking about 10 minutes. [Ed. note: In our experience, it’s closer to 15 to 20 minutes.] And honestly, if you’re going to heat a gas grill, that’s going to take five to 10 minutes. Plus, you need time to prep your ingredients. It’s OK to have a drink and relax for a second.”

Still, we can’t deny the appeal of being able to cook with the turn of a knob, so we’ve provided specific instructions for both gas and charcoal for each of the following recipes.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH ALMONDS, HERBS, AND LEMON

TO TAL T IME : 35 MINU T ES

H ANDS- ON T IME : 35 MINU T ES

Here is a classic example of grilling over high heat (around 400° or more). Zucchini slices are cooked directly over hot coals until lightly browned, then tossed with fresh herbs, almonds, Parmesan, and lemon juice and zest. It’s a fresh summer salad with an Italian accent.

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

5 medium zucchini, ends removed, cut lengthwise into ¼-inchthick slices

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup toasted slivered almonds

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup roughly chopped parsley

10 basil leaves, roughly chopped

8 mint leaves, roughly chopped

Coarse sea salt, for serving

Prepare your grill for high-heat direct grilling (see “Setting Up the Grill,” page 58). Brush the zucchini with the 3 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. When you can hold your hand over the fire for no more than 3 to 5 seconds, clean the grill grate. Place the zucchini on the grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until it is browned in spots but not soggy. Remove from the heat and place on a cutting board.

Roughly chop the zucchini crosswise and place in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest, almonds, Parmesan, and herbs, and toss very gently to combine. Sprinkle with sea salt, drizzle with oil to taste, and serve immedi- ately (this salad also works well at room temperature). Yields 6 side servings.

SLOW-GRILLED CHICKEN

THIGHS WITH ALABAMA WHITE SAUCE

TO

Grilling over lower heat (approximately 300°) is perfect for bone-in chicken thighs. Alabama white sauce is a simple vinegarmayonnaise blend that’s fantastic on chicken and pork. If you think barbecue sauce should always come in shades of red, you’re in for a delightful surprise.

FOR THE SAUCE

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce

For The Chicken

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 4 ounces each

First, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients until fully incorporated. Cover and set aside.

Next, make the chicken: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the skin side of the chicken with half of the rub. Prepare your grill for low-heat direct grilling (see “Setting Up the Grill”). When you can hold your hand over the fire for no more than 8 to 10 seconds, clean the grill grate. Set the chicken thighs, skin-side down, on the grate. Sprinkle the remaining rub onto the chicken.

Cook the chicken, covered, for 30 minutes, checking periodically to avoid excessive charring on the skin. Rotate thighs over the fire if there