Controlling indirect cooking

We agree, the barbecue sublimates everything it cooks thanks to the grilled taste it brings to all the food that rubs against the heat of its embers. Unfortunately, they often end up more charred than subtly braised. The cause? Direct cooking that is poorly controlled or unsuitable for the food chosen. The solution? Indirect cooking. We explain how to do it successfully.

What is indirect cooking?

In direct cooking, the food is placed directly over the embers. This cooking process allows them to be seized and cooked quickly. Indirect cooking, on the other hand, does not involve grilling, but roasting the food as in an oven. This type of cooking is done with the barbecue lid closed and without direct contact between the food and the heat source. This indirect cooking method distributes the heat evenly throughout the interior for food that does not burn, cooks evenly, does not dry out and retains all its juices. The heat is distributed as in a fan-assisted oven. With certain foods, it is to be preferred if you want to cook food with a good taste and nutritionally satisfactory results.

What to cook in indirect cooking?

Indirect cooking should be preferred for foods that require a fairly long cooking time, i.e. more than 30 minutes. It is particularly suitable for thick pieces of meat (over 5 cm thick), whole or delicate products such as certain whole fish, fillets or skewers. It allows an even cooking in all the flesh. It is ideal for cooking poultry - our tips for successfully cooking whole chicken on the BBQ - duck breast, vegetables or even pieces that you want to enjoy melt-in-the-mouth such as leg of lamb, turkey leg, beef or pork breast that require slow, non-aggressive cooking.

Find the recipe for Jacky's beef rib steak, a lover of barbecue and above all, of Kokko!

And in direct cooking?

Direct cooking is perfect for food that doesn't need to be cooked for a long time, i.e. less than 30 minutes. It is suitable for cooking all types of sausages, chipolatas, merguez, andouillettes, kebabs, escalopes, ribs and chops and burgers. In fact, even when the cooking time is short, if it is direct, it is mainly suitable for sufficiently "resistant" foods such as the pieces of meat mentioned or certain vegetables such as grilled peppers. As far as seafood is concerned, crustaceans (shrimps, lobster, prawns, etc.) and certain fish such as sea bream, sardines or sea bass can be cooked directly because they will only spend a few minutes on the grill. Our tips for successful barbecuing of fish and barbecuing of seafood.

The keys to successful indirect Kokko firing

In a conventional charcoal barbecue, indirect cooking can be achieved by moving the embers to one side and cooking your food on the other. But the Kamado, with its lid, is the ideal barbecue for indirect cooking.

With a Kokko, nothing could be simpler. Simply place a heat deflector in the barbecue. There are 2 types of heat deflectors: lava stone and ceramic stone, which act as a barrier to the flames and embers and absorb the heat before spreading it evenly over the food being cooked on it. This last one is also the essential accessory to make pizzas with the Kokko.

In addition, you can also cook different types of food simultaneously in your Kokko thanks to the stainless steel half rack and the cast iron half rack to be placed on one side of the cabin and the half plate for indirect cooking to be placed on the other. This half plate allows indirect cooking for delicate foods such as vegetables, fish or seafood.

Moreover, thanks to this cooking support for chicken you can also cook indirectly with Kokko and obtain a soft chicken that will keep all the juices and cooking juices in the dish.

Our recipe ideas for indirect cooking with Kokko :

Rice with fish on a wood fire

Pissaladière with anchovies and olives

Picanha of beef marinated and cooked on lava stone

Roasted chicken "à la canette"

Pizza with figs and goat cheese

Discover another way of cooking on the barbecue: smoking. We tell you how to smoke your food with Kokko.

Posted in: The Kokko lover's diary