Essential BBQ Tools: A Beginner’s Guide with ArnieTex

BBQ Tools

Essential BBQ Tools: A Beginner’s Guide with ArnieTex

Welcome back to our Culinary Chronicles series on BBQ! This week, Efren Salinas continues his conversation with BBQ expert Arnulfo Segovia, also known as ArnieTex on social media, to discuss the essential tools for BBQ enthusiasts. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your toolkit, ArnieTex provides expert advice on the must-have BBQ tools.

The Basics of BBQ Tools

Efren Salinas: “All right, we’re back with Arnulfo Segovia, better known as ArnieTex on social media. Last time we talked about fuel. This time we’re talking tools. Is it true that when you grab tongs, you must give them a couple of clicks?”

ArnieTex: “I don’t think it’s true. That’s what I heard, but it is a new trend. And every once in a while, I’ll remember that and do it. But you don’t have to. There’s tons and tons of different types of tools and gadgets out there, but at the end of the day, it’s like anything—you only need a few basic tools. Of course, I’m a knife freak, so I have a lot of different knives.”

Must-Have Knives for BBQ

ArnieTex: “This is a six-inch boning knife. It’s great for trimming, like getting little membranes off the meat and getting into the finer parts because it has a nice, sharp tip. Then, I have an eight-inch chef knife. This is probably the most popular knife in the world, both in restaurants and in home cooking. It’s probably my most used knife. My favorite trimming knife for big meats like brisket and pork is called a breaking knife. It looks similar to the boning knife but is bigger. And then you have what’s called a slicer, which is great for cutting turkey breast, brisket, or prime rib.”

Efren Salinas: “The other thing is some really good tongs. And I love these because I’m always cooking with hot fire. So I got a little more reach and I’m not going to burn my hands.”

The Cutting Board Debate

Efren Salinas: “Can you please ask him, plastic or wood for cutting boards?”

ArnieTex: “For me, it’s always wood. When you go to a typical BBQ restaurant and they’re chopping, you see little indentations on the cutting board where they just chop, chop, chop, and eventually, all that’s gone into somebody’s sandwich. I would rather eat wood than plastic. There’s a big debate about bacteria and stuff like that, but if you take care of your cutting boards and clean them properly, you’re fine.”

Grill Maintenance and Safety Tools

ArnieTex: “You may want to use a grill brush. These are metal or bronze brushes with a scraper at the end. You can scrape the main crud off first, then clean it with the brush. They also make non-metal versions. If you don’t have a scraper for ashes, you’re missing out—it’s a game changer. I’m also a bit of a pyromaniac; I burned my first house down when I was three or four years old. But I’m glad you made it out. Anyway, these lighters are handy because they have an igniter, and you can control the temperature. You give it one click, light it, and you’re done.”

Efren Salinas: “These are the tools you need to know about if you’re going to get started with BBQ.”

Stay tuned for more tips and expert advice in our Culinary Chronicles series. Whether you’re new to BBQ or looking to refine your skills, we’ve got you covered every Friday on Fox News.