By Steve Price
There are a multitude of ways to prep food that increase flavor and richness of taste, from the right seasonings to the preferred methods of cooking certain items. When it comes to the use of meats in cooking however, few ways provide the incredible taste and satisfaction that comes from smoking meats. Whether you have an industrial grade smoker or a small barbecue grill in the backyard, smoking meats need not be a difficult challenge. Even the most inexperienced grill master can turn their barbecue grill into a proper smoking tool. Here are five helpful tips that can turn up the fire on your cooking game with smoked meats.
Step One: Choose the Right Wood
While you can certainly smoke meat with charcoal and get a rich flavor, true masters of smoking meats will tell you that the wood makes the flavor profile infinitely more diverse. Choosing the right wood for your smoking adventure can be a boon to increasing the taste of your meat and the richness of its flavor profile. Hickory wood is a great choice for beginners who want to add flavor to their smoking, netting you a bold, smoky, bacon-like flavor. Hickory wood is excellent for smoking pork for your first time. Oak wood provides a balanced and versatile flavor profile that works excellently for your beef and brisket adventures. Apple and Cherry wood are sweeter and fruitier woods that go great with chicken, turkey, and ribs. Mesquite wood has a strong, earthy flavor that works well when you are smoking meats quickly. If you are using a smaller barbecue grill to smoke, look for wood chips that can be soaked overnight and prepped well for your smoking experience. Experiment! Mix different woods to create different flavor profiles for your meats.
Step Two: The Temperature is Key
When you smoke meats on the barbecue or in the smoker, you are looking for a low and slow cooking experience. Ostensibly, most meats cook best between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit (107 to 121 degrees Celsius). One important tip for health and safety is to buy a trusty meat thermometer that you can use to test your meat: never trust the smoker or grill’s built in gauge alone. Keeping the right low temperature will allow your meat to cook safely while gaining the flavor profile that makes smoking such a fun culinary experience. Also, try to avoid opening the lid too often while smoking: every time you take a peek at your beef or pork, the temperature can drop by as much as ten to fifteen degrees!
Step Three: Meat Preparation
As with most every form of cooking, the preparation of your meat before smoking is absolutely key to unlocking the best flavor profile possible. Use a dry rub or brine to season meat before smoking, preferably the night before you cook to allow time for the rub or brine to set in. Make sure to pat meat dry before rubbing in your seasonings to help bark (crust) form on the outer layer of the meat. Let your meat come closer to room temperature before putting it on the smoker for an even better flavor. And always exercise safe cooking practices with meats to avoid the possibility of food-borne illnesses.
Step Four: Manage the Smoke, Don’t Chase It
When you smoke meats on the smoker or grill, aim for thin blue smoke instead of thick white clouds: too much smoke can make your meat taste bitter and ruin the flavor profile. When adding wood or wood chips to your smoker or grill, make sure to add them gradually. If you include too much wood or too many wood chips too quickly, you risk creating an overpowering flavor that can spoil all of your hard work. Make sure to keep your vents opened slightly to maintain good air flow as well. The key to making smoking the best possible outcome for your meals is patience – do not rush the process, but savor the experience and the smells as you smoke. With enough patience and the right prep, your food game will go from basic to extraordinary in short order!
Step Five: Rest Before Serving
The most important part of the smoking experience is prepping your meat after your smoking is complete. After smoking, wrap your meat in butcher paper or foil and let it rest in a cooler or a warm oven for at least thirty minutes. For brisket or pork shoulders, you should consider letting the meat rest for upwards of two hours. The benefit of resting meat lies in the redistribution of juices, making the meat more tender and flavorful. Never dive right into smoked meat, let it rest and help the flavor profile get an extra boost.
As always, exercise good hygienic practices when handling raw meat to avoid food-borne illness and promote cleanliness. Make sure you clean your smoker or your barbecue grills carefully to preserve their lifespan and give you a proper cooking surface to work with when smoking meats. Above all, be willing to experiment with different meats: smoked salmon and trout can be just as good on the smoker as it is on the grill. All different forms of barbecued pork and beef can be obtained with a good, dedicated smoker or grill. For those looking to up their smoking game to the next level, smokers can be found online or at most home improvement stores with ratings online giving you all the information you need to turn your backyard barbecue into a smoking powerhouse. Experiment with different foods and techniques and see for yourself the joys of turning the smoking experience into a culinary tour de force in your own backyard!
