There’s nothing quite like the scents of freshly grilled and smoked meats wafting through the air. While most families will do most of their grilling and smoking in the summer, with the right tools, it can be accomplished all year round. Prior to this year-round barbecue, it’s imperative to understand the differences between these two methods and which meats they complement best. This post will serve as a breakdown of these two methods and include some additional advice to set you on the track to smoke and grill meats like an expert.
Let’s start by detailing the process of grilling. Grilling includes cooking food with either indirect or direct heat. This heat then produces a hatred surface in order to seal in natural juices and flavors of the food. Typically grilling is done on charcoal or gas grills, but rarely it will be done on infrared grills. Grilling is a much faster process than smoking. Specifically direct grilling, so what you do to prepare food like steaks, chicken breasts or pork chops. Indirect grilling is the slower alternative, which cooks foods low and slow; typically done on meats like ribs, briskets or pork shoulders.
Let’s follow up by detailing the art of smoking. Smoking is a slow cook process that sources heat from the burning of wood. Which means the wood you decide to use will add a unique flavoring to the meat. Apple wood and cherry wood will elicit their own specialized flavors. The smoking allows collagen in the meat to be broken down which tenderizes it. Smoking meats requires a specialized grill or meat smoker, which retain temperatures between 68° and 176° Fahrenheit to perfectly prepare these meats.
No need to feel intimidated. Grilling and smoking isn’t the easiest to master, but there are a few tips and tricks which will simplify the process! Let’s take the clean up as an example. Rather than using old grimy grill brushes, use some aluminum foil! Scrunch up enough to create a ball that can be grabbed by your tongs. Rub the ball onto the grill after a use and witness all of the grime slip right off. Short on aluminum foil? Not a problem, some sliced onions will do the trick! Their acidity is powerful enough to break down all kinds of residual grease.
Some flavoring and seasoning tips can even improve the meat you prepare. For example, for even more succulent meats, spray your meats down with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. This combination helps foods retain their moisture while also adding more smoke particles to their profiles. Smoked food also benefits from this tip: toss some herbs onto the burning coals to improve the flavors added to your meats.
Interested in learning more? Be sure to take a minute to review the infographic featured alongside this post. Courtesy of Barbecue At Home.
