The scents of freshly grilled and smoked meats easily activate many peoples’ taste buds. Most often these smells invade the air in summer, but you can grill and smoke foods all year round with enough mastery. It’s important to understand the differences between these two barbecuing methods prior to anything though. This post is meant to differentiate between these two methods and provide some tips that should help you smoke and grill foods like an expert.
It’s likely best to begin with grilling which is the process of cooking food with some form of indirect or direct heat. This heat is meant to produce a charred surface which will seal in the natural flavors and juices of the food being grilled. This method is popular as it is much quicker than the smoking alternative. Especially with the direct grilling method, which is what’s used to prepare most steaks, chicken breasts and pork chops. Indirect grilling is the more slow-paced grilling option that includes cooking meats at a lower temperature for longer. Typically seen in meats like ribs, pork shoulders or briskets.
Following up with the alternative of smoking, this is the process of slow cooking foods and specifically meats with the heat coming from the smoke releasing from low burning wood. Whichever wood you’re using for the heat will then contribute some earthy and smoky flavors to the meats you’re preparing. This smoking is breaking down the collagen in meats to allow for a more tender texture. Smoking is usually done through a unique set of meat smokers or grills that maintain a temperature between 68° and 176° Fahrenheit throughout the smoking.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? No need! Smoking and grilling foods can be difficult, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help you feel like an expert in no time. Consider your average grill clean up. Rather than using the same old gross grill brush, ever use aluminum foil? Grab a sheet and crumple it up into a ball. Take the ball with a pair of tongs and rub along your grill’s freshly used grates. All of your grease is gone. Onions are an alternative if you’re running low on aluminum foil. Their acidity is no match for any residual grill grime.
Some tips and tricks are even meant to 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.
If you’re still in search of additional tips and tricks, be sure to check out the infographic coupled alongside this post for more information. Courtesy of Barbecue At Home.
