Beginner Smoking & Grilling Tips For The Whole Family

As summer begins to fade, more and more families neglect their grills for the return of the season. But should they? Despite being a summer mainstay, grilling and smoking can feed your family with delicious food all year round. With a bit of experience and preparation, any family can make the most of their grill throughout the year. Before any of that, families must understand the differences between smoking and grilling. Primarily, they each prepare meats in a unique fashion. This post and accompanying infographic will differentiate between the two methods and include some strategies to become a grill master at home.

Beginning with grilling, this is the process of cooking food through a source of indirect or direct heat. This heat then produces a charred surface which allows foods to retain the natural flavors and juices within them. Grilling is usually done over gas or charcoal grills and is much faster than smoking foods. Direct grilling is the fastest grilling method and some of the most common foods prepared with this method include pork chops, chicken breasts and steaks. Alternatively, indirect grilling is the slower and lower temperature grilling style used to prepare meats like briskets, pork shoulders and ribs.

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.

No need to be frightened, with all of the tips and tricks provided within the accompanying infographic you’ll begin feeling like a pro in no time. For grilling, consider cleaning your cooking grates with aluminum foil as opposed to older grill brushes. Crumple a ball of alumni foil and use tongs to grab it. Scrub the cooking crates with the crumpled foil before the grill cools. Onions are actually an excellent alternative to aluminum foil. Their acidity grants them the power to break down any residual grime and grease.

Cleaning tips are great, but what about some grilling tips? For increased flavors and texture, consider layering meat with a mist of equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. This will aid in maintaining moisture in your meats while simultaneously drawing out more smoky flavors to the surface. Smoked food is accentuated even more with the help of certain aromatics. When cooking with coal, add some herbs into the mix to enhance the flavors even further.

There’s a lot to be learned by all families regarding different smoking and grilling strategies. If your family is searching for that information, be sure to review the infographic coupled alongside this post. Courtesy of Barbecue At Home.