methods and advice for a unique taste

Outdoor cooking has been on the rise lately and smoking enthusiasts are enjoying all the flavors that come from this cooking method. Do you want to give your food delicate and unique flavors? Find out how to smoke your favorite dishes on the barbecue.

What is barbecue smoke?

Formerly used to preserve food, smoking food is now highly appreciated by lovers of good taste. This cooking technique involves exposing food to hot smoke from a barbecue. Smoking it will season the pulp of the vegetablesmeat or fish penetrating them. This is why it is essential to carefully choose the wood intended for smoking. The smoked flavor will be more or less pronounced depending on the duration of the smoking process and the type of wood chosen.

If you want to give your food a strong aroma, hickory wood will be perfect. Maple and alder, on the other hand, will give a much more discreet note. To have a fruity aroma, fruit tree wood is the best choice to make. Softwood, wood waste or bark are not suitable for smoking food. In fact, these fuels contain resin and pesticide residues which can alter the flavor of food, but are also present a health risk.

To smoke food on the barbecue, you will need smoker accessories. They accommodate wood chips so they can burn without being exposed to flames. Among these are smoker boxes, metal containers with holes in which chips can be placed and which allow the smoke to escape easily. You can also make your own smoker box using aluminum foil. To do this, simply wrap the chips in aluminum foil and poke a few holes in the top to allow the smoke to escape effectively. There is also another interesting accessory called a coil. It is very effective for cold smoking, because producing very little heat.

Why smoke food on the grill?

Smoking food with Weber barbecues, for example, is a cooking technique which has interesting advantages. Smoking on a Weber barbecue allows, among other things:

• a simple cooking method,
• a unique and rich taste thanks to the selected woody species,
• good food preservation,
• Hot smoking all year round thanks to the lid.

Attention, in winter it is advisable to practice cold smoking, because in summer the temperatures are too high, which can cause storage risks and the appearance of bacteria. This technique still requires preparation and time obtain the desired cooking.

Do all barbecues allow smoking?

Many brands such as the Napoleon brand offer different types of barbecues, including charcoal barbecues, gas barbecues and electric barbecues. However, if you want to smoke with a barbecue, a simple charcoal or gas barbecue will do, as long as the cooking appliance has a lid. The lid actually prevents smoke from escaping and penetrate the food well. To give grilled food a good smoky flavor, allow smoke to build before starting cooking.

How to smoke with a charcoal barbecue?

If you have a charcoal barbecue, you can use it wood chips previously soaked in water for about 30 minutes to moisten them. You can also simply use large pieces of wood that don’t need to be moistened. All you have to do is place the wood pieces on the charcoal or briquettes as soon as the embers start to turn white and you have reached the desired temperature.

When smoke begins to come out of the vent, place the meat on the grill. If you prefer direct cooking, arrange the food directly on top of the chips so that they can absorb as many aromas as possible. Close the lid until the meat is cooked. Open it only to quickly turn the meat as needed. For indirect cooking, consider positioning the fuel correctly so as to create a cooking area that does not directly expose the food to the heat source.

How to smoke on a gas barbecue?

As for gas barbecues, they are used to smoke food using a smoker box or foil pack. Place wood chips of the species of your choice into the container and place it on the grill or stove. The shavings it must be moistened first. This way they will slowly heat up until they burn and release smoke. Light your gas barbecue and place the food on the grill as soon as the chips start to burn. They will therefore be able to absorb the aromas optimally.

Barbecue smoking techniques

There are two of them BBQ smoking methods : hot smoking and cold smoking.

Hot smoke

This barbecue smoking technique allows you to flavor the food and cook it while letting the smoke permeate. We recommend using wood chips as fuel for hot smoking. The ideal temperature for hot smoking is between 100°F and 250°F. The cooking time lasts several hours. The foods most often hot smoked are meats (poultry, beef, pork) and some types of fish such as mackerel.

Cold smoking

Cold smoking is smoking food without cooking it, because basically no heat is used during the process. The food will then only be flavored by the cold smoke. The ideal temperature is between 60°F and 70°F for effective cold smoking. This smoking method allows you to preserve food for as long as possible without having to cook it.

It will therefore be necessary to use sawdust to avoid the appearance of flames and therefore an increase in temperature. One of the most famous foods that require cold smoking remains the famous smoked salmon. It is also possible to cold smoke cheese, cured meats or even duck breast, for example. For better cold smoking, it is essential salt the food so that most of the water can escape from them.