Bobby Flay’s Grilled Pork Chops With Jalapeo Pesto
Whether you prefer boneless or bone-in chops, always try to go for the center cut to get the juiciest results.
Grilled Salmon With Tamarind Dipping Sauce And Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Best Meats To Smoke At Your Next Bbq
Barbecue smoking is the worlds best cooking method. Whether youre making pork shoulder, brisket, or fish, theres no food that cant be improved with the classic technique. So heat up your BBQ smoker or charcoal grill: Here are 13 of the best meats to smoke.
When it comes to smoking meat, its mostly a case of the fattier the cut of meat, the better. The reason for this is that as it cooks, its fat content melts and the connective tissue in the meat starts to break down, giving us a much more tender and succulent taste. Cuts of meat that are perfect for smoking include pork shoulder, ribs, beef brisket, poultry, and many more!
These meats are just the tip of the meaty iceberg though, and in my guide today Im going to walk you through the very best cuts of meat to smoke, how to prepare them, and how long to cook them for.
Smoking is a form of cooking that matches very low cooking temperatures with very long cooking times to prepare food. It stands to reason that most of the best smoker recipes are meat-based, as low and slow approach helps the fat and marbling content to slowly render, infusing it with flavor.
Because smoking is so focused on meat, it makes the perfect accompanying cooking method to grilling. In fact, in some instances, some meats are even smoked first before being finished off on the grill.
If you dont have a smoker then be sure to check out my guide to the best offset smokers.
With all of that in mind, here are 13 of the best meats for smoking.
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Grill Fruit For A Delicious Dessert
Grilling intensifies the sweetness of strawberries, peaches, pineapples, bananas, apples, pears, and other fruit. Cut fruit into pieces and spear them on skewers. Or wrap the pieces in foil. The trick is to cook with indirect heat. Turn down the gas or place the fruit on the edges of the grate. Cook the fruit only for a few minutes. Grill on low heat until it is hot and slightly golden.
Caribbean Hot Dogs With Creole Potato Salad
Unlike a lot of other proteins that you only flip once, move the dogs around evenly and often while they grill.
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Tasty Ways To Grill Delicate Foods
You can grill small foods like eggplant slices, mushrooms, or flaky fish in a hinged grilling basket or foil packet, which holds the food firmly and is easy to turn over. Or choose a plank: Grilling small or delicate morsels on a wooden plank keeps them from falling apart . And it also infuses a light, smoky woodiness to foods, from prawns to figs. Follow instructions that come with your plank for pre-soaking and heating.
Grilled Corn With Chili Honey Butter
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How To Use A Charcoal Grill
Proteins that need to be thoroughly cooked through like pork chops, chicken, fish, uncooked hot dogs and sausages, along with denser fruits and vegetables, like pineapple and eggplant, should be cooked on medium-heat.
Smoking Meat Times & Temperatures
Time + temperature that’s how you smoke meat. Most experts recommend a smoking temperature between 165-275ºF.
The smoking time will depend on the cut of meat you are smoking. The size of the cut, the shape of the cut, outside temperatures, and even the individual animal the meat comes from can affect the cooking time. On a smoking day, don’t make any firm plans, and have a meat thermometer handy. For most larger cuts, expect to smoke for 6 hours, minimum. For smaller cuts, there are different ways you can smoke. For example, if you own a Traeger you can reverse sear a steak cook it for about 45-60 minutes, take the steak off the grill, then raise the temperature to high and sear on both sides until cooked to your desired temperature. More on this later.
Why such a low temperature? Because the longer the meat cooks, the more time it has to absorb that smoke flavor coming from the low and slow burning hardwood. Also, most of the popular smoking meats ribs, briskets, pork shoulder require a long cooking time so that the tough fibers in the meat get delectably tender.
Don’t have time to smoke? One nice thing about owning a Traeger is how many options you have that still give you the wood-fired flavor. If you need to cook something faster, you can use your Traeger as a grill or an oven as well. See our grilling,roasting,baking,BBQing, and braising recipes to see alternate ways to cook some of these same meats.
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Is It Done Yet
Its not always easy to tell if your dinner is finished cooking on the grill. A meat thermometer is the best way to be sure that meat is fully cooked. Check out this article for a summary of minimum internal temperatures for the different types of meat, and get a free printable cheat sheet to keep handy!
Best Grilled Meat Recipes
For many, grilled meat is the classic example of what’s so great about outdoor cookingbut the word’s gotten out, and folks are finding all sorts of foods that benefit from some time over the coals . There’s grilled salad, grilled pizza, grilled cheese , grilled cake, grilled seafood, grilled beer-can cabbage. But even though it’s sharing the spotlight, grilled meat still has a role to play. Whether it’s pork, beef, or lamb, we’ve rounded up our favorite grilled meat recipes for you to check back in on all summer long.
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What Is Smoking Meat Process
Smoking food is a process of cooking that involves cooking food using a low temperature for a long period of time. It is also known as low-and-slow method. ” rel=”nofollow”> Wiki Source)
Smoking food usually takes more than 30 minutes per pound but it depends on the cut and the smoker. There are cases when the meat can be smoked for up to 20 hours.
The duration of smoking is highly depended by the type of food because some food may become dry and inedible if smoked for a long period of time. Usually, lean cuts of meat require less smoking time than other tougher cuts.
During the smoking process, the fat in meat and the connective tissues will slowly break down, turning into sugars which sweeten the meat and keep it moist during smoking. This will improve the meat and become it more tender, flavorful and delicious to eat.
Charcoal Or Gas Grill For Steak
Charcoal or wood-fired grills are always the best choice for grilling steaks because of the additional flavor and charring they provide. If you have a charcoal grill, you also can add different kinds of wood to the fire to contribute smokiness and enhance the overall flavor of the meat.
Dont worryyou can still cook a great steak on a gas grill. If using gas, open the lid, turn on the gas, and light the grill. Dont light the grill with the lid closed gas can build up inside the grill and create an explosion.
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Grilled Kebabs All Summer Long
- A healthy, hearty Mediteranean feast starts with these grilled beef kofta kebabs with tzatziki.
- Loaded with warm spices and brightened up with pineapple and peppers, these grilled jerk chicken kebabs are your summer BFF.
- Yogurt is seasoned with turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom to create a flavor-packed marinade for chicken thighs in these juicy, tender grilled chicken shawarma kebabs.
Today’s Grill Guide: Learn How To Grill Meats Veggies Seafood And More
Grills are one ofthe most essential tools for al fresco cooking, but sometimes cooking over an open flame can seem intimidating. Don’t let that stop you!
With just a few simple tips and recipes from top chefs and barbecue experts, learn how to choose the perfect cut of steak, beef or chicken for the grill, master grilling fish without it getting stuck, and become a pro at salads, slaws and sides with perfectly grilled vegetables. This easy-to-navigate guide has everything you need to know, from safely lighting and cooking on a charcoal grill to the best way to clean your grill afterwards.
‘Tis the season for barbecue! So, who’s ready to brush up on their grilling skills? Click on the topics below to find out how to cook anything on a grill.
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The Meat Of The Matter
Understanding the role of collagen in your meat is crucial to understanding barbecue. Muscles that generally do very little work have less connective tissue and collagen, and are therefore more tender: these are the prime cuts. Cheaper cuts usually have more connective tissue and collagen, so tend to be tougher.
To turn a tough, collagen-rich cut into something juicy and tender, you need to cook the muscle at an even, low heat. This gives it a chance to break down and dissolve into soft gelatine, which bastes and moistens the meat from the inside. As a result, cheap cuts are best suited to slow, indirect cooking or smoking, while prime cuts benefit from faster, more direct cooking.
Natalie Morales’ Easy Grilled Chimichurri Soy Steak
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Grilling With A Cedar Plank
A unique method of grilling seafood is plank grilling, in which you grill your seafood on a hardwood plank to add natural smoke flavor to your dish. Cedar planks are the most popular, but planks are available in other wood species such as sugar maple, alder, black cherry, or hickory. And, its not just for seafood. You can grill a variety of other foods using planks.
Here are a few tips for plank grilling:
- Soak planks for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Soaking for three to four hours is ideal. This helps to avoid charring or grill fires. Make sure your plank is fully submerged in water.
- Place the empty planks over medium direct heat for 3 minutes.
- Flip the plank so the charred side is face up and move to indirect heat.
- Add your fish to the plank skin-side down.
Try this recipe: Teriyaki Tuna
Matambre With Chimichurri Sauce
This rolled flank steak, stuffed with piquant fillings and topped with garlicky chimichurri, is inspired by Argentinian matambre, which is usually fashioned from a cut of mature veal. It’s no wonder that its name translates to “hunger killer.” How could a great steak be more hearty than this one filled up with goodies?
Get the Recipe: Rolled Stuffed Flank Steak with Garlicky Herb Sauce
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Types Of Beef For Smoking
Chuck Roast – This cut is probably one of the best meats to smoke in a smoker, bar none.
Smoking magically turns the inexpensive cut of beef into the next best thing to smoked brisket, maybe better. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Cook time is between 5-6 hours targeting 205°F as the internal temperature goal. Hickory or pecan wood chips is what I use to flavor the cut.
Cook Time:
Target Internal Temp:
205°F
Beef Steaks – Smoking any kind of steak is rewarding. The rule of thumb is that you want the cut of meat to be at least an inch thick. Cook to your favorite internal temperature depending on how you like your steak.
Choosing The Best Chicken For Grilling
When youre grilling chicken, do you immediately reach for boneless, skinless chicken breasts? Although they are the most popular part of the chicken, when you grill chicken breasts, it can be hard to maintain moisture and they can easily end up dry. This grilling season, try out other parts of the chicken for a great result. Chicken thighs and chicken legs are among the best meats for grilling.
Here are a few benefits of choosing these parts of the chicken when cooking on the grill:
- Chicken thighs Thighs are a flavorful part of the chicken and have a high ratio of meat to bone. Its pretty hard to overcook chicken thighs, as they dont dry out as easily as chicken breasts. Finally, the skin on chicken thighs turns out brown and crispy when prepared on the grill.
- Chicken legs Chicken legs include both the drumsticks and thighs. Drumsticks are fattier cuts that stand up well to grilling. When grilled on moderately high temperatures, the meat will be tender and moist, while the skin becomes crispy brown.
Try this recipe: Mango Barbecue Chicken Thighs
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