They say meat tastes best when it’s smoked. The smoky aroma and the juicy bites of the meat make your soul happy.
Having meat in one’s regular diet is essential, as it is a significant source from where you can get a large percentage of protein. People all over the world enjoy having their meat in various ways. Fried, boiled, steamed, roasted, smoked, you name it.
However, to meat enthusiasts, smoked meat is widely popular and loved. To make the perfect smoked meat with its juicy texture and aroma intact can be a challenge. With some easy steps, you can have perfectly balanced smoked meat.
Smoking meat has always been a chef’s favorite method of cooking. The hardwood’s smoky aroma adds an extra element to the meat, which can’t match other meat cooking methods.
It doesn’t matter if you are using a pellet grill or an offset smoker; you will get perfectly smoked meat as long as you know these basics steps of smoking your meat. People who are beginners would find it easy to follow the following steps applied to smoke meat perfectly.
Smoke Meat Like a Pro
Smoking meat is one of the oldest methods of cooking meat. Nothing tastes better than having a smoky element with the rusty and juicy taste of meat. Smoking meat can be a long process, but the result is definitely worth all the trouble that has been taken for it. Gain that true restaurant flavors!
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Selecting the Perfect Meat
This is the most essential first step towards cooking the best-smoked meat. A lot of factors depend on what kind of meat you are going to select for your BBQ. as moisture and tenderness of the meat have a lot to do with the flavors of the meat.
Three things to look on while selecting your meat:
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Composition of the Meat
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The fat percentage of the meat
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Muscle
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Bone
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Cartilage content of the meat you are selecting
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Color of the Meat
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White Meat
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Dark Meat
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Mixed Colored Meat
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The Texture of the Meat
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Grainy Structure
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Different cuts of meat require different times, methods of smoking. Lean meat cuts, like chicken, tastes less time and, when cooked over time, will end up tasting severely dry and will lose all its flavors. However, if the same method is used for cooking a cut of meat with more fat, it will taste phenomenal.
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Get the Best Hardwood
Besides knowing your meat, getting the best wood for the grill is as important. Without a good hardwood, it’s almost impossible to get the flavor you desire to get for your meat.
Using just any wood is definitely out of the question. Using raw wood for your pellets is very important and the best option. Listed are some raw woods you can use for your grill.
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Alder
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Oak
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Maple
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Mesquite
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Hickory
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Cherry
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Pecan
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Apple
You should keep in mind that different kinds of wood will give your meat different flavors. By now we know, how burning the wood exerts its unique flavors to the meat to make it a lot more delicious than usual.
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Big NO When it Comes to Flipping Meat
To get the best tasting smoked meat and the suitable meat and wood, you need to know that this cooking method is a slow process. The slow cooking process allows the meat to enhance its flavors and tenderness. Patience is very important here. That goes to flipping the meat too.
When you flip the meat, the temperature might shift from low to high, which will cause your meat to get burned. The temperature should be constant and low, and the meat should be cooked equally properly on both sides.
The longer the meat is cooked, the better it will taste. However, keep an eye on the meat so that it doesn’t get burned.
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Put Salt Accordingly
Thick cuts of meat usually require salting a day before cooking and thin cuts about an hour or two before cooking. Different meats have different salting techniques. It is important to salt them prior because it gets deeper in the meat, enhances its flavors, and works on its tenderness.
Some meat requires their salt to be sprinkled, whereas others need to be coated with salt. The process always varies with the type of meat you are working with.
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Remove Membranes of Ribs
It is imperative to remove the membranes of the ribs while you are smoking the meat. The thin paper-like membranes should be removed to avoid making the ribs rubbery after being smoked.
It becomes extremely rubbery if you smoke the ribs with the membranes. It is quite annoying to eat and enjoy the delicious ribs that you put extra effort into cooking.
The removal of the membrane is pretty straightforward. Slit the ribs at the back of the rack while holding the other end with a paper towel, and finally pull off the membrane.
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Use a Thermometer, Instead of a Clock
Don’t rely on the cook while you are working on smoking the meat. The meat isn’t done cooking as long as it doesn’t reach a specific temperature.
If your meat is undercooked, the rawness of the meat can be dangerous for you. To determine that never rely on the time it is being cooked for, as even if you cook your meat for over 10 hours and it hasn’t reached the required temperature, it can be awful for you.
The time of smoking varies depending on a lot of factors, such as the type of wood, exterior temperature, the type of grill or smoker being used, etc. check the temperature of the meat by sticking a digital thermometer in the meat, on the thickest part of the cut.
Smoke Meat like A Pro
Now that you know the beginner’s tips for smoking the perfect meat, there’s a high chance of your meat to taste as good as the ones you eat at a restaurant.
Above are discussed some basic steps, but essential ones to start smoking meat with. No matter how much effort you are putting into it, remember in the end, the result is fruitful.
What’s more fun is that you can save money and delicious smoked meat whenever you want to at your own house.
Happy Smoking, Happier Eating!
