The indirect method of smoking allows you to use an ordinary grill as a smoker and believe it or not, you can turn out some interesting fare this way. Smoking meat is a great way to break down tough cuts of meat, such as ribs, brisket and pork shoulder. Smoking meat is cooking it between 190f and 225f while in the meat smoker. Cold smoking meat is primarily for cured meat like ham, bacon etc. And is done inside the meat smoker at temperatures below 80f. Cold smoking always takes longer than hot smoking. You can short smoke meat like steaks and chops on the barbecue grill with gas grills smokers or long smoke meat inside gas grills smokers. Whether you smoke your meat inside a portable grill or meat smoker, any way that you decide to push smoke into the meat is a great way to enjoy it.

Smoking meat calls for acquiring the proper internal temperature. Because outdoor temperatures will dictate cooking time, you cannot rely on time alone. There are many recipes available but they cannot be applied across the board. Meat smoking is also a growing trend for great flavor by adding taste to food without adding extra fat. When the smoke covers mild meats like pork, fish and poultry, it produces a mouth-watering flavor and rich color that’s hard to resist. Smoking is easy to do and can be accomplished in a kettle-style grill using indirect heat and adding wood chips to banked coals. At least two hours before you plan to start cooking, place wood chips or wood chunks in water to soak. Estimate two chunks of wood or a good handful of wood chips for each hour of planned smoking time. If you have unburned soaked wood after completing smoking, it can be dried and used at another time. Build the fire about 40 minutes before you plan to start cooking. Remove the cooking grate from the covered grill and build a mound of about 25-30 charcoal briquettes on one side of the fire grate, light them, and let them burn down to glowing embers, covered with gray ash. Leave only one of the bottom air vents open directly under the charcoal. Place an aluminum loaf pan filled two-thirds with water across from the charcoal.

Smoking meat is mainly used to soften and add flavor to the meat. It can also be a low heat and slow method that works superbly for fatty or tough meat like beef brisket, beef ribs, pork spareribs, or lamb shoulder. For that signature smoky flavor, you need wood chips. Apple, maple, mesquite, and hickory are the best wood chips to use. There are some considerations when smoking meat on your own. To prevent food poisoning, observe cleanliness when working with raw meat. Wash surfaces and your hands often, separate meats in different stages of preparation, and cook & chill using proper temperatures. Defrosting the meat properly is an important step in the process. Defrosting in the smoker can cause bacteria to breed within the meat. Remember, smoking takes longer. Regular grill cooking happens much faster and the bacteria would not have time to grow, but with smoking it is a real possibility.

Smoking meat is by far the exceptional means of achieving that desired flavor but it also requires the most effort. With the benefits of our up to date barbecuing tools the identical results can be realized without all of the extra work involved. The quickest way to add the smoke flavor to any meat is by using liquid smoke. This can be added to any food from baked beans to grilled fish. There are several pitfalls to this item as it does not impart a true smoke flavor to your recipe nor should the liquid be employed on an ongoing daily basis. We recommend this product only to create more interesting homemade sauces. You can use your backyard gas grills smoker to smoke meats. Several manufacturers of grills now include a smoke trough where you can insert a mixture of wood chips, pellets or chunks of hardwood for use as smoking material. The hoods on these grills generally call for closure when meat smoking is indicated. If you have an older grill which lacks the trough don’t worry, as you can purchase a smoke box at your local department store, or you can assemble your own out of aluminum foil pockets to hold the wood pieces. The only problem with using gas grills smokers for smoking is that the grill tends to cook the meat rather quickly. Please remember that the art of correctly smoking meat is to cook the meat slowly over a longer period of time at lower temperatures. Making use of the typical backyard grill setup for smoking the meat can result in the food being done much too rapidly while failing to impart the desired subtle wood characteristics. This is why you need low temperatures and the correct equipment. Fortunately such equipment is available today for minimal cost.

Smoking meat is great for providing a cozy and friendly atmosphere for guests, perhaps inside a nice gazebo or around a picnic table. Most of us enjoy the simple joy of staying outdoors and eating delicious grilled meat but it often doesn’t cross our minds that what appears to be healthy grilling can turn out to be less than healthy. Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may sound like complex words to most of us, but if we look carefully into their meanings we may look at grilling in a whole different way. Heterocyclic amines are cancer causing compounds that appear linked with the grilling of meat from muscle fibers and they have been shown to possibly cause cancer in animals and perhaps even in people.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, for example, are cancer causing compounds produced by fats leaking onto the hot coals or grill burner surfaces and then being released through the smoke. The smoke produced releases these compounds which in turn coat the meat. There is a silver lining though! The above cancer causing compounds do not necessarily mean that you should ban grilling from your summer time gatherings. There are some steps you can take to reduce the amount of these substances from coating your meats. Marinate your meats before grilling and grill a lot of vegetables along with the meat to avoid filling up on meat alone. Also, do not overcook or char your meat. The more charring, the more cancer causing compounds will be formed and found on your smokey treat. Cook your meat slower and at lower temperatures, and grill every other night because in moderation, grilling and meat smoking can be thoroughly enjoyed.

Here are some immediate tips for charcoal grills that make ease of use.

#1. You don’t have to clean your charcoal grill!!

Yes! Now the thing about a grill is it never needs to be washed or really cleaned. Just apply vegetable oil (which is the best oil to use) with a brush on the grill before and after every use. This keeps the charcoal remains soft! Than if desired, occasionally heat up the grill to burn off some residue and rub smoothly with a steel brush.

#2. If you’re not using the top level warming rack, just remove it!

It’s not uncommon for BBQ masters to remove the top level warming rack. It often just gets in the way of you flipping and checking your tender beef. Obviously you’d want to do this before heating the charcoal grill so you don’t burn yourself. To keep the beef warm without it however, leave one side of the grill on and one side of the grill off. Move your cooked meat to the off side to keep warm.

#3. When you get a chance, go purchase a rubber coating brush. That’s right, rubber!

You don’t have to do this but it’s a nice convinience. Most stores now sell high temperature, heat resistant, rubber, sauce coating brushes. They are dishwasher safe and they glide over the meat smoothly coating it with delicious sauce. They also eliminate the possibility of hair bristles left in someone’s meat.

Now some tips about cooking

A) The meat comes first, the sauce recipes are actually less important.

No matter what people try to tell you, the secret is not all in the sauce! The way you cook that meat is everything. You can’t beat tender! Using the right temperatures, right length of cooking times and right meat preparation give you every major advantage in satisfied tasters! The sauce recipes are secondary!

B) Sauces -Most people have sauce ideas but few are award winning.

Good sauces and rubs drive flavor all the way to the bone. Why mess with second hand recipes? Today you can get the absolute best award winning sauce recipes and they are super easy to make. These recipes will blow your friends and family away! Flavor can be amazing and tips from a master will help.

Here is one example of a sauce you can put on most any meat!

The Sauce For Every Meat Out There!

2 cups ketchup
3/4 cups brown sugar
6 tbsp Molasses
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Prepare the meat. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat it dry. Season it with salt and pepper inside and out. You can also add herbs like fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, and sage.

2. Prep the grill. One of the best tips on grilling chicken is to make sure that whatever kind of grill you’re using is clean. Lightly coat the grill grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire using hot coals and rake them to one side. If you are using a gas grill, turn one half of the grill on high heat and the other half unlit.

3. Place the chicken breast-side-down on the unheated side of the grill. You will only grill the chicken next to the coals and not over them. Put on the lid of the grill and let it cook for about half an hour then turn it breast-side-up and continue cooking for about a half hour more or until the skin is a golden brown and the meat is cooked through.

4. Cut into the middle of a piece of chicken to test for doneness.

5. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes before serving.

Don’t get frustrated and give up on the first try if it doesn’t go well the first time. It takes a lot of practice to perfect the art of grilling chicken. If you follow these simple tips on grilling chicken, you might be dishing out fantastic grilled chicken recipes in no time!

So let’s say you proceed and bought a Char Broil IR grill for your home, or some other barbeque brand name, and you start making your food on the barbecue. You found out that the cooking time was significantly reduced than grilling on a traditional charcoal grill. The purpose that your food is cooking much quicker is because you are not heating up the air to cook your food, the infrared grill burner is actually cooking the food completely.

Another great advantage of IR grills is that it keeps your meat moist. Your meat stays moist when cooking it because the increased heating level from these grills sears the juices inside your meat, so it’s essentially trapping the juices in. Infrared grills can get as hot as 500 C (900 F), there’s no doubt that these grills can give you those excellent grill marks that you’re all trying to get!

Many companies have designed an IR burner to their present line of gas grills which is excellent for the unsure consumer. Also, they also have smaller, portable grills for those lacking space which works just as good as their older brothers. No matter what you’re looking for there’s a grill for you on the market that will be practical for your and budget.

As IR cooking keeps evolving, there will be advancements that will make these grills improved! One improvement that the grill companies have made is the feature to protect against any flare ups. Flare ups are what makes any BBQ cook scared! A flare up arises when fat from the meat drips down to the bottom of your burner and a burst of flame shoots up in the air. This can quickly be eliminated by having a metal plate barricade the pathway where the fat drippings meet up with the flames.

Unfortunately, while many homeowners would never think of leaving their indoor kitchen appliances severely dirty after use, there are numerous people who believe that it is okay to do with their BBQ Islands and stand-alone grills. However, doing this actually makes clean up more time consuming and difficult. It also decreases the efficiency and life of your grill.

Grill Cleaning Basics

After each use, let the grill cool until it is warm to the touch. Then take a wire brush and scrape down the build up on your grates. There are different types of grates–porcelain, cast iron, and stainless steel–and you should check your owner’s manual for specific clean up instructions. For example, cast iron grates are prone to rust and it is usually suggested that you rub them down with oil after scraping them to prevent rust from forming.
With charcoal grills you can actually line the inside of the grill with aluminum foil. Then when you are done cooking, you would just let the grill cool and take out the aluminum to throw it away. If you do not do this, just make sure that after you scrape down your grates you take out the ash catcher and dispose of any ash and debris that it’s caught.
Some gas grills have “clean” settings that burn away any remnants of food that have fallen into the grill. After you have scraped down the grill, turn on this setting for a few minutes.
You should occasionally clean the outside of your grill, as well. Make sure that you use a cleaner that will work with your specific grill. For example, if you have a stainless steel grill you should use a stainless steel cleaner. Wipe down the grill lid and other exterior parts of your grill. With stainless steel you should rub in the direction of the grain and never use steel or wire wool. Both materials will permanently scratch the surface of your grill.

At least once or twice a year, you need to give your built in BBQ grills a deep cleaning. Below are some tips that you should always follow when doing this. All you’ll need is a regular scrub brush, a wire brush, a bucket, and detergent. You can also use rubber gloves to keep your hands clean and a drop cloth if you would like to protect your patio floor.

Your Annual or Semi-Annual Cleaning

Take out your grates and place them in a solution of warm soapy water. Let them soak a while and then scrape them down with your wire brush.
If you have a gas grill, turn off the gas at the source. If you have a propane grill, disconnect the propane tank.
Disconnect the ignitor wires, remove the ignitors, remove the burners, and remove the flame guards.
Scrape the inside floor of your grill to loosen and remove debris build up. Take your scrub brush and wash the entire inside area of your grill with warm soapy water.
Check your gas tubes. Insects or pest may have gotten inside of them restricting proper gas flow. Scrape the outside of the tubes gently with your wire brush. Also check them for cracks or holes that should not be there. If there are any cracks or holes replace your gas tubes.
Check your burners. If they are severely clogged it may be time to replace them. Also gently scrape down your burners with your wire brush.
If you use lava rocks or briquettes, check them to make sure that they are not encrusted with a lot of food debris. If they are they will produce a burnt flavor and you should replace them.
If your grates are rusted you should replace them as well

2. Choose the right quality of meat – Nothing ruins a good steak dinner like a bad steak. A lot of places sell poor quality meat, so make sure you choose a reputable supplier so you know you are getting your money’s worth. I always find premium quality steaks online. By law, all meats are inspected for wholesomeness so no one is selling you meat that will kill you, but grading is a voluntary system. Meats are graded on several categories, including the marbling of fat and the amount of connective tissue. Sure, it may be fit to eat but do you want to eat it? Prime is the highest quality, followed by choice and select. Choice meats are very high quality steaks and the most common steak used in the restaurant industry. Here are a few pointers to track down the perfect quality & cut of steak:

* Get to know your butcher, call and ask when they receive orders * Special order cuts you know you want * Ask them to cut meat just for you (you’d be surprised what they will do for you) * Order just the grade that you want * Ask how long they keep their steaks if they don’t sell them

3. Season early – You should salt your meat even before you start your coals. If you throw salt on right before you put it on the grill you end up leaving salt all over the grill, not on your steak. So season your steaks about fifteen minutes before you put them on the grill. That gives the salt a chance to dissolve and evenly flavor your meat. Sea salt is all the rage now and chefs like to fancy up a plate by using specialty salts like Hawaiian Pink Salt or Fleur de Sel. Sometimes a little good salt is all that a steak needs.

4. Take ‘em out early – Let your steaks sit on the counter for at least twenty minutes. I know it doesn’t seem sanitary, but since steaks are whole muscles and you are cooking the outside well above safe levels, you won’t need to worry so much about food-borne illness. The problem with throwing your steaks on the grill right out of the refrigerator is that it will take them a lot longer to cook. Steaks at room temperature take seasoning better and will cook faster. Unfortunately, meat takes time to cook and if you are in too much of a hurry to cook it you are probably in too much of a hurry to really enjoy it. Take your time and learn to enjoy cooking your steak almost as much as eating it.

5. Use charcoal – Gas grills work great for cooking food but can sometimes impart a gas flavor to your meat. I like to use natural hardwood charcoal started in a chimney. Don’t use lighter fluid; it defeats the purpose of using hardwood charcoal. You want to smell the steak roasting over the coals – that is the best part! Some people swear by mesquite soaked in apple juice others say you cook your steak too fast to get any benefit. Wood chips can add flavor if you are smoking your meat but that usually takes a lot more time than it takes to grill a steak. My recommendation is that if you are curious, play around see if you can taste and enjoy the difference.

6. Hot coals – Set your coals up so that you have zones of cooking. Always start off on a hot spot. You want good color and flavor from the high heat. When you flip it, don’t put it down on the same spot as before – it will be cooler. Find another hot spot to continue getting good color and flavor.

7. Don’t touch it! – This is one of the biggest mistakes a home cook makes. Everyone wants to keep checking the food to see if it is done. Leave it alone. Know how thick your steak is and roughly how long it takes to cook. Flip it once and give it a quarter turn once on each side. The more you touch it the better chance you have of screwing it up.

8. Make it pretty – Use the hot grill to create “cross-hatch” grill marks. Set your steak down at a 45-degree angle from your grill lines. About a quarter of the way through cooking, give it a quarter turn. Half-way through cooking, flip it once. Give it a final quarter turn for the last bit of cooking. When finished you should have a steak that looks like it belongs on a commercial. This might not be the most important thing in your day, but if you’re on a first date or trying to impress then try this!

9. Leave it alone – There’s nothing worse than taking a beautiful steak and covering it with other flavors. Sauces, rubs and butters are fine but if I’m going to eat a steak I like to taste steak. If you are using a lesser cut of meat or poorer quality, marinades are a great tool. But we are talking steak here and all it needs is a little salt, pepper and some heat to cook over. So refer to rule #2 and source and buy only good quality meat.

10. Make all your condiments early – One trap many people fall into when they grill meat is trying to cook the rest of the meal at the same time. Your kitchen is inside; your grill (if you are following tip #5) should be outside. Don’t try to run between the two. You will only end up ruining your steak or your side dish – or both. Plan your meal to get your extras done early so you can focus solely on your grilling. I mean, it deserves it, doesn’t it? I like a simple compound butter made of softened, unsalted butter, garlic, a little red wine and some cracked pepper. Mix it all together, (in a mixer, if you can, so it is smooth), roll it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge up to two weeks before you cook your steak. One pat on top of each steak can be a nice treat.

Grilling vs BBQ vs Smoking

Grilling is cooking directly over a high heat. You grill a steak or a hamburger. BBQ is cooking directly or indirectly over a lower more moderate heat. You BBQ ribs or chicken. Smoking is very slow cooking over indirect heat in an enclosed space. You smoke a turkey, ribs, brisket etc. The slower cooking of BBQ and smoking allows the addition of seasonings to permeate the meat and for the meat to absorb more moisture to make it oh so tender. Yes, you can season a steak with a rub but it is cooked at a higher heat and more quickly, therefore the seasoning is an addition to the surface of the meat not a flavoring throughout it.

Light My Fire

Light your charcoal about 30 to 40 minutes before you plan to cook over it. If you use lighter fluid be sure it has burned off well before you put the meat on the grill, otherwise you end up with lighter fluid flavored BBQ. Ick. The charcoal is ready when it’s mostly ashy gray in the daylight or glowing red in the dark. Place your hand over the grill to determine the heat; 2 seconds is Hot, 3 to 4 is Medium Hot and 4 to 5 seconds is Medium.

Control The Temperature

Keep a spray bottle of water handy for flare ups. Move the meat to the side, spray the flare up with water, wait for it to die down and replace the meat. You can also smother it with the lid, but make sure to move the meat as well so it doesn’t char. If you need a hotter fire, push the charcoal together into a concentrated pile and fan it or lower the grill closer to the coals. If you need to decrease the heat; spread the charcoal out, spray lightly with water, raise the grill away from the heat.

Here are a few tips on Grilling Steaks for the best flavor:

1. Decide what kind of steak you want and choose the right cut. There are many different kinds of steaks for grilling and some of the most popular for Grilling Steaks are T-Bone, Porterhouse, and Rib eye. Make sure that you pick a thick slab of well-marbled meat. Well-marbled means that there is some fat throughout the meat and this will add flavor to it and make it juicier.

2. Use freshly ground black peppercorns and coarse salt to season your meat. Using marinades, rubs, and different kinds of flavorings are great as well but it is more ideal to just stick to using coarse salt and ground black pepper.

3. Let the meat reach room temperature before putting it on the grill.

4. Clean the grill and lightly oil the grill grates to prevent the steak from sticking to it.

5. Pre-heat the grill. The results are almost the same when you use both charcoal and gas grills so it isn’t a big deal if you choose either one.

6. Start Grilling Steaks. Put the meat on the grill and use a spatula or tongs so as not to pierce the meat.

7. Make sure to pay constant attention while Grilling Steaks because cooking times vary depending on the size and shape of the meat.

8. Never use a fork to check if the steak is done. Piercing the meat allows the juices to leak out, leaving you with a dried up piece of meat.

9. Move the meat over on indirect heat after a few minutes and using olive oil, lightly brush the steak for a glazed surface.

10. Put the lid over the grill to allow the meat to bring its internal temperature. Test for doneness by pressing your finger on the meat. A rare steak feels spongy, a medium rare steak feels a bit firm and snaps back quickly, and a well-done steak feels very firm.

11. Remove the steak from the grill as soon as it has reached your desired doneness and let it sit for about three to five minutes to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

12. Enjoy!

Following these easy and simple tips for Grilling Steaks will guarantee that you wouldn’t need to go out in search for the perfect steak anymore because you can cook one for yourself at home.

Think of salmon fillets with pecan glaze or honey mustard salmon with garlic, these recipes are so mouth-watering that you want to have a bite on each. How about Dilled Salmon Steaks or Grilled Salmon Teriyaki? And surely, you simply cannot wait to have all of them. Indeed, these dishes are so enticing but how about learning first the tips for grilling salmon and the basics.

First, grilling starts with the selection of items. It is advisable to go for fresh salmon steaks and fillets. Make sure that the fillet is firm in texture and is colored in salmon pink. Be mindful of gaps within each fish cut as this indicates texture and quality. Packaged fillets can be an alternative. Just make sure that the fillets are kept in air-tight packages. Besides, great tips for grilling salmon dictate that if salmon steaks are not sealed properly, chances are they will turn out mushy once grilled.

Second, season your steaks well before cooking. Other tips for grilling salmon suggest that it is better to use sea salt and freshly-cracked pepper. A touch of olive oil even butter also helps in perfectly seasoning salmon fillets. You may also use herbs such as thyme, rosemary and dill.

Third, medium heat is the best temperature in cooking and is one of the most important tips for grilling salmon fillets. Slow cooking is said to be perfect if you want juicy and moist salmon steaks.

Lastly, many tips for grilling salmon likewise reveal that the ideal grilling time is relatively two minutes per side of each fish steak. Others suggest that you turn your fish over once the flesh is opaque. For some, the perfect and ideal fish meat is one that is flaky, moist and juicy, which is why they opt to cook salmon fillets by adding a few minutes more on suggested times for grilling.

Market sales report shows that gas grills whooped up to 60 percent being sold, charcoal grills sold approximately 33 percent and the remaining 7 percent goes to electric grills. No matter what the report has shown, it is best to check out the benefits you can get before buying one.

Consider the following advantages and disadvantages of outdoor BBQ grill type.

The gas grill is famous to be more convenient for new grillers. It heats up quicker than the charcoal grill. It is not messy and lets you enjoy the essence of having fun with family. And the only disadvantage you can get is the cost of gas refill and the price to buy it.

The charcoal grill on the other hand is well-known to produce finger-licking barbecues. For professional grillers using charcoal is the cheapest and easiest way because they knew how to control the quantity of charcoal to put in the grills. For new grillers it is a pain because it is messy and they can’t determine when the barbecue is cooked properly.

Charcoal grill is not eco-friendly but you can buy a chimney starter to light up your coals and eliminate unwanted fumes for less than $20. If you cannot choose between the two, there are newly introduced hybrid grills to consider. It is called as charcoal-gas grill because it has a propane tank and a coal frill.

And the electric grill is handy not messy however expensive to buy and to use. It does not create fumes same as the charcoal and it does not create big fire same as the gas grill. And if you are a new griller, you can still cook barbecue as perfect as the professional one.

The last thing you need to consider is the size of your backyard. For bigger sized backyard any kind of grill is suitable. Only thing you need to consider is your budget and which one suits you best for your best outdoor BBQ grill experience. And for smaller plots, the charcoal grill is advisable. You can choose the right size that will fit on your backyard without catching any structure that can create fire. You can also use electric starter to light up your coal to avoid big flame.