Guest Post U contacted us a few weeks back, asking if we’d be open to a guest blog post…and, of course, we were happy to take a look. Here’s a great “intro to wood smoke” that they sent me back. Enjoy! – Perry
Tips for Choosing a BBQ Wood to Enhance the Flavor of your Grilling
Barbecuing with wood can add great flavor to your grilled meats. Now, it is a lot of work, but the flavor is so much better it is certainly worth the effort. Most wood types can be used, though some woods go better with certain meats. Everyone’s tastes are different, and it is best to experiment what works for you. Starting slow why you are learning will help you truly understand what flavor you enjoy and how much work is put into it. Here are a few tips for choosing BBQ wood to enhance the flavor of your grilling. If these tips are followed, along with having a quality meat, you will certainly enjoy it much more.
No Treated Wood
Avoid any wood that has been treated with chemicals. This not only would ruin any flavor, but it can also make your guests sick from eating the food. Also avoid softwoods, especially pine, as this does not make a good flavor for the meat.
Soak the Wood
You need to soak the wood before using it for your BBQ. The soak time should depend on the strength of the flavor of the liquid. A strong flavor may only require 15 minutes of soaking, but a weaker flavor like lemon juice may require 8 hours. Soak the wood in hot water, beer, or even wine, this enhances the flavor. Remember, the wood is to add flavor, not cook the meat.
Covered Meat
Remember, when using wood to add flavor to your meat, that you need to cover it. Treat your barbecue more like an oven, this keeps the flavors from escaping. You should not even have to flip the meat as it will be cooking evenly. Though you should inspect the meat and make sure both sides are cooking evenly.
Good Meat
The quality of the meat is important, and still is the key to a great barbecue. Make sure you get fresh meat, and from a good butcher. Otherwise the efforts with the wood and BBQ will be completely wasted.
Go Slow
Remember that when you are using a BBQ with wood, the key is slow. If done too quickly the meat will taste bitter. This is why you soak the wood chips in water beforehand, remember to let them dry out for a few minutes. The wood should not be dripping wet, they should be moist. That is because the whole point of them being moist is to slow down the burning. Wood naturally loses its moisture over time.
When a good meat is used and the process is done slowly and properly you will never look back. Grilling with wood enhances the flavor to an unbelievable flavor. The great thing about smoking with wood is you can perfect the craft over time. Trying out different woods and different lengths of soaking time. Do not be intimidated if the first few times it is not perfect, this takes time. But the great thing is you can use almost any wood, so you can get a truly unique flavor.
Beatrix Maharashtra writes about food, nutrition & more at http://homeequityloan.net.
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Guest Post U
The University of Great Content
These are such great tips to keep in mind when grilling with wood. I’ll be stopping by again for sure
What a great post! I really found this interesting and engaging but it has really got me thinking as to just what I can do with my grill. I currently have a napoloen bbq which is a gas and I am intrigued as to how I can get that unique smoky flavour. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!