Posts Tagged ‘smoker grills’
Smoking Hot! Smoking Bacon On Your Home Grill
Is smoking really a healthy habit? If it involves a home grill, a little pork belly and Prague powder #1, then yes, it sure is!
We recently discussed smoking at home, but only touched upon the finer points that will lead you down the garden path of homemade bacon glory. If you haven’t already had a look at the previous article, (Smoking Hot! Turning your home grill into a smoker,) please do. It will help you understand the basics behind converting your grill into a smoker, and hopefully will inspire you to join the bacon making trend sweeping the nation.
As you may well know, I’m a huge advocate of thinking outside the box when it comes to your grill. There are endless ways in which to manipulate the average outdoor barbeque, and a range of recipes that is limited only by the cook’s creativity. One skill that sets a grill master apart from the crowd is smoking. The ability to control heat, and to utilize the subtleties of smoke is an art. While it may seem daunting, rest assured, this is something anyone can learn.
A brief word of caution before we begin: Take care to follow safety instructions when it comes to the handling of meat, curing salt and temperatures for smoking. While it is a great hobby, home smoking is not without certain risks, all of which are easily managed with careful attention to detail.
Smoking Hot! Turning your home grill into a smoker.
Smoking has long been used as a preservation method for food. However, it is the flavor it brings, rather than the acidic protection it offers that has made smoked meat a treat the world over.
Traditional materials for smoking include woods like alder and oak, hickory and mesquite, and all varieties of fruit trees. Uncooked rice, tea leaves and even corn cobs can also be used, depending on the flavor you are trying to achieve. Most North Americans are familiar with the robust flavor of hickory smoke, but should not discount the subtleties of cherry wood or maple. Once you are confident with a standard smoking recipe, why not change the fuel and see how it affects the finished product? Whatever material you decide to smoke with, please be sure it is clean and free of paint or preservative products. You wouldn’t eat paint chips, no sense smoking your meat with them.
