Smoking itself is an adventure and the expert smokers are always ready to experiment and do new things. However, all smokers must follow some routine practices in order to make smoking a success. These are some primitive requirements for any smoker BBQ party even if you are using the best pellet smokers for professionals.

Here are some simple tips for barbecuing delicious and enjoyable meat:

Start up early:

It means that there are some things that should be done before smoking the meat. For example, salting the meat should be done at least 2 hours before the roasting. Salting enhances taste and helps keep the meat moist during smoking.

Go low and slow:

The meat should not be cooked at high temperature right from the beginning. It should be indirectly exposed to heat and there should be enough smoke to maintain the moisture and softness of the meat throughout the grilling process.

Keep the heat in check using a cold water pan:

This helps avoid overheating and hardening of food whereas keeping it moist.

It should not be overdone:

Too much smoke makes the meat bitter. With lots of wood burning, a lot of heat is generated which may lead to overcooking. Thus the flow of the smoke should be smooth.

White smoke is good and black smoke is bad:

Like black smoke, white smoke does not stain food but it gives it a conducive roasting environment. Black smoke provides an unpleasant smell to the meat and thus, it is termed as unhealthy.

Keep the air moving:

The vents of the charcoal grill should be open so that they can supply the burning wood or coal enough air. Enough air through the vents also ensures that the smoke swirls upwards thus drying the food. Mostly, these vents are stationed below and opposite of the coals for efficiency.

Do not go golfing:

Fire is dangerous, so it should not be left unattended. Remember safety is like a basic need and close monitoring of the fire is necessary to keep everyone out of danger. The temperature should be checked on a regular basis to ascertain uniformity. There may arise the need of adding wood to the fire which is not possible if neglected.

Do not peek:

Uncontrolled opening of the grill results in the loss of heat and smoke, the two most important components for having great barbecued meat. The lid should not be opened unnecessarily unless it is necessary to tend the fire or the food is ready.

Let the bark get dark:

The mahogany bark used should be dark enough to produce a soft crust on the meat. Before removing the meat or wrapping foil around it, the bark should be dark enough to produce that rare taste.

Feature the star attraction:

All the flavors should not be mixed. There should be one main ingredient and the others should just support it. This peaceful co-existence should be maintained to have delicious smoked meat.

Author: Denis Lubojanski (BBQ Expert)