This article will explore all the possible areas regarding the use of pink butcher paper and why it can be a better option than trusted aluminum foil. So, let’s start by explaining what this paper is.

What is butcher paper?

It is a kind of craft paper used for wrapping meat or any type of food during the last stages of smoking to keep it moist and tender. Butcher paper is made from the pulp of southern pine and has been approved by the FDA. As the paper is treated with a special sizing agent that preserves the meat, it is more elastic and difficult to tear. This process also makes it more porous. It is available in pink, white, and brown, among which pink (more like a peachy shade) is used for food smoking. 

Don’t mistake butcher paper for steak paper. They are completely different. Pink butcher paper is used to wrap the meat while smoking, while steak paper is used in commercial stores to display the meat and prevent contamination.

Difference between butcher paper/wax paper/freezer paper

Unlike wax paper or freezer paper, butcher paper doesn’t catch fire when exposed to heat. So it is safe and specially made for food smoking. Wax paper can ruin the food and also emit toxic fumes when put inside a food smoker.

When to use pink butcher paper

When smoking cuts like brisket or ribs, they need to be wrapped after a specific time before reaching perfect doneness. This helps keep the meat succulent by preventing excess moisture loss. While some prefer using aluminum foil here, butcher paper can be a better option. 

Check when the meat reaches the stall. This means when the center part of the meat stops rising in temperature, it reaches the stall level. The food needs to be wrapped just when it reaches the stall to prevent further loss of moisture due to hot smoke. Generally, the stall happens when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160 to 170 °F (71 to 77 °C). 

Stalls happen when the meat is cooked slowly at a consistently low temperature. Temperature control can be a struggle for people using improvised smokers or traditional smokehouses. Our suggestion would be to use an advanced food smoker that is self-sufficient and works without much intervention. For instance, the Bradley Smoker is a good option. The Bradley Smoker has a digital console for pre-set temperature, timer, auto-fuel feeder, and dual heat elements to give you a fun smoking experience. A Bradley Smoker works best with Bradley Bisquettes that burn for a precise time, keeping the temperature under control. Bradley Bisquettes produce clean flavored smoke because they automatically extinguish before turning to ash.

How to use pink butcher paper

Pink butcher paper comes in roll or sheet forms that can be used easily. Wrap it around the meat just like the aluminum foil. Make sure that that meat is covered completely by the paper before smoking it further. You can wrap it tightly around the meat if you want a seared crust on the outer layer. If the crust has already formed before reaching the stall, the butcher paper is also safe to use as it will not ruin the bark.

Benefits of using pink butcher paper

Butcher paper is inexpensive, so budget is never a worry here. Coming to other benefits, butcher paper can help the meat absorb maximum smoky flavor because it’s porous. Aluminum foil is air-tight and prevents the entry and exit of air from the meat. Butcher paper allows the smoke to enter while also holding the moisture inside the meat. 

Aluminum foil can heat up easily when exposed to hot smoke. This might increase the temperature of the meat, resulting in over-searing or overcooked food. Remember, over-smoking cuts of meat like brisket can make them chewy and difficult to eat. Butcher paper keeps the temperature under control because it’s breathable. 

Aluminum foil can ruin a seared crust that has already formed by suffocating the meat. With butcher paper, there is no chance of this happening. Also, butcher paper can be used for wrapping any type of meat for smoking. This paper has multiple uses. It helps keep the smoked food warm for longer and can be used to serve or store foods. 

Check out these articles about foil and butcher paper:
Is Foil Or Butcher Paper Better For Smoking?
Should You Foil Wrap Your Meat In Your Smoker?

We hope this information on the use of pink butcher paper has helped you step up your food smoking game for your next barbeque party. You can check out more interesting Bradley tips & tricks on food smoking over at the Bradley Smoker blog.

The post Pink Butcher Paper: How and Why to Use It appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Essentially, there are many different beef cuts. Knowing them and how to use them can help you decide what to purchase. Having the right cut of meat can also enhance your cooking options while avoiding costly mistakes. Some cuts require low and slow cooking, while others can easily and quickly be tossed into the smoker.

Though there are many cuts of beef, it’s important to note that it’s divided into only eight primal parts. The rest are subdivisions from these eight parts. Butchers have mastered the art of cutting up the eight pieces and coming up with these many subdivisions. Each cut’s price, flavor, fat content, and tenderness are all controlled by the attributes of the primal cut from which it was derived.

What Is a Primal Cut?

A primal cut is the separation of the meat pieces during the slaughtering of an animal. They are mostly cut down into smaller pieces, referred to as sub-primal cuts. These are the smaller pieces often found in supermarkets, groceries, or outlets.

The eight primal cuts of beef are:

1. Chuck 
2. Rib 
3. Loin 
4. Round 
5. Flank 
6. Short Plate 
7. Shank
8. Brisket 

Chunk

This is the cut obtained from the shoulder and neck of a cow. It is a preferred primal cut, with many pitmasters going for it. Many love it for its rich natural flavor, which enhances the smoking output. It’s also a reasonably priced cut that won’t harm your pocket. In addition, it’s an easy to prepare cut that requires low and slow cooking. 

Rib 

From its name, it’s a primal cut from the cow’s ribs. Rib cuts are known for their softness, fatty marbling, and distinctive flavor. Ribs are more expensive than other cuts and are best slow-cooked rather than broiled. Only six pairs of ribs on a cow are listed in this area, with the remaining are classified with chuck and short plate. Ribeye steak, beef short ribs, ribeye roast, cowboy steak, ribeye filet, and back ribs are examples of rib component cuts.

Loin 

The loin is found near the top of the cow, slightly below the ribs, farthest from the horns and hooves. The loin, commonly separated into two portions, the sirloin and the short-loin, is the most tender and expensive cut of beef. The flesh tends to be soft since the muscles in this region aren’t overworked. While the sirloin is slightly tougher than the short-loin, it is thought to have a better flavor.

Round 

The round primordial region is a lean, low-cost cut. It’s a rough cut of beef that’s found around the cow’s hind legs. Because of the leanness of this cut, it’s vital to understand how to prepare and thoroughly cook the different piece cuts of this primal region; some require high heat cooking (such as the top, bottom, and eye round portion cuts), while others require gradual cooking (like rump and eye roast).

Round steaks, the eye of the round, tip roast, tip steak, top round, and bottom round roasts are the most common round cuts available in supermarkets.

Flank 

The flank is a primal beef cut obtained from the part immediately after the loin. It’s a muscle-dominated region with no bones, but it’s tough. However, the secret lies in the cut’s intense natural flavor. This makes it a highly sought-after cut of meat, leading to an increased price. 

Brisket

A primal brisket is every pitmaster’s favorite cut of meat. It’s popularly known for its high fat concentration and tough texture, making it the ideal cut for a barbecue session. Brisket requires low and slow smoking with the fat helping to enhance its tenderness and juiciness. It’s also highly recommended you marinate a brisket to tenderize it before tossing it into the smoker. 

The brisket is divided into either a point or flat brisket. The difference comes in that the flat has a leaner quality. 

Shank 

The shank is the toughest and cheapest piece of meat. You can find this cut in front of the brisket near the cow’s forearm and it is known for its sinewy dryness. Shank is not commonly found in retail outlets due to its lack of appeal. If you can locate it, it’s an excellent low-cost alternative for beef stock or lean ground beef. It’s best smoked for a lengthy time with moist heat because of its dry character.

Short Plate 

A short plate comes from the cow’s belly, just below the rib primal. Plate cuts have a tighter grain structure and are fatter than rib cuts, so they have a better quality-price ratio. Skirt steak, short plate ribs, and hanger steak are short-plate cuts.

Final Thoughts

In summary, having background knowledge of the eight primal cuts will make it easier for you the next time you visit the grocery store for some beef.

Interested in checking out a few more articles about beef? We’ve got you covered:
Directions To Smoke A Beef Crown Rib Roast
3 Lesser-Known Cuts of Beef that are Perfect for Smoking
How to Cook the Perfect New York Strip Steak

You can check out more Bradley tips and tricks for food smoking on the Bradley Smoker blog.

The post What are the 8 Primal Cuts of Beef? appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

As a result, smoking enthusiasts constantly look for new techniques to make their meat more juicy and delicious. While brines and marinades are fantastic, the taste doesn’t always penetrate the flesh. This is where meat injections come into play. 

A meat injector is essentially a big syringe commonly found in most food, smoking, and other cooking material-related retailers. They’re available in various needle and fluid diameters, which isn’t a significant factor to consider in most cases. Simply select one that fits comfortably in your palm and is large enough to carry the amount of marinade you intend to use for your meat. Regardless of which model you choose to inject thicker components, in many cases, you need a wide-mouth injector with a spike to poke holes in the meat chunks. Before using it for the first time, wash it well with soap and water. 

Types of Meat to Smoke 

Meat flavor injecting is quicker than marinating as it adds a lot of flavor to smoked meats. Dryer meats like pork butt, pork tenderloins, pork loin, pork chops, a leg of lamb, or big pieces like turkey, beef brisket, whole birds, hams, or hog shoulder, are excellent options for injecting.

The major factor that informs the meat injecting process is how the meat is prepared, including barbecued or smoked. This implies that there are a few things you need to consider before attempting to inject your meat. But if you are not new to the food smoking chamber, you could be able to step it up a notch and add a lot more flavor. While it may appear complicated at first, it becomes much easier after gaining a better understanding of it. We are going to share with you a simple do-it-yourself guide on how to inject your meat. 

When to Inject the Meat

In most cases, we recommend injecting your meat at least five minutes before tossing it into the food smoker. Also, the level of flavor you intend to achieve should inform the timeline to inject your meat before starting smoking. The objective should always be to give the injected juices time to diffuse through the entire chunk of meat. Basically, the longer you let the meat settle after injecting, the greater the flavor. 

Best Juice to Inject Your Meat 

Meat injecting starts with the creation of the desired juices. First, you should decide on the ideal flavor to go with the meat to ensure you get the desired results. The substance you infuse into your meat doesn’t have to be complicated to produce great results. Also, don’t go too wild with the amount of salt, sweetness, or unique flavors; remember, the goal is to complement and enhance the taste and not overshadow the meat’s natural flavor.

How to Inject BBQ Meat

The first thing to learn is how to use the syringe. Suck enough juice into the syringe by ensuring the tip of the needle is fully emerged in the liquid. Steak is one of the most commonly injected cuts of meat, with its thickness making it ideal for injecting juices. All you need is to ensure you concentrate on the meatier sections of the cut to allow the juice to spread as widely as possible. It’s worth noting that the liquid should be injected into a few regions around the cut to achieve even dissemination.

If the cut contains any bone, you will need to inject juice into a few locations around the bone to ensure that no dry regions remain. When implanting the needle, make sure it is about midway through the cut. This guarantees that no parts of the cut are neglected or leaks occur while injecting your BBQ meat. It’s also a good idea to turn the meat over to inject both sides.

You’ll also need to dedicate additional time to ensure that the juice is absorbed as much as possible. This is essential, especially when you are injecting a brisket. It’s essential to ensure that brisket absorbs the juice, as it is generally one of the driest meats available. Simply inject additional juice into the brisket in more places to accomplish this.

Summary 

Lastly, you can add extra flavor to your slices of meat by injecting them with a marinade rather than rubbing them. This will improve the taste of your food. It’s a simple procedure that doesn’t require much knowledge or experience. Simply ensure that you purchase the correct injector for the amount of marinade you intend to use. Also, after you’ve finished, make sure to clean the injector thoroughly and remove any extra liquids. Above all, have fun with your meals.

Check out these other articles on meat injections:
Should I Pierce Raw Meat With Probes and Injectors?
Can You Inject Brine into Smoked Meat?
Tips & Tricks On Injected Brisket

For more great ideas on how to get the most out of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.

The post How to Inject BBQ Meat to Increase Flavor and Tenderness appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Here’s everything you need to know about one of the pig butt or shoulder’s greatest components.

Selecting the Best Pork Butt 

Getting the right type of pork butt is the first step in everything. Always pay close attention to the money muscle size as the bigger, the better. A quick way to examine a pork butt is to grab the muscle, and if it feels thick, then that’s the best. 

While making a choice, you should also consider the size of your smoker. The size you go for should at least fit into the smoking chamber while also leaving enough space for sufficient airflow. It’s an essential factor to consider, but most people often omit it. 

Locating the Money Muscle 

Finding the bone and moving to the opposite side is the simplest approach to identify the money muscle. Though most people seek the perfect butt, it can be difficult to see which is the perfect one through the Cryovac packaging. All you need is to use your hands to feel the money muscle. It’s a firm muscle running across the face of the butt and one that provides the perfect cut. 

Carve along the fat line in the pork shoulder with a sharp meat knife to remove the muscle and avoid cutting through the lines of fat. This fat will aid in the smoking process while also providing flavor and aroma to the final product.

Should I Trim the Money Muscle?

Though most other barbecue meats such as the brisket, chicken, and other beef cuts may need trimming, the money muscle doesn’t need any modifications. A significant number of pitmasters have successfully smoked their pork without trimming it. 

But also, you can choose to trim, remove the tubes, muscles, and even the bone. Trimming might also be necessary for anyone seeking to get rid of the excess fat. This will leave you with the desired chunk of meat. It will also increase the surface area, ensuring even heat exposure for a well-done crust. 

Regardless of choice, it’s also good to ensure you let your pork butt rest. Essentially, you want to give the internal juices time to reabsorb back into the meat. 

How to Marinate Your Money Muscle 

Injecting is one of the best ways to marinate the money muscle. It’s an easy and reliable means of enhancing the pork’s juiciness and flavor. The additional juices provide the extra moisture needed for a tender, juicy, and flavourful result for the smoking session.

Some of the best pitmasters commonly inject their money muscle with juices like peach nectar, apple, or white grape. The solution can sometimes be made up of juices and rubs containing phosphates. 

Applying a rub is also a significant way to add flavor to your meat. You have the option to use a special rub made of your favorite herbs of choice. However, these herbs and ingredients must be compatible with the money muscle’s natural flavors. Sweet Heart is a commonly applied rub, a mixture of multiple other rubs. 

If you choose to go the rub way, we recommend applying the rub on both sides to bring out that brownish or reddish coat. You will also need to let your pork butt rest in the refrigerator overnight to allow absorption of the new flavors. 

How to Smoke Your Pork Butt 

Smoking low and slow is one of the greatest ways to prepare your money muscle. Place your money muscle into the food smoker set at the optimum temperatures around 250 °F (121 °C) This is the ideal temperature recommended for smoking a money muscle with a cooking time of about three hours. You can also spray any juices of your choice during the smoking process. 

Even though it’s better when smoked low and slow, it takes less time to prepare than the remainder of the butt. As a result, it’s best to cut the money muscle out and cook it separately from the rest of the meat. You run the danger of overcooking it if you don’t do this.

Summary 

The money muscle’s high-fat content keeps it soft. The fat marbling penetrates deep through the meat of this muscle, making it unique in its flavor and tastiness. This is unusual for pork cuts, as the fat is generally outside and does not run through the meat, which is more common with cuts of beef. 

Check out more articles about smoked pork butt:
6 Marvelous Steps to Smoke the Best Boston Pulled Pork Butt
What is the Best Way to Keep Pulled Pork Moist?

For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.

The post What Is the Money Muscle? (The Best, Finest Part of the Pork Butt!) appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

We need to first understand what the grain is and why it matters when you’re cutting meat to answer that question.

What Is a Muscle Grain?

To be clear, we are talking about muscle fibers, not cereal. In simple terms, a muscle is a bundle of fibers or muscle cells. Meat fibers are thread-like structures made up of protein and actin, which provide the fibers with strength and rigidity. Muscle fibers are surrounded by a thin layer of connective tissue.

They exhibit directionality, and when these fibers run in a different direction than the muscle itself, they’re known as a grain. The grain in a piece of meat is the direction in which the muscle is positioned on the animal, usually in the same direction as the muscle fibers.

How Do You Identify the Grain?                                              

Muscle fibers work together to contract the muscle and make it move. They come together to form a line that can be seen easily. This line follows the muscle from end to end, and there’s usually a line through the center of a muscle that helps you identify the grain.

If you examine any cut of meat closely, you will see visible lines running across the surface in a given direction. The fibers are more discernible in tougher cuts like brisket and skirt steak than leaner ones like tenderloin. The reason for that is that the more a muscle is used, the more fibers it needs. The active muscles will also have more connective tissue, making them tougher.

Grass-fed animals normally have more pronounced and tougher muscle fibers than their grain-fed counterparts. Again, this is because grass-fed animals are more active and leaner than grain-fed ones. Naturally, their muscles will be tougher, and that’s why you need to slice them properly.

Does How You Cut Meat Matter?

Yes. 1000% yes, especially for tougher cuts of meat. You will not notice much difference when carving tender cuts like tenderloin or filet mignon, but you need all the assistance you can find for tougher cuts such as flank steak.

There are two ways of cutting meat: with or against the grain.

Cutting with the grain refers to cutting parallel to the muscle fibers (lines of tendons) while cutting against the grain refers to cutting perpendicularly to the direction of the fibers.

The idea of cutting with the grain of a muscle may seem like a reasonable approach, but when it comes to tenderness, it’s a big mistake. Muscle fibers have an inherent tension because of the functions they perform in a muscle.

Cutting a steak with the grain of a muscle, as some people do, makes for a tougher cut of meat. That’s because it allows the tough muscle fibers to remain intact. While that doesn’t mean the meat will be unchewable, it sure will be tiresome for your jaw.

The better option is to cut the meat against the grain. When you cut against the grain, you’re cutting through the muscle fibers, making for an easier chew.

To make it even easier, think of the muscle fibers as a rubber band. If you cut the meat parallel to them, you will end up with long, tough strings. On the other hand, cutting against the grain of muscle fibers will shorten them. That will ensure that the meat cuts evenly and won’t be full of stringy fibers.

How Do You Cut Against the Grain?

The first step is to identify the grain. As earlier stated, that should not be a problem for tougher cuts. However, examine your meat carefully to confirm the direction of the fibers because it’s different for different cuts.

Next, place the meat on a flat surface, such as a butcher block, and use a sharp knife to cut the meat perpendicular to the direction of the fibers. If the fibers run horizontally, cut vertically and vice versa.

Size also matters here. To get the best texture, ensure you cut the meat into thin strips. Muscle fibers run parallel to each other, so cutting into thick slices will leave quite a number intact.

Poultry and Other Meats

Though the grain is not as apparent in chicken, there is a foolproof way of ensuring you always get it right. Instead of using the traditional along-the-sides method of carving poultry, go in the opposite direction.

Disassemble the bird to make the work easier and work on one piece at a time. For instance, take the thigh and remove its bone. Instead of cutting from top to bottom, cut the meat sideways.

Final Thoughts

If you want a tender cut that is less chewy, you should cut your meat against the grain. Yes, it might not look as pretty as meat sliced with the grain, but it will shorten the muscle fibers, which will give you less stringy, less chewy, more tender meat.

Check out a few more steak articles here:
5 Steak Doneness Internal Temperatures & Times
The Way You Should Be Tenderizing Steak
How to Cook the Perfect New York Strip Steak
Here’s the Best Way to Tenderize Your Smoked Steaks

Follow us at the Bradley Food Smoking blog for more hacks and tips. Happy smoking!

The post Should You Cut Against the Grain When Carving Meat? appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Smoking meat can help create a tender, moist, and juicy piece of meat that is full of flavor. The same is true for a variety of foods. There’s a reason some recipes call for smoking, and that’s because the gentle process and low heat of smoking allow the food to absorb the smoky flavor without causing it to dry out.

Let’s take a closer look at why it’s better to use low temperatures and slow cooking times to prepare your food.

It’s healthier

When you smoke food, it’s essential to cook it at a low temperature to preserve its nutritional value. Often, cooking meat at high heat breaks down the proteins and vitamins. Additionally, it might result in charred food that is difficult to eat.

By contrast, meat cooked at low temperatures retains much of its natural nutrients, making it a healthier choice for you and your family. It also allows natural moisture and oils to stay intact. That’s important for keeping the meat’s nutritional value intact and preventing the meat from burning.

Some smoke woods have antiseptic properties too, which help prolong the life of the smoked meat.

More Flavor

The main reason to cook meat at low temperatures is that it allows the smoke to penetrate the meat. Smoking can transform the blandest cut of meat into a succulent, delicious, and memorable meal. The trick is to pair the meat with wood that complements the cut’s natural flavor.

Using the lowest possible temperature allows the smoke to penetrate the meat, allowing it to soak into it. Again, lengthier smoking times ensure that the meat absorbs maximum smoke for the best flavor. Select the best wood to get the best out of your food smoking experience.

Most food smokers come with a variety of smoke woods you can experiment with for maximum flavor. Bradley Bisquettes are available in 17 different flavors like hickory, pecan, apple, alder, oak, cherry, and maple.

Different Bisquettes will infuse your food with unique flavors, so you should start slow if it’s your first foray into the smoking world. You can use this guide to learn the best meat or food and wood pairing for the best results.

Better Texture

While you can cook meat at high temperatures, you should always keep the temperature low. A higher temperature will damage the meat’s texture, but cooking it at low temperatures will ensure that your food is more tender. 

This slow-cooking method naturally tenderizes the meat and breaks down the tough connective tissue in it. The process converts collagen into different types of gelatin, which is a more tender product. You may need to wait longer for tough cuts of meat, such as brisket, but the result will be worth it.

Low and slow cooking also allows the fat in the meat to render more slowly, which ensures the meat does not dry out.

Even Cooking

One of the major benefits of using a smoker is that the meat cooks much more evenly than it does at high temperatures. The low and slow cooking method ensures you end up with perfectly cooked meat that’s neither over nor undercooked.

Smoking is slow and steady, which ensures the inside of the meat will cook before the outside gets charred. A good smoker enables uniform distribution of temperatures to the meat’s entire surface, giving you an even color. Get a high-quality, electric food smoker to enjoy this benefit.

Unlike grilling, which requires you to flip the meat multiple times, a good smoker allows you to go about your business and still get perfectly cooked food. Moreover, low and slow cooking prevents the meat from burning and makes it perfect for long-term storage.

Endless Choices

Smoking is an effective method for a wide range of foods. In other words, you can use this method to prepare a wider range of ingredients besides meat. For instance, you can infuse the flavors of smoke into ingredients like salt, sugar, and paprika using a smoker. It would be extremely difficult to do the same using a high heat cooking method.

You can explore endless recipes for preparing delicate meats or foods like chicken, fish, or sausages. There’s practically no limit on how far you can go with your food smoker!

In Conclusion

Smoking involves cooking food at a lower temperature for longer. Although this method is not the fastest, the results are the best. To get the best out of your smoker, the temperature should be between 225 and 250 °F (107 and 121 °C). 

Ensure you confirm the internal temperature of the food until you are sure it’s done. Don’t consume meat that’s below 145 °F (63 °C) for safety reasons. Use a meat probe to confirm doneness.

Interested in checking out more articles about cooking low and slow? We’ve got you covered!
Your Guide to Low and Slow BBQ Smoking
Top Tips to Take Smoked Brisket From Average to Amazing
You can check out more Bradley tips and tricks for food smoking on the Bradley Smoker blog.

The post Why Is Food Smoking Better at Low Temperatures and Slow Cooking Time? appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

What is Brining?  

Brining is the technique of infusing salt, sugar, and flavor into protein. It also softens and hydrates the meat. The proteins are usually steeped in a water solution or any other liquid, such as apple juice, wine or beer salt, and spices, and then kept in the refrigerator for several hours.

Previously, brining was used to preserve meat and seafood without refrigeration, dating back an estimated thousands of years. But with the invention of the refrigerator, brining is done today purely to enhance flavor and texture.

Brining works so that when the meat and salt come into contact, the salt causes the meat’s protein strands to unravel. Moisture becomes trapped between the strands when this happens. As a result, they adapt their structure over time, become entangled with one another, and trap moisture.

Many pitmasters often endorse brining for any smoking process not only for its ability to enhance flavor but also for its role in ensuring the meat remains succulent. Remember, smoking forces moisture out of the meat, drying it out. But with the extra moisture, you can quickly and comfortably smoke your favorite cut of meat without any worries.

Types of Meat to Brine 

Any meat that will be cooked for an extended period tends to dry out. Pork and poultry are common examples. Certain larger portions of beef, such as brisket, can be brined, but it isn’t required. Beef includes connective tissue and fat throughout, which breaks down while the meat cooks, which keeps it from drying out.

Because the meat would dry out throughout a long cooking process, lean cuts of any animal are ideal. Poultry does not have a lot of fat, which is why it might dry out quickly.

If you are a meat lover, you must have noticed that dark chicken meat is usually more tender and juicy than white meat. The reason behind this usually depends on whether the meat has been brined or not. You can establish this because dark flesh contains more fat.

Wet Brining

When wet brining, a gallon of water and one cup of kosher salt are combined to make a solution. The aim is to add flavor and moisture to red meat, chicken, and fish. For other non-essential items, soak them in a solution of salt, liquid, and perhaps additional non-essential components.

Pieces of meat, such as chicken or turkey, acquire weight throughout the wet brining process. When brined test subjects are cooked alongside non-brined test subjects of identical size and weight, the brined test subjects will be heavier when cooked.

This excess weight is water that has become trapped in the meat during the cooking process and was unable to be forced out by the heat. When you cut into it, it’ll be particularly juicy.

Advantages of Wet Brining 

1. More succulent, tender, and juicy meat: Wet brining allows more juices to soak into the meat, which is vital in ensuring the meat retains moisture and succulence.
2. Makes it easier to smoke: Wet brined meat is always easy to smoke as it reduces the possibility of your meat drying out. However, you will also need to pay close attention to both internal and external temperature to avoid undercooking and overcooking. 

Dry Brining 

Dry brining involves applying salt to the surface of the meat. This is done to block moisture from potentially escaping during the smoking process. It’s also done to enhance the meat’s natural flavor. In most cases, a half teaspoon is enough for close to a pound of meat.

The salty brine is eventually absorbed into the meat. Dry brining takes a few hours to complete.

The salt in the brine causes the steak to go through the same denaturing process, trapping the reabsorbed moisture between the protein strands. Due to containing water that cannot be easily squeezed out during cooking, a dry brined cut of meat, like chicken or turkey, for example, ends up with more preserved moisture than a non-dry brined cut.

Advantages of Dry Brining 

1. Natural flavor

Salt is known as a universal flavor in food smoking circles as it can be used on all types of meats. Applying salt on the meat’s surface doesn’t alter the meat’s internal juices but only blocks it from escaping during smoking, giving you a detailed natural taste.

2. Firm, tender, and well-cooked outcome

Meat and fish that have been dry-brined and cooked come out wonderfully juicy and firm. Salt’s nutrient magic will take time to work, allowing the meat to retain its balance of moisture while cooking. 

3. Easy to brine

Brining your meat can be made easy by applying salt on the surface. The key is to observe the recommended amount for excellent results.  

Regardless of the method you use to brine, always remember to allow the meat to sit for a few hours. After this, you can transfer your meat directly into the food smoker. We recommend tossing the meat into the smoker without rinsing it as it will dilute the brine. 

Check out our entire catalog of articles on brining and curing your meat here:
What’s the Difference Between Pickling, Brining, Marinating, and Curing?
Curing and Smoking Meats for Home Food Preservation
Directions On Brining And Curing Your Meat For Food Smoking

To help you further on the process of becoming a pitmaster we created a free e-book:

Learn the tips & tricks of barbecue, from choosing the best grill and smoker to the best cuts of meat to start with. Also, read the pit master’s techniques and secrets to reach the perfect flavor.

+ 20 Free Recipes & Smoking Wood Pairing Chart!

And Bonus Internal Temperature Guide!

<< Download Free E-book >>

The post Wet Brining Vs. Dry Brining: Which is Better? appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Benefits of Resting Meat

Let’s begin with the most popular belief: rested smoked meat had more benefits. Many pitmasters have adopted this method during food smoking because it gives more succulent and flavorful meat. If the meat rests outside the food smoker, it also turns out more tender than meat immediately served out of the smoker. 

Here is some of the evidence that supports this fact. As we all know, meat is loaded with protein. These proteins are bonded inside muscle fiber. The moment we put a steak inside the food smoker and it starts to cook, the protein bonds loosen up. This process releases fluid, tightening the muscle fiber. The fluid naturally moves towards the center of the meat. When this steak is cut and served immediately after food smoking, the fluid spills out on the plate, making the serving messy. The tightened fiber can also result in dried-out steak, making it tasteless. 

If you serve the meat after resting it for a few minutes out of the food smoker, the steak is likely to be more juicy and tender. When the meat rests, its temperature starts dissipating, and the protein starts re-bonding. This process loosens the fiber, reabsorbing all the natural fluid released during smoking. So, rested steak usually means more flavorful, succulent meat.

Why do some believe resting meat isn’t necessary?

Home cooks and some cookbook authors alike are not on board with this explanation. They think resting meat after smoking can be a mistake for several reasons:

• Resting might cool the meat, making it unappetizing. Steak is best when it is sizzling hot.
• The steak will continue to cook with the residual heat. This might result in overcooked steak.
• The fat in the fibers might solidify, giving a congeal feeling inside the mouth.
• The seared crust on the outer surface of the steak might soften while resting, and there’s no flavor in a softened crust.
• The crispy skin of whole smoked chicken or turkey might turn chewy when rested for a while

Factors Determining the Tenderness of Smoked Steak

The information stated above might have left you confused about whether or not to rest meat after smoking. These were just popular arguments for and against resting meat. Before you decide what to do with your brisket or ribeye at your next BBQ, here is something that you need to know. 

The tenderness of the meat depends on several factors, which can determine the best ways to serve delicious smoked steaks. 

Cooking Method: Food smoking is considered one of the ideal ways to get perfectly barbequed tender steaks. Grilling, searing, or roasting might rip the muscles of excess moisture, turning the steak rubbery or dry. 

Cooking Equipment: Smoking steaks in a pro food smoker and using an improvised smoker can make a world of difference to your steak. Improvised food smokers don’t have temperature control or a steaming facility to cook the meat to perfection. On the other hand, a quality food smoker like a Bradley Smoker can make food smoking a breeze. Some smokers come with digital temperature control and time settings to prevent overcooking or undercooked meat. 

Cooking Temperature: High heat can result in maximum moisture loss, turning the steak dry. The same thing can happen with a fluctuation in temperature. This is the reason pitmasters often prefer quality food smokers with temperature controls to do the job.

Cut and Quality of Meat: Raw, fresh meat has a higher ability to retain moisture while smoking than frozen meat. Also, lean cuts like tenderloin or sirloin tend to lose moisture faster than fatty meats like ribs or shanks. Lean cuts also don’t reabsorb the released fluid as much as fatty meats do while resting. 

Brine/Rub: Wet brine adds more moisture to the meat, helping it preserve its tenderness even after smoking. Brining is recommended for leaner cuts that dry out faster. Rub adds flavor to the steak by mixing with the released fluid and muscle fibers. Dry rubs are best suited for fatty cuts of meat.

Final Thoughts

With that, we hope you are now more confident to decide whether or not your steak needs resting after smoking. For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.

Check out a few more steak articles here:
5 Steak Doneness Internal Temperatures & Times
The Way You Should Be Tenderizing Steak
How to Cook the Perfect New York Strip Steak
Here’s the Best Way to Tenderize Your Smoked Steaks

To help you further on the process of becoming a pitmaster we created a free e-book:

Learn the tips & tricks of barbecue, from choosing the best grill and smoker to the best cuts of meat to start with. Also, read the pit master’s techniques and secrets to reach the perfect flavor.

+ 20 Free Recipes & Smoking Wood Pairing Chart!

And Bonus Internal Temperature Guide!

<< Download Free E-book >>

The post Is It Necessary To Rest Meat? appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Simple, quick, and easy-to-cook foods like beef ribs, pork chops, turkey, duck, and salmon are the finest meats to smoke for a beginner. This will give you a solid foundation on food smoking before moving on to more luscious and flavorful meats like brisket, lamb, pork butt, and tri-tip. These easy and simple meats for smoking will also help you gain the much-needed knowledge on the best flavors and correct temperatures for smoking perfect, tender, and savory meat. They will also enhance your confidence in the pit, warming you up for more complex cuts of meat. 

Easiest Meat to Start Your Smoking Experience 

1. Beef Ribs 

Beef ribs are the commonly smoked cuts of meat. A significant number of outdoor cooking lovers will always have beef ribs on their ideal type of meat to smoke list. But there is a solid reason for this widespread love of beef ribs. Beef ribs are known to be one of the easiest cuts of meat to smoke, creating a succulent, tender, and tasty meal. 

The high-fat content in ribs allows for smoking without worrying too much about them drying out or losing their seasoning, making them a great choice for beginners. Also, beef ribs are not as tough as other cuts of meat, allowing for quick and easy cooking. 

2. Pork Chops

Pork chops are another great choice for beginners. This delicious and savory taste can be intimidating at a glance, but amateur smokers can also do them. It’s an easy-to-smoke cut of meat with soft tissue that doesn’t need intense cooking to break down. 

The secret with smoking pork is having at least an inch thick cut to avoid overcooking.

3. Turkey 

Though mostly eaten at Thanksgiving, turkey is one of the easiest and quickest meats to smoke. It’s a quick-fix recipe that requires about two hours to prepare and smoke. Not forgetting how tender, savory, and flavourful a turkey can be. In addition, a turkey will give you plenty of meat that you can enjoy with your friends or family. 

All you need is to be extra careful during the smoking process to avoid overheating or overcooking the bird. You can smear it in butter, which will help the turkey avoid drying out while also enhancing its flavor. This is because turkey has low-fat content, increasing the chances of it becoming dry. 

4. Salmon 

While many fish taste fantastic after being smoked, salmon is one of the oiliest fish on the market and is highly sought after for smoking. The extra oil will keep the fish from drying out throughout the cooking process. You can marinate your salmon and use cherry wood to enhance the taste perfectly. 

5. Chicken Breast

Chicken breasts are simple to smoke, but they can quickly dry out. A brining process is suggested since it keeps the meat moist. Seasoning can be done with any kind of rub, so make sure to use one to ramp up the flavor. It’s always best to watch the temperature keenly to make sure it doesn’t dry out too quickly.

Quick Tips to Learn Before Getting into Smoking

1. Different meats require different temperatures and smoking times. Getting the time and temperature right will significantly influence the overall outcome.
2. The meat’s toughness, fat content, and size influence the overall smoking time. This implies meats with a low fat content need low smoking time. A high fat content will allow for longer cooking times without drying the meat out.
3. Seasoning is an essential step that influences the meat’s flavor and taste. There is also a wide variety of woods that can help enhance your meat’s taste. 
4. Knowing the ideal wood for the particular cut of meat you’re cooking is important for a great flavor. To clear any possible doubts on the ideal wood to use, you should go for our Bradley Bisquettes, which are specially compressed wooden sawdust pucks of uniform thickness that burn for a precise time. They produce consistent, pure smoke and are extinguished before converting to ash. Bradley Bisquettes are available in 17 flavors like hickory, pecan, apple, alder, oak, cherry, maple, etc.
5. You can use any tool to smoke, but it’s always best to get a smoker. A top-quality food smoker can also change your smoking outcome giving you the best results. Some smokers, such as our Bradley Smoker, are designed with modern features that make smoking easier. Using the Bradley Smoker will serve you with an automated wood feeder, a digital console, an insulated body for your safety, and dual heat elements to enhance your meat smoking experience. 

Final Thoughts

Check out these other articles on smoked meat:
5 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Smoke
5 Types of Meat You Didn’t Know You Could Smoke

To help you further on the process of becoming a pitmaster we created a free e-book:

Learn the tips & tricks of barbecue, from choosing the best grill and smoker to the best cuts of meat to start with. Also, read the pit master’s techniques and secrets to reach the perfect flavor.

+ 20 Free Recipes & Smoking Wood Pairing Chart!

And Bonus Internal Temperature Guide!

<< Download Free E-book >>

The post The Easiest Smoking Meats to Get Started in BBQ appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.

Understanding Meat Drippings 

During the meat smoking process, you are likely to be left with drippings from your meat. This is more common in brisket. But when allowed to cool, a layer of fat should solidify on the top of the drippings, with a golden brown base. This layer of fat can be helpful, especially if well-harvested. Some of the common uses for fat include being used in soup or sauce making in place of butter. 

However, the challenge remains to successfully de-fat the drippings from the smoked meat. This has been a challenging task for most, as there has never been a straightforward guide on how to do it. 

How to Harvest Drippings

Harvesting drippings while smoking has to be one of the easiest tasks for anyone. It’s preparing a surface or container for the drippings to collect and then transferring it to storage containers. After smoking, you will likely end up with more liquid if you wrap the beef in foil at any time throughout the smoke than if you leave it unwrapped. Because the foil functions as a barrier, the moisture is trapped inside the wrapper. Unwrap the meat over a deep dish to catch the drippings.

Once the fluids have cooled, a layer of fat should settle on top, regardless of how much liquid you have. You can skim the fat off and discard it, or you can use it to replace lard or bacon grease. This will add a nice smoky flavor to your dishes. Here are simple ways you can collect drippings.

Using a drip pan can be one of the greatest ways to de-fat the drippings. You can easily do this with an ordinary pan without necessarily investing in a designated drip pan. 

Placing disposable foil under the food smoker’s grates is also another way to harvest the fat. The key is to strategically place the foil so that all the wood used is placed around it. You then just have to proceed with the smoking process normally. The drippings will drop from the meat onto the foil as the meat cooks.

How to De-Fat the Drippings From Smoked Meat 

With your harvested drippings, the next major step that follows is to separate the fat from the rest of the liquid. This is an easy process with a few steps to follow that you can easily grasp. 

1. Place your juices in a clean jar or any other sealable container. Get as many drippings as you wish, as the contents will be limited by the size of the container or the amount you desire. 
2. Gently seal the container with a detachable seal. It doesn’t necessarily need to be an airtight container as a basic cover is also perfect.  
3. Place your sealed container into the fridge and allow it to settle. There is no precise timeline, but the objective is to get the contents cold. 
4. Once it’s cold, a solid layer of fat will form on top of the other liquid. The flavorful juices will be at the bottom. 
5. Using a spoon, scoop the top solid layer of fat off to leave the other liquids. 
6. The remains are a jelly-like consistency, most useful to be reused when preparing meat. 

How to Store the Fat 

Fat harvested from drippings can be stored in an airtight sealed container then placed into a refrigerator. It can stay fresh and edible in the fridge for about seven weeks, after which it can go bad. But if you want to keep it longer, the freezer is the best option. This can be done by placing the fat from the drippings into muffin tins or ice cube trays. 

Summary 

If you keep leftovers in liquid, defrost and reheat them within three months; if you keep the drippings separately, thaw and reheat them within two months. Beef drippings are always a good thing to have on hand. They’re much more desirable when made from smoked brisket, which has its own distinct flavor. Even inexperienced cooks will discover a variety of uses for the drippings, improving the brisket’s overall value. Check out the Bradley Smokers blog for more tips and tricks on what to do with drippings.

Check out a few articles about fatty meats:
Top 5 Healthy Fatty Meats You Can Smoke
Expert Advice: Should I Smoke Meat Fat-Side Up or Fat-Side Down?

To help you further on the process of becoming a pitmaster we created a free e-book:

Learn the tips & tricks of barbecue, from choosing the best grill and smoker to the best cuts of meat to start with. Also, read the pit master’s techniques and secrets to reach the perfect flavor.

+ 20 Free Recipes & Smoking Wood Pairing Chart!

And Bonus Internal Temperature Guide!

<< Download Free E-book >>

The post How to De-Fat the Drippings From Smoked Meat appeared first on Bradley Smokers North America.