Smoking is a long and proven tradition to process protein. It is known to be healthier than frying or grilling, simply because you can have proteins such as beef, poultry, and seafood cooked at low temperatures to produce a very tender and flavorful dish.
Smoking is a lot easier than it was a few years ago. A lot of smaller restaurants and cooking enthusiasts at home are starting to smoke their own meat to get the best results. If you’re interested in giving smoking meat at home a try, here are a few basic things you need to know.
Pick a Good Electric Smoker
The avid smoking fans will tell you that you can get much better flavors using the more traditional wooden or charcoal smokers. This is true to a certain degree, but modern electric smokers are worthy alternatives to consider too.
Electric smokers are far more advanced and allow you to benefit from consistent results. You can still get a smoky flavor that is unique to traditional smokers by using the right wood chips, adding herbs, and allowing the meat to absorb flavors by letting it sit overnight.
Electric smokers are also easier to use in general, making them perfect for beginners. You can find the best smokers to pick up depending on your personal preferences with the help of review sites such as electricsmokercenter.com.
Choosing Wood Chips
As mentioned before, you can still get a smoky flavor by using the right wood chips. Keep in mind that wood chips are designed to produce different flavors when used to smoke meat. Choosing the right wood chips according to the flavor you want to achieve is one of the first things you should learn in the beginning.
Oak, for example, is great for bigger cuts of red meat. It is perfect for smoking over an extended period of time due to the more neutral and subtle flavor this type of wood produces. If you’re smoking pork, you can also go with apple or cherry wood chips to get that sweet flavor.
Mesquite, on the other hand, has a strong, unmistakable flavor. It is perfect for proteins that require only a short amount of time in the electric smoker, such as smaller cuts of red meat or seafood.
Know Your Protein
The last thing you want to master when you’re just getting started with smoking meat at home is the proteins you can smoke. Each meat requires specific handling to get the best results. A good example is when you want to smoke seasoned red meat. Wrapping the meat in aluminum foil and letting it sit overnight before smoking will bring out the best flavors.
With seafood, you want to keep the smoking time as short as possible. Seafood isn’t a durable protein, so to speak, and you want to be extra careful when smoking salmon or shrimp to maintain its stunning texture.
Smoking meat is a lot of fun. The more you learn the basics, the more you will find it interesting to explore. With the basic tips and tricks we have covered in this article, you can get started with smoking meat at home right away.