Useful Tips for Cooking
over the Grill or Smoker

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

While each tip can mostly stand alone, it is best to read them all and incorporate them into an overall assault on the grill. Be sure to have your assault well fortified with your favorite beverage! Today's tip is: Wood vs. Charcoal

OK, we all want to barbecue our meat and produce the most flavorful meal on the block or even in the county. Well, here are some ideas for you to ponder.

First, we do not recommend using freshly cut, green wood that has not had the moisture cooked out of it. The resins and other constituents have the effect of tainting the flavor of your meat. Charcoal, on the other hand has much of the wood flavor cooked out. Not all flavor, but considerable. The smoky flavor you taste comes as much from the fats and juices dripping on the coals and then rising in the form of smoky flavor. Always burn the wood down to red hot coals before adding to the fire.

You might also try locating small raw pieces of wood, wood shavings or even hardwood sawdust from a person or company doing woodworking. Even a school wood shop has bins of sawdust. Sprinkle or place these on the coals for additional wood flavoring. Even better, these small pieces of wood are probably free! Good luck!