Below we offer the top-tips for overall successful Low 'n Slow cooking suggestions. These tips will will make all of your meals worth talking about. Thoughts about "smoking" meats:
Suggestion #1: Now, before the weather gets oppressive, is a great time to get outdoors and do some long, slow cooking on the pit. Spring can be a delightful time to be outdoors. Just be cautious that you take temperatures, wind and possible rain in to considerations as each could affect the cooking times.
Suggestion #2: This will take hours, not minutes, so plan accordingly. Allow plenty of prep time, cooking time and cleanup time. This will afford you a pleasant opportunity to relax. Being hurried, impatient, worried, as Smoky always says, makes the meat tough!
Suggestion #3: Make sure you have a drip pan to catch the juices as most cooked meats drip grease as they cook. In grilling, these juices burn up, but in smoking (or better called barbecuing) they accumulate. You might use either a disposable pan or line it with aluminum foil.
Suggestion #4: Use your instant read meat thermometer to judge when your meat is done to perfection. All too many people will guess when the meat is done and then be disappointed when it is dried out or under done. With the use of a meat thermometer, you can insure consistent results every time. Your thermometer will not lie!
Suggestion #5: After the meat has cooked for about 1/2 of the total cooking time, you should baste the meat with a mop sauce every 30 minutes or so. This mop sauce will add flavor and moisture back into the meats and help keep the tasty and moist. Most pros use either a spray bottle or a basting mop to baste the meat.
Suggestion #6: In order to add even more flavor and moisture to the meat, many like to inject the meat with the same basting sauces. Folks inject items such as turkey, chicken, butts, shoulders, whole hogs and many others. You may use a meat injector to accomplish this task.
Suggestion #7: Most smoking/barbecuing occurs between the temperatures of about 210°F and 250°. We have much more on proper cooking temperatures at Temperatures. There are also lots of pit thermometers, meat thermometers and wireless thermometers to help you monitor the correct cooking temps.
Suggestion #8: Last, but not least, we need smoke! There are many different methods of applying smoke flavor to your meats. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND LIQUID SMOKE! We would, however, suggest you consider using wood chips or smoking pellets with smoker boxes, wood chunks or even natural lump charcoal. Each of these natural products will provide you with clean, smooth smoky flavor. You might also consider using a Smoke Generator.
Enjoy! |