Table of Contents
First and foremost, we have to realize that cooking with an open flame, charcoal, or propane burner is quite different from cooking and smoking meats using an electric smoker in which the preparation of the meats to be cooking needs more attention to detail. Basically, open pit fires, charcoal roasting, and barbecuing require you to make preparations for your meats. Such as marinating them from as short as a few hours to well over a day to make sure. That the flavors of the condiments get fairly absorbed into the meat. Again, open pit cooking usually cooks your meat faster from the outside. And usually incurs a lot of burnt portions before adequately cooking the inside part.
Though a somewhat mildly burnt meat does taste rather flavorful. It is only to some rare cases that you end up with perfectly cooked meat using an open pit fire. Open-pit fires are usually unpredictable at times and they tend to flare up, more particularly. When the oily drippings that are excreting from the meat come in contact. And with the charcoal, causing the flame to burn your meats.
Outdoor wind factor
There is also the outdoor wind factor to consider that causes the meats to become prematurely overcooked from the outside. And leaving them a bit raw inside. Most of what you should expect from cooking using an open flame or charcoal. That it is not a decent means of trying gourmet meal and that is where electric smokers come. The open-pit fire roasting and barbecuing fall short in providing a decent and presentable way of cooking your meats.
Electric smokers offer
Electric smokers offer you a way of fully controlling the way you cook your meats in regards to smoking. You can have control over every aspect of your cooking as variables. Such as cooking temperature, humidity, cooking time, appearance is dependent upon your own personal discretion. Controlling the way you cook your meats is one of the key advantages of using an electric smoker. But it really is not all that when you really want to end up with a professional-looking roasted. The other factor involves how you prepare your meats prior to smoking them. Its means as much as learning the proper way of how to cook your meats using an electric smoker.
Most professional barbecue roasters and smokers can not give enough importance. And emphasis to the preparation of meat prior to roasting. Them whether you are using an open-pit flame or an electric smoker at that. We will look at the various methods of preparing meat prior to using an electric smoker to give you. That professional gourmet looks that you always wanted on roasted or smoked meats. In comparison with the usual methods such as basting and marinating. There are also other methods in preparing your meats prior to cooking them in an electric smoker. That is somewhat not applicable if you plan to do the same using an open pit flame or charcoal.
Methods of smoking
The following methods of smoking or barbecuing using an electric smoker can be used under controlled variables. And requires a consistent cooking condition that can only be achieved by using an oven or an electric smoker. The biggest influencing variable that affects the end result of your meats flavor, consistency. And appearance is from humidity and temperature consistency. Since open pit cooking is usually done outside, influencing factors. Such as wind and temperature are very decisive in the end result of your meats. Using electric smokers rids the constantly changing variables and gives you a very consistent result in regards to your cooking.
Smoking
Whether that be Beef, Chicken, Pork, or even Fish, smoking meat needs the essential method of making “pellicle” develop. On the surface of the meat prior to bringing it with salt. Or other essential flavorings before subjecting it to the smoker. The pellicle is the subcutaneous excretion of fluids that are inside the meat fibers.
This is doing exposing the meat in the open air. And just leaving it out for a few hours until a thin scale of pellicle starts to develop the meat. In regards to inducing a smoky flavor and aroma into the meat, the pellicle. That has developed will easily absorb the flavors of the smoke. It should instantly be able to draw in any seasoning that you would like to add into your cooking. The pellicle is also very useful if you would rather put some smoky flavor into your meats first before proceeding to add these smoked meats to other recipes that you are planning to cook.
Marination, Massaging and Injection
Marination has been one of the oldest methods of inducing flavor into meats prior to cooking them. And it is without a doubt, a time-tested method that greatly improves the flavor and consistency of your meats. Not only that it tenderize your meat. But it also improves the flavor and shortens the cooking time by half as well. Marination gives you the convenience of choosing the type of flavoring. That you would want to put inside your meats prior to cooking them in your electric smoker. Barbecue sauce seems to be the most common condiment along with Worcestershire sauce. As a marination base along with a salt brine that seems to work quite well provided. That you let it stand out for at least 3 hours before you cook it.
Others seem to take favor in leaving them soaking for a full day before cooking them to ensure. That the flavors on the marinating base are fully absorbing into the meats. The longer the marinating time, the more flavorful the meat. It hurt to put in a bit of brown sugar into the base to give it a little bit of sweetness. That goes well with the salt brine. Another faster way of ensuring that the marinating base is fully absorbing. The meat is by way of “massaging” the meat as to force into the fibers the flavors of the condiments. It is actually a very effective method of tenderizing the meat at the same time.
There is also a method of using a syringe to deeply introduce the marinated base into the meat. This method can be applied when you are planning to cook a substantially large portion of meat. Such as whole turkey, chicken, or thick pieces of steak. That marinating won’t be enough to properly deliver the flavor into the meat. The injection can also be using to introduce other kinds of flavoring enhancers that can not be doing. By using conventional marinating methods, such as introducing a butter flavor marinate base into a really big turkey.
Using Bacon as an Added Flavoring
Due to bacon’s flavoring, this process meat product is usually mixing into some recipes. That involve chicken and pork for that added tasty flavor. More particularly in smoking meat recipes that use bacon as a filling. As its flavor is slowly drawing out and gets including in the meat’s taste. Most of the time, hickory flavored bacon is using, along with Hickory flavored wood pellets. That really augment the smoky aroma of the meat that is being smoking, and it is more appropriate.
When you use it in smoking meats rather than in roasting or in barbecuing. There are also other examples of chicken meat being wrapping with bacon to give the chicken a different aroma. And it does go beyond the typical smoked chicken taste as bacon has a very pungent aroma. That lingers which gives its distinguishable taste. Except when using it with lamb or fish as it overpowers the taste of these meats. Which is not an ideal flavor since it loses the authenticity of your recipes real flavor.
Different Methods of Brining
Brining typically uses salt diluted into the water as it makes the salt molecules easily absorbed into the meat. As years went on, people became creative and started using other ingredients such as lemon, oranges. And other citrus-based fruit extracts, along with another condiment such as barbecue sauce, catchup.
And even vinegar for that matter, as it gives the meat a tenderizing effect and also a slight tangy taste . Using other spices such as chili peppers, chives, garlic, dill, onion leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage. And even bay leaves can give your meats a unique aroma and flavor. That it brings out the particular taste of meat. Brining is similar to marinating in that the use of port wine, red wine, white wine. And even brandy, can give meats a very different taste. As it penetrates the meat fibers and dilutes the alcohol inside of it.
Beverages in bringing
The effect of using alcoholic beverages in bringing results in a sautéing effect on the meat. While it is cooking inside the electric smoker. It will eventually mix into the flavor of the meat, making it. Even more flavorful and aromatic without losing its original meaty flavor. This is applicable to almost any kind of meat including poultry, veal, pork, and beef except for seafood.
The additional use of sugar along with barbecue and Worcestershire sauce will ultimately result in a somewhat caramelized glazed finish. Which will look very stunningly attractive once you serve it on a platter. Furthermore, what is good about using a sugar-based brine or marinate is that. It will enhance the appearance of your finished product to a gourmet look. And will balance out the saltiness of the meat.
Then again, there are a lot of people that tend to overdo their meats by putting in too many spices. And from an avid barbecue eaters point of view, too much spice is not a very good thing, especially. When you are cooking for guests, since not everybody has the same eating preference as you have. Putting just the right amount of spices as not to overpower the taste of the meat is advising.
If you are cooking in a gathering as it is always easy to add some more spice if necessary. Always remember that the secret to a great roast, barbecue, or smoked meat is the way that. You prepare them prior to setting them into your electric smoker and the rest just naturally follows through. Electric smoker recipes are very easy to make just as long as you follow. The basics of the preparation of the meats before you cook them.