How to Achieve the Perfect Smoked Flavor When Grilling

Outdoor grilling is a beloved tradition and growing trend in homes across the country. Getting that intense smoky flavor that everyone loves often requires a dedicated smoker. But we are going to show you how to achieve the perfect smoked flavor when grilling.

As we dive into autumn, this is a time of year when smoked meats and poultry are especially popular. Whether it's smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving or holiday pork, we want to give you the tools to experiment with smoke on your gas grill.

Types of Meat That are Ideal for Smoking

First, let's start with the perfect meat to smoke. Fans of all-things-smoke believe you can smoke anything you can grill. Traditional foods for smoking include ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, pork loin, turkey breast, and whole chickens and turkeys, but most people stick with their favorite cut of beef or pork.

Regardless of which meat or poultry you choose, the process of smoking remains the same. Using a steady low cooking temperature and your favorite hardwood, smoking is and long and slow process that infuses the food with a mesquite aroma. The low heat and hot smoke cook the food throughout, breaking down tissue for fall off the bone texture and tenderness.

Wood Chips and Soaking Them Before Use

Before you start smoking, it is essential to soak your wood chips. If you decide to cook directly over a fire or charcoal, pre-soaked wood chips will prevent the food from tasting like an ashtray. You can either place them in water and let them soak for up to 30 minutes before use or wrap the soaked chips in aluminum foil and put them away from the direct heat source under your grill.

When adding wood chips to your gas grill, place them somewhere on the grill to stay until the food finishes cooking. You could put it on the grates or even just beside the flame if possible. If using a charcoal grill, scatter the wood chips over the hot coals or place them in a smoker box if your grill has one.

Smoke Your Favorite Dishes with a Hybrid Grill from American Made Grills

Although it is possible to use any grill for smoking, using one of our hybrid gas grills makes it easy and fun. A hybrid grill allows you to cook food with multiple types of fuels individually or simultaneously. The Muscle Grill and Encore are two hybrid grills from American Made Grills that provide unmatched power and flexibility for whatever grilling technique you want to try.

Patented fuel trays allow you to use any solid fuel, from charcoal and lump coal to hardwoods and pellets. The powerful gas burners provide the convenience of natural gas or propane for quick grilling or lighting of solid fuels. In the case of smoking, place soaked wood chips in one of the fuel trays and lump coal in the other fuel trays to create a smoky indirect heat environment.

Hybrid grills bring charcoal, gas, and smoke together in a high-performance package, the pinnacle of outdoor cooking flexibility and innovation. Configure your hybrid grill today for the ultimate grilling experience!