Take a tip from the experts: use BBQ wood chips to spice up your grilling. Connoisseurs know that good barbeque takes a lot more than just slapping some meat on a grill. Renowned experts in the field such as Bobby Flay, Dave Foley, Butch Lupinetti and many others swear by BBQ wood chips. With the summer grilling season upon us, here are some tips on how to introduce BBQ wood chips into your grilling and start cooking like the pros.
What are BBQ wood chips and why use them? These wood chips are very small pieces of wood added to your BBQ that will create smoke. If you're not already using wood to cook your food, the only way you're going to get true smoke flavor is to add wood to your grill fire.
Using BBQ wood chips can send your grilling into the stratosphere. Whether you use a charcoal, gas or electric grill, wood chips will give you authentic barbecue flavor. You can also buy a special smoker box to place in your gas or charcoal grill so that you can get that "wood smoke" flavor. Read the instructions for your particular grill before you try doing this.
The key to using wood chips is to not let them burn too quickly. This creates intense bursts of smoke that can make food bitter. By soaking wood chips in water for about 15 minutes you can slow down the combustion and lengthen the time in which the smoke is created. Make sure you let the wood drip dry for a few minutes before you add it to the fire. You want the wood moist, not dripping wet.
If you're using a smoker in your grill, it's probably not necessary to soak the wood chips before you use them. Soaking wood chips will let them burn longer, but if you're cooking a steak, you probably don't want a long, slow grilling.
Wood chips are available in a large range of varieties that cater to all tastes; your local vendor should be able to advise you on pairing a wood chip with a particular meat.
In general, if your meat is lighter, you'll need a milder wood chip flavor. You can also try "heavier" flavors with lighter meats, though, such as using mesquite with chicken. If you're going to do this, try using a few wood chips instead of a lot to see what this does to your flavor.
Alder wood chips have a mild flavor and are recommended for use with seafood and pork. Fruit wood chips are also mild and are best used with poultry, veal and pork. Fruit woods include apple and cherry.
Hickory or maple barbecue wood chips are strongly flavored and should be used with poultry, pork or beef. Lamb, duck and beef also are great meats to use with strong mesquite wood chips. Beef or ham go well with oak wood chips, which is another strong wood chip flavor.
Just remember that BBQ wood chips are a flavor enhancer and not the meal itself, so don't skimp on your meats! Make sure you have a good cut that is fresh and well prepared. Otherwise, your fancy wood chips will just be going to waste on an inferior piece of meat that no amount of grilling expertise can retrieve.
If you want to grill a great piece of meat, then try using barbecue wood chips to enhance the flavor and aroma you already get when you grill out. - 15359
What are BBQ wood chips and why use them? These wood chips are very small pieces of wood added to your BBQ that will create smoke. If you're not already using wood to cook your food, the only way you're going to get true smoke flavor is to add wood to your grill fire.
Using BBQ wood chips can send your grilling into the stratosphere. Whether you use a charcoal, gas or electric grill, wood chips will give you authentic barbecue flavor. You can also buy a special smoker box to place in your gas or charcoal grill so that you can get that "wood smoke" flavor. Read the instructions for your particular grill before you try doing this.
The key to using wood chips is to not let them burn too quickly. This creates intense bursts of smoke that can make food bitter. By soaking wood chips in water for about 15 minutes you can slow down the combustion and lengthen the time in which the smoke is created. Make sure you let the wood drip dry for a few minutes before you add it to the fire. You want the wood moist, not dripping wet.
If you're using a smoker in your grill, it's probably not necessary to soak the wood chips before you use them. Soaking wood chips will let them burn longer, but if you're cooking a steak, you probably don't want a long, slow grilling.
Wood chips are available in a large range of varieties that cater to all tastes; your local vendor should be able to advise you on pairing a wood chip with a particular meat.
In general, if your meat is lighter, you'll need a milder wood chip flavor. You can also try "heavier" flavors with lighter meats, though, such as using mesquite with chicken. If you're going to do this, try using a few wood chips instead of a lot to see what this does to your flavor.
Alder wood chips have a mild flavor and are recommended for use with seafood and pork. Fruit wood chips are also mild and are best used with poultry, veal and pork. Fruit woods include apple and cherry.
Hickory or maple barbecue wood chips are strongly flavored and should be used with poultry, pork or beef. Lamb, duck and beef also are great meats to use with strong mesquite wood chips. Beef or ham go well with oak wood chips, which is another strong wood chip flavor.
Just remember that BBQ wood chips are a flavor enhancer and not the meal itself, so don't skimp on your meats! Make sure you have a good cut that is fresh and well prepared. Otherwise, your fancy wood chips will just be going to waste on an inferior piece of meat that no amount of grilling expertise can retrieve.
If you want to grill a great piece of meat, then try using barbecue wood chips to enhance the flavor and aroma you already get when you grill out. - 15359
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