Get Your Grill On

Here’s some BBQ tips from our friends at the National Barbecue Association…

Facts on Types of Smoking Processes:

Cold Smoke:

• Smoking occurs at 70°F to 100°F, imparting flavor without firming proteins. Items may be cold smoked, then finished in the oven. 80 degrees is average in a smoke house. There will be slight dehydration but very little actual cooking.

Hot Smoke:

• Smoking occurs at 160°F to 225°F, imparting flavor and cooking the product. Temperature of smokehouse 160°F for all sausage (casings) 185°F for all solid meats.

Final internal temperature of uncured hot smoked items

• Beef (suitable cuts) 130°F to 135°F for rare

Methods:
Addition of smoke to an item that will be finished by some other cooking method.

Conventional:

• More smoke flavor, the air does not circulate as much.Product must be dry.

Convection:

• Less smoke flavor because the air is being circulated.Product does not have to be dry because of the air circulation.

Pan:

• Pan smoking gives a lot of flavor in short period of time. Can be done with no special equipment.

Key Cooking and Smoking temperatures:

• 103°F Proteins begin to set or denature
• 137.5°F Trichinosis bacteria is killed
• 155°F Federal requirement for cooking pork
• 155°F All meats
• 160°F All proteins are coagulated
• 165°F Federal requirement for cooking all poultry