Smoking and BBQ have become somewhat of a regional cultural phenomenon. While smoked foods are eaten all over the country, in the Eastern United States, from Texas to the Carolinas, smoking/BBQ is a “Thing.”
This “Thing” is a culture that has begun, marked by low and slow (Low heat/ slow cooking with smoke). It doesn’t end there, though, as part of that, getting together while sitting around cooking is the desired goal. When fishing or hunting, men often gather for the social aspect as well as the actual act of engaging in the activity. In BBQ and Smoking it is like this, guys get together for both the social aspect as well as the actual act of smoking/BBQ something. The result is a tasty smoky delight.
Salmon Pastrami
The Difference Between BBQ/Smoking and Grilling
Grilling is the application of direct high heat to items such as Steaks and burgers, shrimp and Lobster seafood, and others. Smoking is the application of a lower heat, indirectly, with the addition of smoke. The goal of this is twofold: smoking acts as a flavoring agent and can also serve as a preservation method. The salmon pictured above provides a clear view of the smoke that surrounds a smoked or slow-cooked item, while the artichokes below demonstrate the quick cooking involved in grilling vegetables or a steak.
Grilled Artichokes
Smoked Brisket
What is BBQ and Smoking
Well, neither BBQ nor smoking is really that complicated. It began as a way of preserving products, with smoked fish and meats being the primary focus. It is brined, then it can be dried with smoke as part of the process, which was likely the original goal—preserving meats through the winter and slower hunting times.
It is the act of simmering something, where adding smoke and seasoning (such as dry rub or brine) enhances flavor, and over time, the product reaches a temperature that breaks down any tough tissue that may exist. This tender product is now filled with a variety of flavors, including smoke, seasoning, and the product itself.
The Smoking process introduces something like 200 chemicals in the process of smoking. The toxins released inhibit the formation of microbes. This is what preserving smoked food does. Smoking also helps to reduce the oxidation of fats.
Seasoning VS Finishing
Seasoning involves the addition of spices and flavors in the form of dry rubs, brines, and other ingredients. Flavorings are often bolder because of the intense smoke flavors introduced during the smoking/cooking process.
Seasoning is also achieved through the cooking process, with flavors added through the use of smoke and heat. Smoke adds the distinct flavors from the woods used. The dry heat alters the external texture, while Maillard browning, resulting from sugars and proteins being exposed to high heat, also affects the flavor of the meat.
Ribs
Finishing is the final process performed before completing a cooking process, which gives the dish its final appearance and glaze. You may marinate or brine chicken, smoke it, or cook it on the grill or in the oven. If you had marinated in a BBQ sauce mixture, it would not be exciting in color and luster. Ribs may be seasoned with a dry rub, cooked, and then eaten without BBQ sauce.
Finishing a BBQ chicken dish involves brushing a BBQ sauce on the chicken during the final 20–30 minutes of cooking at 375-400 degrees or on a grill at high heat. This will allow the seasoned meat to be enhanced by the BBQ sauce that adheres to it. It will gloss up due to the caramelization of sugars, creating a glossy finish. This makes for an appealing visual of the chicken, as well as a great-tasting BBQ Chicken.
Finishing ribs would be similar to the process for finishing chicken. If your end product doesn’t include using BBQ, then you would merely finish grilling your cooked ribs on the grill, which would give you a deep bark texture with less sweetness.
If you plan to finish your ribs with BBQ sauce, take your smoked ribs, baste them with the sauce, and expose them to high heat, either on the grill, in the oven, or in your smoker. You aim to caramelize the sugars without burning them.
Dry Rubs
Use a ratio, which means using the same measuring utensil for each ingredient and multiplying by the number. Ex. 1 = 1 Tablespoon, 2 = 2 Tablespoons, or cup, quart, or gallon, depending on how much you are making.
