Pellet smokers and grills have become close to an essential item at home, especially for people who enjoy having company, chugs, and conversations over a carefully charred piece of meat.
If you’re one of those, who have found themselves in a jiffy researching how to make things work and even going all out to read up on a grilla silverbac review just trying to make friends with your griller, worry not! We’re here to make it a bit more accessible.
1. Get to Know Your Meat
Getting to know the meat you’re cooking means understanding that each cut is different and will require different cooking techniques. Even when smoking up vegetables or cheeses, you’ll need to research the best temperature and cooking time to be grilling them to perfection.
Additionally, you should check if it’s best to leave it unattended, if they’ll need more frequent basting, and what the tenderness should be when they’re cooked right.
2. Good Meat Begets Good Pellets
If you know your meat, you should also know the specific wood pellets that will create the perfect complement to develop its best flavour profile. Even if you purchase expensive or supposedly great pellets, how you store them will also matter.
Store your pellets in a plastic bin that keeps them dry and away from direct sunlight. A badly stored pellet can create trouble with your auger, and the work needed on your end to get that blockage out will be tedious.
3. Grill Like Baking
Treating your griller or your smoker as an oven is probably one of the best tips for getting to know it better. It functions as an oven with an added smokiness that usually works with a lot more dishes.
Your griller requires you to preheat to check the temperature (inside the oven, inside the meat, and outside of the machine). These variables matter in the overall outcome.
An added pro tip if you’re looking to get creative with your dishes is to use your griller for recipes that call for baking in an oven. Think about which food (or even pastries) would taste way better if smoked rather than just baked!
4. The Thermometer Says More than Just Time
Keeping a thermometer in the meat, you’re grilling is the best way to gauge if it’s perfectly cooked. The recipe you’re following might not be accurate in terms of cooking time because of external factors such as outdoor temperature changes.
This is why the thermometer stuck on the meat will help you accurately read how cooked it is rather than mere cooking time. Utilize the thermometer that goes with your grill, or if it doesn’t come with the grill, then make sure you buy one.
This will also lessen the chances of you opening and reopening the chamber and letting out all that heat, which changes the temperatures.
5. The Upper Racks Have a Purpose
If you’re cooking different cuts of meat or smoking up a big batch, make sure you utilize your upper racks. They keep the meat relatively away from the heat source, so you can put those almost done up on the rack while you put the next batch on the main.
Upper racks will also help you cook different cuts of meat simultaneously; you can use them for the thinner cuts or those that require less cooking time. Since they’re distanced from the main heat, they’ll cook alongside the thicker cuts but will not get burnt or overcooked.
6. Look Into the Effects of Reverse Sear
One of the biggest strengths of a pellet griller is that it delivers a well reversed seared meat. If you’ve done this with your oven and a trust skillet, you can do the same with your upper racks and the main.
Cook the insides of the meat using your upper rack and in low heat. When they’re just about the doneness you’re looking for, crank up the temperature and then transfer them to the main to get that perfect reverse sear.
7. Clean Your Griller Well
The last thing you want in anything touching food is nasty grime and leftover buildup. More so, all of those can create horrible smoke on a griller. This is why it is truly important to ensure that you clean your griller well every 3 to 5 times you use it and to use proper tools for the job.
BONUS: Make Pizza Parties Happen
Yes, you read that right. You can make the coolest pizza parties happen with your trusty pellet griller. You can check on your local supplier and get a pizza stone attachment for your griller, and then, just like Tip # 3 above, smoke up and bake those pizzas for the crew.
The attachment will have a dome, and this part of the stone will create the controlled heat to create the delicious crust. Its material will also allow you to make perfect Italian pizzas with the added flavorful smokiness that only your griller can provide.
So, what’s the hold-up? Befriend that griller. Make even better recipes. Call the crew over for this weekend’s barbecue!
