Grilling is cooking meat over direct or indirect heat.
Smoking is cooking meat inside a closed space where the temperature is controlled, allowing the natural smoke from burning combustibles to flow over the meat. Could there be another cooking method that captures the primordial essence of cooking more than smoking?
Wood. Fire. Smoke. Meat. Fat. Flavor. The constant action of allowing smoke to gradually surround and slowly heat the meat causing the fats and collagens to melt and enter, imparting wonderful and varied flavors, is an addicting affair both to cook and to eat. Smoked meats are often called barbecue in most parts of the country, and any BBQ joint in the country worth its salt is smoking its meat in some fashion.
BUT OK, I GET IT! There is a very enthusiastic group of grillers and smokers who swear by their pellet grill and wouldn’t use anything else for their BBQing. You pour the pellets into the hopper, and then the auger moves the pellets into the firebox, where they are ignited to produce heat and smoke. Above the firebox lies the heat diffuser, which distributes the heat evenly and prevents flair-ups.
You can set the temperature and even the cooking time with a knob, very much like you do with an oven. So automatically regulating the amount of heat, thus smoke, helps make the grilling process simple and mindless.
There is also a fan that circulates the heat and smoke. There’s even an app now, so you don’t even need to be at your pellet grill to set it and watch it. And pellets come in all kinds of wood flavors, so just pick your desired smoke taste. This is an exceptionally easy way to grill and smoke. Throw on your steak and walk away!
So, what’s wrong with trying to smoke meats using a pellet grill? (Spoiler: The Meat Doesn’t Taste As Good, Here’s Why)
The pellet grill was invented so competition smokers could get some well-needed sleep while smoking a brisket for 18 hours. The problem for the competitors was that a pellet grill just could not produce enough smoke to alter the flavor of the meat.
This can only happen when you smoke meats with chunks of wood allowing the smoke to flow indirectly at a low temperature for a long period of time. A pellet grill cannot possibly produce enough smoke because you are not using chunks of wood or charcoal at a very low temperature with an indirect heat source.
Just for clarification, a pellet grill works beautifully for grilling your steak. And according to some, you can even bake, roast, and braise on your pellet grill. But using a pellet grill to actually smoke meats is a frustrating use of your precious time, money, and energy.
The folks over at Napoleon perfectly describe what happens to meat as it smokes,
“But really, it’s any meat that benefits from a low and slow, long cooking treatment to get the best results. The thing these meats have in common is that they are full of connective tissue.
This tissue is filled with collagen. Collagen, when cooked fast, contracts and gains the texture of a rubber band making your meat tough. But if you smoke or slow roast something, like a brisket, then the collagen breaks down and melts. While melting, water gets into this collagen and creates gelatin, basically giving you meat jello, which makes your meat tender, juicy, and flavorful.
Triglycerides, or meat fat, are saturated fatty acids found in meat. These fatty acids have high melting points. That means that when you are smoking meats at lower temperatures for longer periods, those fats melt. This process is called rendering, and it is integral to making your meat juicy and flavorful.”
A wood smoker is rich in tradition, and for the above reasons, BBQ purists consider it the only way to smoke meats.
It is specially created to draw a thick blanket of smoke from the wood indirectly over the meat for a long period of time to break down the collagen and fats, thus imparting delicious and remarkable texture and flavors into your meat.
A wood smoker has three main components that allow air to flow through it, thus allowing the smoke to flow freely over the meat.
The firebox – is located on the side of the offset smoker and this is where the fire is started and kept burning. It has dampers that are manually opened and closed to control the flow of air and smoke.
The grill – is where the meat is placed for the smoke to flow over it.This is referred to as the cooking chamber or “real estate” by the smoking community.
The chimney – is where the smoke is released and allowed to escape after it has done its job of imparting wonderful flavors to your meat. It, too, has a damper, which you use to either hold in the heat and smoke or release it.
But, let’s face it, wood smoking requires time, patience, and skill—a skill you will develop over time by trial and error.
Traditional wood smoking is eagerly pursued by smoking enthusiasts because of the learned skill, knowledge, and commitment required to master wood smoking. Wood smoking demands constant observation, awareness, and attention. The secret to great wood smoking is the fact that it is totally controlled by you, and only you, and not some automated machine.
Wood smoking has soul, not machine oil. It’s just you, the wood, the fire, the smoke, and the meat, and taking the time required to ensure the combination of all four is correct. Wood smoking is a commitment to a very lengthy learning curve with extreme highs and lows. Highs when you succeed, lows when you fail. And you will do both, finding satisfaction in the process.
Plus, there is a pot of gold at the end of the smoking rainbow. Actually two.
The flavor you created with the smoke that now happily lives in the meat is yours to taste and enjoy. Adjectives are just words that can’t correctly describe how truly remarkable your meat is. It is indescribable.
And now, the sense of pride and accomplishment in an intense and time-consuming job well done is also indescribable. YOU did it. YOU accomplished it. YOU with your four friends. Now, you are a member of the wood smoker brotherhood in good standing, and we welcome you warmly with smoke-smelling open arms.
So, while a pellet grill will give your meat a light smokey taste from being grilled with a gentle breeze of smoke, smoking meats with wood over indirect heat at a low temperature for a long period of time is really the only definition of smoking. And that is why, after 30 years of smoking, I never switched to a pellet grill.
Let us know down in the comments what you think.
You’d be dead wrong. Pellet grills produce plenty of smokey flavor now, they’ve come a long way in a very short amount of time. My ribs, brisket, tri-tip, london broil & everything else I do on my pellet smokers has a good smokey flavor & a wonderful smoke ring in the meat, as does the obligatory turkey I do once a year for thanksgiving. & infact pellet smokers help prevent you from over smoking the meat. Traeger & pit boss smokers both do wonderful & give plenty of smoke flavor.
Though I think some of these comments are a little harsh. I have to agree with alot of them. I have used a pellet grill for 2 years now. I used a side box smoker for almost 14 years before that. Replaced the fire box at 1 point as well. I used it alot. I ebjoy when people enjoy what i cook. Slow smoked salmon after 48 hours of brine prep. Ribs, butt, chicken. All my friends loved what I cooked. When I made my switch. Everyone still loved it. There are only a few things that changed.
1. I can predict to the minute when the food will be ready. So now my friends can come for the food and don’t have to put up with my dull personality for the extra hour or two.
2. I use it more than ever before. Every weekend some times twice. Middle of the week to throw some pork chops on for 30 min. The whole “supposedly you can bake and roast with it” comment was weak. Yes you can. Normal stuff you would oven or grill cook. You can now add that hint of smoke to. I can still grill make my burgers and dogs.
3. I have a much better control of the flavor. 10 dollar smoke tube was great when I want to fully submerge my meat in smoke. But there is more to smoke than just meat. And some times a hint of smoke it perfect. Some bree for 15 minutes. Slow smoke some wings then turn it up and crisp them. A good long marinade and a hint of smoke on some chicken quarter.
I get the idea that for some reason a pellet grill feels like cheating. It’s too easy. It shouldn’t be this easy. For 14 years I had to put the work in. Checking my fire. I had to trust that after 8 hours my butt would be at 165. You don’t what to test the temp more than once cause that hole will let juice out. It’s not quite there. It’s hit the stall a little early. Or it didn’t hit the stall till after you wrapped it. Did I mess up. Did it cool too much before I put more coals and a log on. I forgot to soak my wood the night before. It only got 6 hours. Is it burning too quick. Shit. I’m going to have to drive 2 hours to get some pecan wood. I need to set my alarm for 2am. 4am. 6 am. Got to make sure the fire doesn’t go out of flare up and burn to quickly. You know what customer I don’t care what you need. I have food to go hame and smoke. Find another employee help you find your flux capacitor.
I have felt the anxiety that I screwed it up. But for some luck of the Scottish I never did. Or everyone was way too nice to tell me it sucked. Or they really meant I should get my own truck and call it the very suggestive name they recommended.
I also felt like I was betraying some primordial god of fire and meat when I made the switch. That didn’t last long.
Wait. I can cover my grill 30 minutes after turning it off. Less stain. Less ash. Less clean up.
Consistent taste, time, and effort.
I can focus more on prep, seasoning, flavor.
I did use my fire box smoker atleast twice a month. I enjoyed the task. Didn’t make it any less stressful. As I said I cold smoked salmon the only time my mother has ever liked salmon on a mother’s day. My ac also went out so I had to stack boxes the keep the salmon at 70 while the brine dried the night before. I also had to shim the lid to the smoker to keep it below 100 for 2 hours so the albumin didn’t cook out. 2 at 115 then 125 for 2. It was so tasty. Never again with that crap.
Most of what I read was a distinct dislike for pellet grill because it’s not has hard. Yes, Joe Dedoo down the block can now smoke a quality butt. Yes a schmuck and a ball drain. But now he can make something people might confuse as great. It will never take the place of the things I have found that truly matter with a good low and slow cooked slab of meat.
The prep
The rub
The care
Man. I pulled a brisket off the one before last. Man it was dripping. Butcher paper and cooler were soaked. Started pulling it out and ask for a towel to be put under the cutting board. Started cutting and it just leaked. Felt bad because i smoked it at home a tranported it while it did its 2 hrs. The towel didnt help. Still dripped down the cabinets. Yes i took some pride in that. It melted in your mouth. Man it was good. Nit a whole lot left for a 15lb and 5 people.
Over the Top Chili was pretty darn good too.
Let Joe schmo and his shcmo friends think they did good. Are you really cooking to impress them.
Get a pellet and do some cooking. Use it. Test it. But test your flavors and rubs and marinades. I was never accused of over smoking. But I can taste my meats and rubs much more than I use to. My prep means so much more now. So give pellet smoke a few years and then write this article.
100% incorrect. While a stick burner certainly imparts more smoke, a pellet grill does just fine on anything low and slow (most BBQ cuts). The fact that the author uses “steak” as an example proves he has never grilled or smoked a thing in his life. If anything, a pellet smoker doesn’t grill/sear as good as a live flame, but I reverse sear steaks on my Traeger all the time and they take on great smoke flavor.
I hate to break it to you, But you’re wrong.
You obviously haven’t tried the Camp.Chef Pro Woodwind. Not only a pellet grill, but with the additional smoke box, it is a game changer. In fact, I’m willing to bet it up against your smoker.
I’ve used smokers before I had my pellet grill and usually they would win out. However was the Camp Chef Pro Woodwind, it changes what would normally be a clear victory for the traditional smoker.
Just saying.
Since we’re quoting Napoleon grills, I have a Napoleon 665 Prestige Pro with a built in smoke box. It clearly suggested not to filled the box with too many wood chips because you only “need a HINT of smoke for smoke flavoring, too much smoke may result bitter tasting food”. I bought a Traeger junior (the smallest one) 14 years ago, that thing was smoke filled every 3 minutes, it finally died on me last year. I also bought a Napoleon Prestige 665 Pro built in, smoking according to Napoleon suggestion, “hint of smoke”, my ribs tastes like my Traeger of 14 years ago, smoking is for flavoring, but slowly cooking, whether on a pellet smoker, grill, or offset smoker will result in rendering.
It’s been 30 years. I think the technology is changed a lot since you’ve been grilling. Pellet grills provide a lot more flavor than you are suggesting. A lot of great 5.0 star rated recipes out there via Google too. I’d suggest you grab a pellet grill and start with a 5-hour short stack beef rib recipe. Get some hickory pellets and you’re good to go. You can really cook anything at 325 for 60 to 90 minutes, makes anything taste good. Be sure to use the probe for best results. You may complete a 180 in your barbecue world.
You may have all sorts of credentials I don’t have, but I will give you my opinion anyway.
I am very happy with my pellet smoker that I have been using 4 years. Smoking has become a new hobby for me and those who have had a chance to taste what I smoke do nothing but rave about the results.
I do have a device that enables me to add additional smoke if I feel I need it, and I will use that now and then for leaner cuts that won’t spend the whole day in the smoker.
I totally agree. I have been smoking meat for about 30 years and have tried all different types of smokers. Nothing that I have tried gives you the taste and texture in your meat that a wood smoker gives you. Over time you experiment with different recipes and different woods and heat and through that process you get experience. You gain knowledge of the meat and what it takes to make yours just a little above what your friends and neighbors are cooking. These other methods won’t give you the bragging rights that you will get with a wood smoker. I agree that some other methods are much easier, but putting in the extra time and work is well worth it when everybody sits down to enjoy what you have created!!
1st timer. Willing to spend around one thousand dollars. Can you recommend a smoker to buy.
Your story is wrong and misleading. I would never trade my pellet grill for a wood smoker at 3-4 times the cost. The easy answer to the smoke issue is to just add a Smoke Tube for Pellet Smoker,… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JGVBKN3?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Otherwise being able to control temp from a phone app makes smoking easy and results consistent.