With the surge of new grilling and smoking technology, pit masters around the world have come to a standstill debate – can you SMOKE meat on pellet grills and have it come out just as good as a traditional wood smoker? 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. There is a very enthusiastic group of grillers and smokers who swear by their pellet grills and wouldn’t use anything else for their BBQing. But let me tell you, this isn’t just some backyard discussion. From BBQ newbies to professional smokers – everyone has picked a side and is prepared to die on their chosen hill.
I brought this question to an old school pit master, Keith, and he detailed why he’d never (EVER) switch to a Pellet Grill. Let’s get into it.
Grilling Vs. Smoking: Can Pellet Grills Do Both?
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. The constant action of allowing smoke to gradually surround and slowly heat the meat causes the fats and collagen to melt, imparting wonderful and varied flavors.
For a pellet grill, 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 flare-ups.
You can set the temperature and even the cooking time with a knob, very much like you do with an oven. Automatically regulating the amount of heat, thus smoke, helps make the grilling and smoking process simple and mindless.
A fan circulates the heat and smoke to keep it as even as possible. There’s an app as well 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 you’re able to 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? The old school pit master swears that the meat just doesn’t taste as good. Here’s what he had to say to every argument I brought his way…
Smoking Meat on Pellet Grills: Convenience
One of the go-to arguments for smoking meat on the pellet grill is the convenience. You just can’t beat it. The pellet grill was invented so competition smokers could get some well-needed sleep while smoking a brisket for 18 hours. However, Keith claims that a major 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. Keith is determined that 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.
One of the greatest advantages of pellet smokers is their incredible user-friendliness (which makes them extremely convenient). Unlike traditional grills that require constant monitoring and adjustments, pellet smokers are designed with convenience in mind. Think of fathers with a wild group of kids, in a cul-de-sac, hanging around the pool…a pellet grill is a fantastic option rather than a traditional smoker. It’s like having a personal BBQ assistant. This “set it and forget it” approach lets them fully enjoy the company of family and friends rather than being tied to the grill all the time. It even has a simple overnight cooking process, so something like smoking a brisket is feasible without the skill that is traditionally needed.
But the old school pit master says skill is what matters, not convenience. It’s great that the pellet grill works well for busy men, but he’ll take the slow and low route every time. Wood smoking requires time, patience, and skill—a skill you develop over time by trial and error.
Traditional Taste
When it comes to taste, it’s important to know how smoked meat gets its unique flavor. The folks over at Napoleon describe it best:
“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.”
BBQ purists (like the old school pit master) consider it the only way to smoke meats.
Old school smokers are 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.
With a pellet grill, you’re able to leverage a steady, controlled heat and infuse a controlled flow of smoke from the wood pellets to unfailingly yield tender, juicy, and flavorful food every time.
So, while a pellet grill will give your meat a light smoky 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 another reason why, after 30 years of smoking, Keith will never switch to a pellet grill.
Want to grill a steak? A pellet grill works beautifully. 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 (according to the old school pit master who refuses to see it any other way).
Versatile Technology
Largely due to the added technology, pellet smokers are incredibly versatile. You can smoke meats to perfection, but also grill, bake, roast, braise, and even sear using them. Imagine baking a pizza with some wood-fired flavor or roasting a Thanksgiving turkey with a hint of smokiness.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, this is a holiday that can really get the most out of a pellet smoker. There are special turkey blends of wood pellets that bring in some unique flavors from hickory, maple, and rosemary. You could effortlessly make a delicious and juicy turkey while at the same time, bake a whiskey-infused pie. And if that isn’t enough, throw veggies right on the same smoker, delivering half of the Thanksgiving feast right from the pellet grill. It’s extremely versatile!
On the other hand, a traditional wood smoker has three main components that allow air to flow through it, thus allowing the smoke to flow freely over the meat.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
A pellet grill is very versatile, allowing a machine to do most of the work, however, 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.
Smoking Meat on Pellet Grills: Consistency
Consistency is essential when it comes to smoking meats, and let me tell you, pellet smokers excel at maintaining a steady and consistent temperature. Thanks to advanced technology like digital controllers and thermostats, you can be confident that the temperature will typically stay within just a few degrees of your desired setting.
This precise control is perfect for smoking meats like ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket that need long, slow cooking times. So don’t be afraid to lean into the technology, and say goodbye to the days of burnouts, flare-ups, and temperature fluctuations that can ruin a perfectly good brisket.
Keith, the pit master, says this is exactly what makes wood smoking such a skill. You are the one who has to learn how to keep it consistent every time, and once you’ve done so, then you can be awarded a name like “pit master.” Any person who wants true accolades will put in the time and effort to learn.
Pellet Grills vs Traditional Wood Smokers: The True Argument
The old school pit master’s greatest argument is that 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, the sense of pride and accomplishment in an intense and time-consuming job well done is also indescribable. YOU did it. YOU accomplished it, with your four friends. Now, you are a member of the wood smoker brotherhood in good standing and are welcomed warmly by smoke-smelling open arms.
Each type of grill has its own unique charm and brings something special to the table. While pellet smokers may offer convenience and consistency, the essence of barbecuing lies in the shared moments and the love put into every meal. So, whether you’re a die-hard charcoal fan or a pellet smoker enthusiast, remember that the best BBQ is the one you enjoy making and sharing with those you love.
So, what do you think? Ready to add a pellet smoker to the mix or are you sticking to a traditional wood smoker?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
