by Grillers Gold | BBQ Pellets, Flavor
Our wood pellets are made of just that—wood. It’s the only ingredient. Today, we’re going to talk about maple, a great wood for BBQ pellets and more….
Sugar maple trees are neighbors to many of us
There are approximately 128 species, with the largest number native to Asia. Their habitat in North America spreads across the eastern part of Canada (starting in Manitoba) and the north-central US (from Minnesota eastward). A sugar maple typically grows to a height of 80 to 115 feet and can reach 148 feet. A healthy example might live to the age of 400 years, too.
Sugar maple wood is often known as “hard maple” and the tree’s timber has many uses.
The fine-grained wood of the maple is appreciated for the soft sheen it brings to flooring, furniture, and cabinetry. It’s the preferred wood for bowling pins, bowling alley lanes, pool cue shafts, and butcher’s blocks for kitchens.
The maple’s bright autumn foliage is so spectacular, it’s fueled tourism traditions in North America and across Asia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLIw-QU7orKgcmVi97JxjriqAPicedEgxB&v=IRaGyms7gcs
Vermont is the nation’s leading producer of maple syrup. Producing nearly 2 million gallons of syrup in 2016, Vermont generates 47% of the country’s maple syrup.
And It’s not just for syrup!
Maple is a great wood for food flavor. Maple has long been popular for smoking foods. It adds its mellow sweetness and fine flavor to smoked and grilled foods. We proudly mix maple into two of our unique and delicious 100% wood blends – Competition and Fruitwood.
Get Cooking with Maple!
Try this Smoked Maple Chipotle Chicken Breast recipe from The Black Peppercorn. Have your own recipes? Tell us about them on our Facebook and Twitter!
Continue reading this series: Southern Smoke: Hickory
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by Grillers Gold | BBQ, Flavor
Because grass-fed beef is extremely low in fat, nutrition and medical professionals sing its praises. (Grass-fed beef has about the same amount of fat as skinless chicken.) But the extremely low-fat content that delivers those health benefits can also make overcooking a problem. You can avoid disappointment and enjoy your healthy grass-fed beef by using a few key principles:
Watch the clock.
Whatever cooking time a recipe recommends for ‘beef,’ cut the time by 30 percent when you go with grass-fed. And when in doubt, remove the meat sooner rather than later. Even one extra minute can take grilled steak to an overcooked place.
Aim for rare to medium rare.
Grass-fed beef should be served rare to medium rare when grilling. Since the meat has less fat, you definitely don’t want to dry it out.
Bring to room temperature.
Bring to room temperature before cooking. Defrost slowly in the refrigerator or wrapped in plastic and immersed in water. (Never, ever defrost in a microwave.)
Add moisture.
Coat with virgin olive oil, truffle oil, or any light oil. It will enhance flavor, add to browning, and prevent drying. Alternately, cook in liquid to up the moisture content (braising is a great option on a wood pellet grill). And always marinate the leanest cuts, like steak, especially before grilling. Learn more about marinades or try this simple but super-tasty Marinade recipe.
Sear, Baby, Sear!
When you grill grass-fed beef, give a quick sear over medium-high heat to seal in juices, then reduce to medium or low for the rest of your cooking time.
Combine marinating and grilling techniques with this savory recipe for Tamari-orange whiskey kebabs. Use grass fed kebab meat, or cut 1-1/2” cubes from a London broil, sirloin, top round or eye of round.
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by Grillers Gold | Flavor, Grilling
More than ever, you should make a marinade or rub a part of your wood grilling routine. Whether you’re using BBQ wood pellets or any other grilling fuel, rubs and marinades contribute to fuller flavor and more delectable texture. (You probably knew that!)
What’s the Difference?
Marinades are liquids that help tenderize the meat before you cook it, and infuse it with flavor, too. Marinades work best if you let the meat marinate for 30 minutes or longer, depending on the tenderness of the meat you’re cooking. Tender cuts of meat like chicken breasts won’t require long marinating times, but tougher cuts of meat like flank steak for tacos usually require longer marinating times. (Remember: sweet marinades with a lot of sugar in them can burn at high temperatures, so you’ll want to be cautious about following directions regarding heat level and cooking time.)
Rubs are a mix of spices and seasonings that contribute to the development of a delicious crust on the outside of your meat, but don’t aid in tenderizing it. Apply your rubs a few hours in advance and refrigerate the meat in plastic wrap for maximum flavor. During cooking, don’t move the meat around—just let it sit and get crusty as it hits your target degree of doneness.
Cooking Methods
Any dish in which you’d use a marinade or rub can make its way onto your wood pellet grill. Since wood pellet grills do so well across a range of cooking techniques—from smoking, braising, and barbecuing to high-temp grilling—your food is sure to come out with maximum flavor. If you’re using a wood pellet grill, even better, and here’s why.
Make your own Marinade or Rub
While the pros offer many rubs and marinades for sale online and at your local store, it’s ridiculously easy to make your own. Get creative. Better Homes & Gardens serves up some pretty wild marinades here: BHG Grilling Marinades. AllRecipes users have contributed and rated these zippy spice rubs: Spice rubs from AllRecipes.
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by Grillers Gold | BBQ Pellets, Flavor, Grilling
Wood. It’s what makes wood pellet grilling different, special, and just plain better. Wood has been used for cooking for centuries. It’s a natural product. And as a cooking fuel, it imparts flavors that are natural, too.
Think about where wood comes from.
Trees! There are plenty of different kinds of trees, and the species vary according to geography. There might be cherry or hickory or maple or mesquite trees or some combination near you. That’s what’s nice about buying wood pellets instead of chopping down your own trees – you can take your pick, depending on the flavor profile you prefer. (Not to mention the fact that chopping down a tree is a pretty serious undertaking.)
A tried and true flavor enhancer.
Using wood pellets to smoke or grill with enhances the flavor of whatever meat or vegetables you are cooking. Cherry trees bear sweet fruit, and maple trees produce golden syrup, so it makes sense that their wood would deliver unique flavors as it burns in your wood pellet grill. Curious about the flavors associated which different types of wood? Find out more from the National BBQ Association here.
You Don’t Always Need a Wood Pellet Grill.
Don’t own a wood pellet grill? Don’t worry: There are many accessories to get smokin’ without a wood pellet grill.
When you’re planning your next weeknight meal or taste-tempting, mind-blowing grilling adventure, remember to use the right ingredients. When you’re doing wood pellet grilling, the main ingredient is wood.
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