by Grillers Gold | BBQ Pellets, Grilling
When you read about cooking with indirect heat on charcoal or gas grills, it’s all about moving the food around relative to the heat source—putting your big beautiful brisket in between or off to one side of the coals or burners. But let’s face it: that’s not indirect heat, it’s UNEVEN heat. And your cooking will be off-kilter as a result of the surface of the food that’s closer to the heat getting ‘hot spots,’ while the midsection is not nearly so well done.
Good news: a wood pellet grill does not use direct heat.
It’s convection cooking, the only true kind of indirect heat. Under the wood pellet fire box, there’s a fan that circulates heat throughout the cooking chamber, creating even temperatures all around. In fact, the temperature is so consistent that you don’t really have to turn your food. You only flip your food on a wood pellet grill to create nice-looking grill marks or to baste.
Wood pellet grilling is a pretty perfect solution for slow-cooking outdoors, including not just roasts and braises and briskets, but smoking and even baking.
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by Grillers Gold | Grilling, Holiday
1. Memorial Day: it’s about more than grilling
Memorial Day was first observed in the years after the Civil War, though it only became an official federal holiday in 1971. We honor the men and women who fell in U.S. military service with parades and public ceremonies–and at gatherings in backyards across America. Summer doesn’t begin on the calendar until the second half June, but in American lifestyles, it starts now. And that’s something to celebrate, too.
2. Who invented hamburgers?
Seymour, Wisconsin, is the home of the Hamburger Hall of Fame. The community of Seymour is one of several American towns that claims to be the historic birthplace of the American hamburger. But it’s actually in the city of Hamburg, Germany, where a cooked flat patty of ground beef was dubbed the ‘Hamburg Steak.’
3. When hot dogs get really hot
When grilling season begins, consumption of hot dogs increases in a big way. Americans typically consume about 7 billion hot dogs in those 3+ months – or 818 per second.
4. America loves grilling!
According to a recent Forbes magazine piece, 75% of U.S. adults own a grill or smoker. You are not alone!
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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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