Grilling over charcoal is a popular BBQ technique. But if you want to take it to the next level, you’ll want to try adding wood chips to your cook.
Some protocols come in handy when you use wood chips. There is also something about the size of the wood chips you might need.
The variety of food you cook to the kind of heat needed to cook it differs with regard to the wood chips you use.
The grilling methods using wood chips actually undergo a prominent change than that of charcoal with different methods you can employ.
Sometimes you may need to cook meat slowly and steadily, then all you need to use is wood chips. However, if you have a large portion of food to be cooked, using wood chunks would be the right approach.
The varied, rich flavors add depth to your BBQ. And once you try it, you’ll never go back. Read below for tips on how to grill with wood chips.
Choose Your Wood Flavor
First things first, don’t pick up any branches or logs you might find in your yard. As tempting as it may be, this is a surefire way to land yourself tainted or treated wood, presenting various health risks. It’s always best to purchase your wood chips.
The type of chips you choose depends on the smoke taste you want. There are many kinds of wood flavors, but they all fall under three distinct categories: mild, medium, and heavy.
Mild – Your best bet for a soft, sweet smoke. You’d most likely use this wood with poultry or seafood, but some types (like Grapevine cuttings) offer more versatility.
Medium – It’s time to kick that smoke intensity up a notch with something like oak. You’re better off using meats that can handle that next level. Beef and pork do better with medium styles, but certain poultry can also taste excellent.
Heavy – Here, we have our heavy hitters like hickory and mesquite. Hickory is popular far and wide, especially with bacon and ham. Mesquite packs quite a punch, with most pitmasters using it at the very end or beginning of their cook. Be careful with heavy chips — you don’t want to end up with a bitter taste.
Adding Wood Chips To Charcoal Grill
Before you throw your wood chips on the grill all willy-nilly, be sure to light your coals. Typically, you can use a chimney starter. Once the coals turn an ashy white, you’re ready to start adding your wood chips.
The chips can’t go directly on the hot coals — that’ll make them burn up quickly.
Instead, you’ll want to put them in a smoker box (store-bought or homemade with aluminum foil). The case reduces the oxygen, so the wood smolders instead of catching on fire.
Other Wood Forms – Pellets And Chunks Of Wood
Wood chips are great and give you that perfect smoke, but you need to rotate them out during extended cooks. If you’re seeking out a longer smoke, you may want to try out pellets.
Pellets come from compressed sawdust and have a fantastic slow burn rate.
On the other hand, you also can use seasoned wood chunks. They’re large and in charge, perfect for the bigger chunks of meat like a whole chicken or pulled pork.
Grilling Methods
There are many grilling methods you can employ while leveraging wood chips. The type of grill you use would impact the food or meat being cooked. The pace and the flavor would be subjected to a change which might differ the taste so significantly as well.
Charcoal Grill
This is a famous type of grill that everybody knows. The coal is heated with the charcoal starter and then induced into the smoke with the meat placed above the smoke pack.
In order to accommodate wood chips and to prolong the cooking process, just put some wood chips along with the coal and set the smoke.
The cooking would go on for hours, and the final result would be crispy and flavorful with a beautiful aroma that is extremely inviting to all senses.
Gas Or Electric Grill
Place the wood chips in the smoke pack and let it heat as much as it can absorb temperature at maximum. When it is heavily heated and quite sizzling on its own, it is moved to the cooler side of the grill with the meat placed above the pack.
This will cook the meat so evenly and would bring a flavor that is so captivating and, at the same time, a texture that is equally endearing for consumption.
Amplifier Grill
The grill gate is stuffed with the wood chips, and as the heat progresses, the smoke that emits out cooks the meat. As the name suggests, the burning is amplified with the use of wood chips, and you have to fill it up as much as the quantity it demands.
The grill should have enough wood chips to proceed the smoke from being emitted until the food is fully cooked. This is a traditional way of cooking and is proven to be quite healthy and long-lasting.
It has a unique flavor that would emanate when the process is complete, and one can’t resist tasting the bite with temptation.
Do You Soak The Wood Chips?
The short answer is no, but this point remains a pitmaster debate!
Sometimes, you’ll see recipes for soaking your chips, but others will tell you it’s unnecessary.
You’re free to follow the recipe you’d like, but their soaking has no big payoff. It takes 24 hours for moisture to penetrate the wood significantly.
Other negatives of soaking include that it lowers the temperature of your coals and gives off steam, not smoke.
Smoking Steps
- Pick the flavor of wood chips to complement your meats and veg.
- Put the charcoal in the chimney, and light it.
- Make an aluminum vessel to hold your chips. Seal it, but poke holes to release smoke and bring in air.
- After pouring the coals from your chimney, start the fire.
- Put the grill grate over the fire and add your meat of choice.
- Cover the grill and let it smoke!
Conclusion
So now you know how to grill with wood chips. Remember, half the fun is eating your delicious BBQ, but the other half is experimenting!
So don’t be afraid to try out new flavors and food to go with it. Before you know it, you’ll be your family and friends’ favorite pitmaster.
Have a blast and happy grilling!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you cook with wood chips?
Sometimes you may need to cook meat slowly and steadily, then all you need to use is wood chips. However, if you have a large portion of food to be cooked, using wood chunks would be the right approach. The varied, rich flavors add depth to your BBQ. And once you try it, you’ll never go back. Read below for tips on how to grill with wood chips.
How do you choose your wood flavor?
First things first, don’t pick up any branches or logs you might find in your yard. As tempting as it may be, this is a surefire way to land yourself tainted or treated wood, presenting various health risks. It’s always best to purchase your wood chips. There are mild, medium, and heavy wood flavors.
What is the mild wood flavor?
Your best bet for a soft, sweet smoke. You’d most likely use this wood with poultry or seafood, but some types (like Grapevine cuttings) offer more versatility.
How do you use electric grill with wood chips?
Place the wood chips in the smoke pack and let it heat as much as it can absorb temperature at maximum. When it is heavily heated and quite sizzling on its own, it is moved to the cooler side of the grill with the meat placed above the pack.
