Jensen - The Unofficial Masterbuilt Smoker Cookbook: A BBQ Smoking Guide & 100 Electric Smoker Recipes

As with any vocation or avocation, the art of smoking comes complete with its own lexicon of terms and the first thing you need to know is the difference between barbecuing, grilling, and smoking. First of all, even though barbecue and grill are often used interchangeably, theyre not quite the same thing. And although you can use a grill as a smoker, and barbecued meat is flavored by smoke, smoking and grilling arent the same thing either. But its not as complicated as it sounds. The basic rule of thumb is: Grilling is fast and hot while smoking is slow and low.

Barbecuing is usually done on a grill, but when you barbecue food, you cook it at a lower temperature (around 300-500 degrees Fahrenheit) than when you grill food. Grilling is a high-heat (above 500 degrees), quick-cooking method that sears the outside of the meat and seals the juices inside. Smoking , on the other hand, is usually a low-heat (under 140 degrees) process of exposing ingredients to smoke. It is a process that can take hours, or as long as several weeks, to complete. The exception is Hot Smoking, which is a method that roasts and flavors the meat simultaneously at temperatures above 140 degrees. Cold Smoked food, usually cheese (which will ooze and melt at higher temperatures) or fish is prepared at a much lower temperature, typically between 68-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold Smoked food, usually cheese (which will ooze and melt at higher temperatures) or fish is prepared at a much lower temperature, typically between 68-90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are a few other smoking terms you might encounter in conversations: AMNPS is the patented shorthand for the Amaze-N-Pellet Smoker, a portable smoke generator that burns either sawdust or pellets (which are made from compressed sawdust) and works for both cold and hot smoking. Bark the crunchy, fatty crust that develops on the outside of meat when its heated past 300 degrees, setting off the Maillard Reaction. Brin eis a salting process that is either a wet brine (salt mixed with water and sometimes spices) or dry (salt rubbed into the food). Brining meat (particularly poultry) will help keep it moist during the smoking process. Chimney a cylindrical device used to help ignite charcoal without lighter fluid, which can add toxic chemicals to smoke and a terrible taste to the meat. (See EOS.) Dalmatian Rub salt and pepper. (See EOS.) Dalmatian Rub salt and pepper.

EOS refers to an Expensive Offset Smoker (See COS.) Gasser A derogatory term for propane-fueled smokers, usually uttered by those who think that using electric- and gas-fueled smokers is cheating. L.P. liquid propane gas used to fuel grills and smokers. Usually available in 20-lb. bottles. Maillard Reaction a chemical process that occurs between 285-330 degrees Fahrenheit when foods are browned.