Pellet Grills: Everything About the Grill That Does It All Plus Recipes
Pellet grills are one of the newer innovations to hit the barbecuing market, with this device being touted as the next big thing. They look much the same as a standard gas or charcoal grill but have some impressive features that have led to their increased popularity
Versatile and simple to cook on, a pellet grill offers many advantages and few disadvantages, with it being capable of almost any type of outdoor cooking method including grilling, smoking, and baking.
So, while the initial investment costs more than a charcoal or gas grill, a pellet grill is well worth buying if you’re looking for one of the best outdoor cooking devices on the market.
What is a Pellet Grill?
A pellet grill is a type of grill that uses small, cylindrical wooden pellets as a fuel source. When ignited and burned, the pellets produce a smoke that is used to heat the cooking surface and provide a smoky flavor to the food.
How Does it Work?
As mentioned, a pellet grill uses small wooden pellets as fuel, which are usually added to the grill via a hopper. You set a temperature on the digital controller, then the pellets are slowly fed into a fire bowl using an auger.
The fire bowl has an ignitor that will set the pellets on fire, with the heat produced from the fire being transferred throughout the grill using an electric fan. This results in a convection style heating, with the heat produced warming the cooking surface and the smoke providing a notable smoky flavor to the food.
You can adjust the temperature settings of a pellet grill like you can with an oven. To maintain the desired temperature, the augur automatically feeds pellets into the fire bowl as needed.
What are the Advantages of a Pellet Grill?
Pellet grills offer all kinds of advantages, which is why they’ve become so popular in recent years.
The first big advantage is the use of wood pellets, which help to give an authentic smoked flavor to whatever you cook inside. Not only this, there are more smoked flavors to choose from as there are various types of wood pellets you can buy for the grill, including hickory, apple, and cherry wood pellets.
Another notable advantage is how versatile the grill is. Not only can you use for direct grilling like a gas or charcoal barbeque, you can reduce the temperature for smoking and baking, meaning you have several types of cooking methods available with a pellet grill.
Whether you like cooking burgers, steak, hot dogs, brisket, corn on the cob, or whole chickens and turkeys, a pellet grill can cook your favorite barbecue food in several ways!
One huge benefit that pellet grills have over other types of barbecues is temperature control. Because they have a digital temperature control and electric fan, pellet grills are much better at regulating temperatures for cooking. Simply set a temperature and the grill adds pellets as needed to maintain the right heat, which means more precise control over cooking and better-quality food!
Easy Pellet Grill Recipes
Brisket
A staple for any pellet grill, smoked brisket has a deep, rich flavor and will melt away in your mouth.
You don’t need much:
- large beef brisket (around 12lbs)
- Your favourite beef rub (either store-bought or homemade!)
- Wood pellet (strong smoky flavors work wonderfully with beef, so we recommend hickory, oak, or mesquite)
Pat the brisket dry, add a generous coating of rub, then place fat side up in a baking sheet.
Leave in the refrigerator for between 1-4 hours. Remove and leave for an hour before smoking.
Pre-heat the grill to around 225F.
Place the brisket directly onto the cooking rack, fat side up.
Leave to cook for between 8-10 hours, checking every couple of hours and adding more pellets if needed.
Remove, then leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
BBQ Ribs
Low and slow ribs are nothing short of incredible. Add your favorite BBQ rub for a delicious sweet and savory pork that falls off the bone
You need:
- 2 racks of baby back pork ribs (get more if cooking for a larger group)
- Your favorite BBQ rub (homemade or store-bought works fine, if you want a recommendation, I really like 2 Gringos.)
Remove white membrane from back of ribs if not already done
Add a coating of rub to both sides of the pork ribs
Leave in the refrigerator overnight
Preheat your grill to 200F
Sit ribs in a deep pan and place in the center of the grill
Cook for around 4 hours, continuing to apply a new layer of rub every 20-30 minutes.
Allow to cook for 1 hour after applying the final coating of rub.
Leave to rest for about 10 minutes before eating!