Alright. As an average carnivore, we know you like meat.
There’s something manly about jabbing a sharp object into a slab of properly pellet grilled meat and then stuffing it into the mouth.
Taste buds come alive, brain waves start to fire off signals that overload several circuits and eventually a wave of satisfaction covers you. Yummy. Mmmm-mmmm.
But here’s a twist you may not have expected.
You can also smoke meats with a pellet grill.
In fact, it’s become such an amazing assault to the senses that manufacturers have jumped on board.
In other words, some of the best pellet grill companies out there have created a full line of pellet smokers.
Did we just hear you scream some kind of words of approval?
Well, here’s the kicker. Pretty much every pellet grill in the market today is in fact a pellet smoker.
It’s mostly to do with the science that results in something so delicious that you know there is no way possible that you will go back to cooking foods (meats in particular) in any other kind of appliance.
The pellets get a lot of credit for this. Really.
The Credit For Pellets
The magic ingredient for the best pellet grill (or smoker) is the pellet.
Wood pellets are small, cylindrical mini tubes of compressed sawdust. There’s nothing added to them like the fillers and additives that are part of the DNA of charcoal briquettes.
Wood pellets burn completely, evenly and leave behind virtually no ash so clean up is not a lot of work.
Where the pellets score top points is that they are not just a heat source.
They also provide flavor to the food being grilled.
If you are one of those types who like to sprinkle seasoned wood chips under your grill for that smokey taste, wood pellets have got you covered.
However, because they produce little smoke the hotter they get, foods are not all that smoky.
More Control Means Smoked Foods Are Possible
Pellet grills are nifty in that you can control the temperature that the wood pellets are burning at. Because the hotter the pellets burn the less smoke is produced, you can dial it down.
In fact, when grilling with pellets burning at 250F or cooler, the pellets will produce a mild, elegant smoke in a high volume. Here’s where you can actually smoke meats on a pellet grill.
The scientific part to keep in mind here is that the fuel source is wood. This means that a pellet smoker will have difficulty in over smoking meats. That’s the good news.
On a charcoal grill, as a comparison, the fuel source is not wood. However, if you add wood chips to that charcoal grill it will produce a lot of smoke and you risk over smoking meats.
Picking the right fuel for your grilling is critical. We have a guide here with warnings about what not to buy.
What was that we were saying about more control?
As you can see, because a wood pellet grill is easier to control, smoking meats is not only possible, but the process will result in perfectly smoked foods that taste delicious and do not have that charcoal scent or hint of charcoal in the flavor.
Grilling and smoking on a pellet stove just can’t be beat!