Smoked meats vs. grilled meats. Grilling vs Smoking: Is One Better than the Other. But while there are plenty of ways to avoid the potentially harmful health effects of grilling, one thing is pretty clear (and not particularly surprising). The latter two also refer to cooking meat, fish, and poultry specifically, whereas grilling can include vegetables, fruits, and other foods you might not have considered. The combination of slow cooking and wood smoke gives the unique characteristics only smoked foods have. Grill masters’ favorite debate—charcoal vs. gas—will never have a clear winner from a culinary perspective. Minimal tending needed: While you need to make sure that the temperature is consistent, smoking in general requires minimal tending. Smokers vs. BBQ equipment: Differences. Smoking – almost no heat, 52° – 140° F (12°-60° C), 1 hr to 2 weeks Barbecuing – low … Once you start hanging out with people who cook, it won't be long before someone points out that grilling and barbecuing aren't the same things. Share. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Smoking can be an all-day process with constant temperature monitoring to make sure the meat cooks through evenly. What all three methods have in common, of course, is that they are all done outside, and you can use the same piece of equipment for each one. Cold smoking usually involves smoldering wood, higher in PAHs. It's the low temperatures and long cooking times that help big, tough cuts of meat turn meltingly tender, and express their full flavors. Smoking occurs at an even lower temperature than barbecue, to ensure the smoky flavor infuses the meat as well as cooking it all the way through. Just about every country has a local delicacy that is prepared using a grill. Hot smoking, on the other hand, is a conventional smoking process that’s performed using a grill or smoker. Some individuals prefer the flavor of charcoal cook foods over foods cooked with gas. Traditional smokers run using charcoal and wood, but there are now gas and electric smokers available as well. Clean-up time is nil—and you're much less likely to burn the neighborhood down. You can prepare excellent food regardless of what approach you use. Smoking occurs at an even lower temperature than barbecue, to ensure the smoky flavor infuses the meat as well as cooking it all the way through. On the other hand, smoking is easier in the sense that it requires minimal supervision while cooking. Only prolonged cold smoking will achieve that result. Here's the bad news. You'll want your grill to be between 125 and 175 F to smoke food; any hotter and the outer parts of the meat will cook too soon, forming a barrier the smoke can't cross. This article will answer some of the most common questions asked about grilling and smoking. You can prepare excellent food regardless of what approach you use. It's the question amateur grill masters will argue over until the end of time: Charcoal or gas? Utilizing indirect heat to cook food, smoking uses a combination of steam and smoke. An understanding of the pros and cons of smoking vs. barbecuing will help you decide what's best to serve your guests. Grilling is more accessible and much quicker, but smoking gives a tender and flavorful product that's nearly impossible to replicate. Smoking, on the other hand, is a type of grilling in which the heat is low. The hotter the temperature and the longer the meat cooks, the more HCAs are formed. Remember, the best meats for grilling are the tenderest cuts, like ribeye steaks, strip steaks, T-bones and others from the rib and short loin primal cuts. 1 Shares. 6 Keys to Healthy Grilling. This is because the wood used for smoking creates compounds that inhibit the growth of bacteria. Depending on which side of the fence you are on, an argument can be made that one method is easier to do than the other. If grilling is about cooking small cuts of meat quickly, barbecue is where we get into large cuts of meat. If done right, grilled food is juicy, flavorful, and nutritious. But when you ask health experts, the answer is clear: Gas grilling wither either propane or natural gas is healthier than charcoal for your body and the environment. Grilling is a method where food is cooked directly on top of a heat source. You won't get that smoky sear from any gas grill. When that happens, it's only a matter of time before someone tries to explain how smoking is different from barbecuing.