USING ALUMINUM FOIL IN SMOKING: PROS & CONS

We discuss the pros and cons for using aluminum foil in smoking foods- in particular your BBQ and how it can affect the food.

“Does using aluminum foil in smoking foods still allow the wood flavor to penetrate?”

It is a common question heard when it comes to hot smoking. In fact, there is even a technique called the Texas Crutch that relies on wrapping meats like ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket in foil with 1-2 ounces of liquid into the foil and then sealing all ends tightly so no liquid or steam escapes. This process tenderizes and speeds the overall cooking process, which with hot smoking, can be quite lengthy.

Here’s the thing – when you use this technique, you do so after the meat product has cooked to about 135-150°F. That means a great deal of smoke flavor has already penetrated. What about if you start out smoking foods in foil? Let’s look at the pros and cons of smoking foods in foil, information you can use for traditional oven cooking as well.

Con #1

Aluminum leaches into foods that are wrapped in it. Current research indicates that the average person can tolerate about 2400mg of aluminum exposure per day due to our body’s ability to excrete the small amounts of this metal efficiently. Therefore, any ingestion levels over this would be considered a health risk by the World Health Organization.

Pro #1

Aluminum foil is disposable so it is a convenience. There is no clean up when you cook foods in foil and often there are recycling programs that accept used foil. It can save on degrading your cookware and grill grates.

Con #2

Aluminum is found in other items like corn, yellow cheese, salt, herbs, spices, tea, cooking utensils, and in over-the-counter medications like antacids. A derived from aluminum is also used during the purification process of drinking water. These all must factor into the recommended daily intake of this metal, meaning you need to assess whether cooking in foil will put you over the daily recommended limit.

Pro #2

Aluminum foil aides in producing a convection heat as it is an excellent heat conductor. Thus, cooking times can be significantly reduced when foods are placed in foil.

Con #3

Foods with higher levels of acid have a higher rate of leaching aluminum into them. This is true whether the acidic ingredient is in solid or liquid form. In fact, acidic liquids have a higher leaching rate than solids. Give this consideration when working with foods such as tomatoes, vinegar and citrus items.

Pro #3

Using aluminum foil can tenderize tougher cuts of meat when you include an ounce or two of liquid. Additionally, aluminum foil is leak proof when you seal all ends.

Con #4

When you cook acidic ingredients in foil, both the appearance and taste of the foods can be altered by the reaction to aluminum. The tastes are often described as metallic.

Smoking Considerations

From the smoking perspective, if you start the foods on the grill grates without any aluminum foil, cook until 135-150°F internal temperature, and then wrap in foil to finish, you likely will find very little change in taste. Ingredients containing acid would have cooked down and not be at a level that would interact as aggressively with the aluminum.

If you do elect to cook on the smoker, charcoal grill or LP grill with foil, know that you can see firsthand the reaction of the aluminum with food ingredients. You can see the wood molecules by the smoke vapor particles that develops on the outside surface of the foil. As foil is a heat conductor, it also is somewhat of a sponge and will steal some of the smoke vapor particles from the food.

Remember, one of the key benefits to using aluminum foil is its ability to seal tightly whether preventing spillage to a piece of cookware or sealing in liquids for cooking. Cooking smoked items wrapped in foil from start to finish will not allow for full penetration of the smoke vapor particles that account for the unique color, texture, and taste to smoked foods. Plus, you likely will increase your risk of health issues with repeated exposure to high aluminum levels.

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THE INDISPENSABLE FOIL PAN

The foil pan is the handiest and, we believe, the indispensable part in all the stages necessary for cooking, functionality and sanitary purposes.

Many people have their favorite tool when it comes to outdoor cooking.  It might be a wireless thermometer, specific grill grate, awesome fire safe gloves, or the go-to chimney starter.   For me, it’s likely the least expensive item you can think of – the disposable foil pan.  I’m going to list for you my top 6 uses for a simple and inexpensive foil pan.

#1 Best Drip/Water Pan

This is likely the primary way I use a standard rectangular, ¼ sheet size disposable pan.  I let this pan act as both a drip pan to collect juices from say pork shoulder, brisket, or lamb as well as to act as a water pan to produce a convection environment.  First, I love to load my pan with vegetables like rough cut onion, whole garlic, celery, carrot, fresh herbs, etc.  I also like to use different liquids based on what I’m cooking.  For fish and seafood, I like juices and wines.  For meats beer, ciders or full-bodied wines.  I rarely ever do simple water in my water pan.

#2 Charcoal Keeper

There are times when you need to ensure that your charcoal is positioned ideally for specific foods to keep the heat distribution ideal and the cooker’s walls from radiating too much heat in a certain direction.  One of the easiest ways to ensure that the heat radiates in the correct direction is to use a disposal foil pan.  Once your charcoal is ready to be dumped from a chimney starter, dump it directly into a foil pan.  This allows you to set an indirect method of cooking on a charcoal unit with greater ease.  It also will keep the walls of the kettle grill from radiating too much heat to the center of the grill for the grilling of more fragile items like pizza, breads, and cakes.  No more burnt centers, just even cooking.

#3 Warmer

Anything made with aluminum will be a great radiator and retainer of heat.  That’s why I love to use disposable foil pans as warming units.  When paired with a foil insulated blanket, you can maintain all types of proteins for up to 2 hours perfectly.  Plus, if any liquids should leak, they will be capture in that pan.

#4 Gift Giving Essential

Whenever I make a substantial amount of something say pulled pork or smoked potato, I love to be able to pass along some of my efforts to family and friends.  I love how these disposable pans can go from my hands, to someone’s refrigerator then to their oven or grill without needing to do a thing.  These pans will not change the flavor of the food and can easily have liquid added to them without concern.

#5 Eliminate Cleaning Creosote

If you’ve ever used any glass, silicone, or enamel items on your smoker, you’ve probably had to deal with 2 issues: baked on creosote which is usually a brown-black tar like substance and imbedded smoke flavor in your silicone, something you cannot remove.  Aluminum does not absorb flavors and any visible discolorations are simply thrown away with the pan.  You don’t have to worry about clean up in any way.

#6 A Beach Grill

By purchasing a good quality stainless steel grill grate, just a small one, you can turn a foil pan into a beach grill.  I call this a beach grill as the easiest set up is with sand already present on a beach but you can certainly purchase and bring to another location, a small bag of sand.  Bring along or collect some rocks to act as a containment or barrier for the hot coals and fire.  Mark an area around the pan using the rocks.  Add charcoal to the pan and lite or pour hot coals directly into the pan from a chimney starter.  Once the embers are hot, place a grill grate over the pan and you’re ready to grill with this disposable unit.  The best part – all the ash will collect in the foil pan for easy disposal.  Oh, and don’t forget to use the hot coals after for something great for the next day.  Lay some peppers, hot or sweet, onions, even baked potatoes and your setting up for another meal.
These are just some of the great ways disposable aluminum foil pans can be used for outdoor wood fired cooking to keep things organized, simple, and still flavorful.

SMOKING FOODS IN FOIL: PROS & CONS

We discuss the pros and cons for foiling or NOT- your foods, in particular your BBQ and how it can affect the food.

“Does cooking something in foil still allow the wood flavor to penetrate?”

 It is a common question heard when it comes to hot smoking.  In fact, there is even a technique called the Texas Crutch that relies on wrapping meats like ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket in foil with 1-2 ounces of liquid into the foil and then sealing all ends tightly so no liquid or steam escapes.  This process tenderizes and speeds the overall cooking process, which with hot smoking, can be quite lengthy.

Here’s the thing – when you use this technique, you do so after the meat product has cooked to about 135-150°F.  That means a great deal of smoke flavor has already penetrated.  What about if you start out cooking in foil?  Let’s look at the pros and cons of cooking in foil, information you can use for traditional oven cooking as well.

Con #1

Aluminum leaches into foods that are wrapped in it.  Current research indicates that the average person can tolerate about 2400mg of aluminum exposure per day due to our body’s ability to excrete the small amounts of this metal efficiently.  Therefore, any ingestion levels over this would be considered a health risk by the World Health Organization.

Pro #1

Aluminum foil is disposable so it is a convenience.  There is no clean up when you cook foods in foil and often there are recycling programs that accept used foil.  It can save on degrading your cookware and grill grates.

Con #2

Aluminum is found in other items like corn, yellow cheese, salt, herbs, spices, tea, cooking utensils, and in over-the-counter medications like antacids.  A derived from aluminum is also used during the purification process of drinking water.  These all must factor into the recommended daily intake of this metal, meaning you need to assess whether cooking in foil will put you over the daily recommended limit.

Pro #2

Aluminum foil aides in producing a convection heat as it is an excellent heat conductor.  Thus, cooking times can be significantly reduced when foods are placed in foil.

Con #3

Foods with higher levels of acid have a higher rate of leaching aluminum into them.  This is true whether the acidic ingredient is in solid or liquid form.  In fact, acidic liquids have a higher leaching rate than solids.  Give this consideration when working with foods such as tomatoes, vinegar and citrus items.

Pro #3

Using aluminum foil can tenderize tougher cuts of meat when you include an ounce or two of liquid.  Additionally, aluminum foil is leak proof when you seal all ends.

Con #4

When cooking in foil using acidic ingredients both the appearance and taste of the foods can be altered by the reaction to aluminum.  Often, the tastes are described as metallic.

Smoking Considerations

From the smoking perspective, if you start the foods on the grill grates without any aluminum foil, cook until 135-150°F internal temperature, and then wrap in foil to finish, you likely will find very little change in taste.  Ingredients containing acid would have cooked down and not be at a level that would interact as aggressively with the aluminum.

If you do elect to cook on the smoker, charcoal grill or LP grill with foil, know that you can see firsthand the reaction of the aluminum with food ingredients and even the wood molecules by the smoke vapor particles that develops on the outside surface of the foil.  As foil is a heat conductor, it also is somewhat of a sponge and will steal some of the smoke vapor particles from the food.

Remember, one of the key benefits to using aluminum foil is its ability to seal tightly whether preventing spillage to a piece of cookware or sealing in liquids for cooking.  Cooking smoked items wrapped in foil from start to finish will not allow for full penetration of the smoke vapor particles that account for the unique color, texture, and taste to smoked foods.  Plus, you likely will increase your risk of health issues with repeated exposure to high aluminum levels.