CUTS OF MEAT THAT GRILL & SMOKE

 Posted by DonnaG
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MEAT , Meat Science , Smoking Tips
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Chef Burt and Tom visit the butcher for weekend supply of large cuts of meat that grill & smoke well!

For many who have been spending additional time with family, new levels of communication and closeness have resulted, that simply put, want to be continued. Given that nicer weather also contributes to family time scheduling, I thought I would cover how you can maximize time to spend with family rather than be cooking inside. Or, worse yet, forfeiting money on takeout food purchases.

Time to cover the cuts of meats that are not only ideal for grilling and smoking but will produce enough meat to provide for more than one meal. I will also make my recommendations on hardwoods to use for optimal flavor balance.

Cuts of Meat that Grill & Smoke Well:

Beef

Chuck Roast: Cut from the beef shoulder just above the short rib, chuck roast becomes increasingly tender when roasted on the grill using a two-zone cooking method. You may know chuck roast as the cut of meat used when you want to do a one-pot-meal. This concept can easily be done on the grill or smoker as well, by placing the meat and favorite vegetables in the same cooking pan or on a sheet pan. By placing the food pan on the unlit side of the grill, you can treat this just like using an oven.

Rib-Eye Roast: Also known as prime rib roast, rib roast, and standing rib roast, this is one of the more tender cuts of beef and on the higher price end. This roast cut is situated under the front end of the backbone. Often the best means of cooking this meat is with seasoning and a bit of herb. Be sure to visit our previous article on wood-fired cooking prime rib for specific tips

Eye of Round Roast: This cut of beef is the typical one that grocery delis produce their roast beef from. This is an inexpensive cut from the rump and hind legs of the cow and is perfect for a slow grilling/smoking method.

Bottom Round Roast: Also known as Rump Roast, this too is an inexpensive cut that is ideal for slower cooking on the grill or smoker.

Brisket: Derived from the lower front of the cow, near the front legs, brisket is from a muscle that bears 60 percent of the animal’s weight making it ideal for low temperature cooking.

Beef Ribs: Do not confuse these ribs with the meaty quality of pork ribs, as there tends to not be quite as much. However, they are still delicious and worth grilling. I prefer to have the butcher cut the length of ribs I want when it comes to the short rib variety, as you don’t have to purchase small cuts.

Flank Steak: One of my favorites for marinating and then grilling two-zone method.

Hardwood Recommendations for Beef: A combination of hardwoods is best so selecting 2 or 3 from these tried and true hardwoods: Beech, Hickory, Red oak, Sugar Maple, White Oak, Cherry.

Pork

 Pork Loin Roast: Containing just a small amount of fat, the loin roast comes from the area between the shoulder and the start of the leg and usually are sold between 2-5 pounds. This is a perfect cut for the grill, though you may be told to cook it direct fire method, I still prefer to set up a two-zone cooking method.

Pork Shoulder/Butt: From the front of the pig behind the neck, shoulder/butt cuts are full of fat that work very well for long, lower temperature cooking. Generally, this cut is cooked on the grill or smoker using a temperature of about 225°F and takes 8-10 hours depending on the size, which range from 6-14 pounds.

Baby Back Ribs: A very tender rib cut that comes from the pork loin off the back of the pig. This is the most popular pork rib cut for the grill.

Spare Ribs: These ribs are cut from the belly of the pig. Most popular cut is St. Louis style.

Country Style Ribs: These ribs are derived from the end of the loin closest to the rump. The meat can dry out quick so marinating is highly recommended.

Picnic Ham: As the lower portion of the shoulder, it can be tough and fatty if not subjected to a slow, lower temperature cooking method. Do this right, with a simple rub then glazing the last hour or so, and you will have a result that is tender and juicy for many meals.

Hardwood Recommendations for Pork: Pork allows for greater variation in hardwood flavors. Using alone or combination, perfect woods include: Ash, Beech, Hickory, Sugar Maple, White Oak, and Cherry.

Chef Burt and Tom arrive home from the butcher just in time to meet Fed Ex delivering there wood from Smokinlicious® Culinary wood products.

Chicken and Turkey

 Breast: This portion of the chicken or turkey can easily become dry if cooked over direct fire. That is why I recommend you always cook on the cold side of the grill. If you prefer a char flavoring, you can move the pieces to the direct fire side for just a few minutes to finish them off, especially if you are glazing or saucing.

Leg Quarters and Drumsticks: As with the breast meat, although these pieces will stay tender and juicier over a direct fire, I still prefer to cook in the cold side of the grill. This ensures even cooking as the darker meat of poultry does take longer to cook then white.

Whole Chicken and Turkey: Although you certainly can cook these on a rotisserie, I prefer to spatchcock them which includes removal of the backbone and flatten the meat for more even cooking. You can find our method for spatchcocking chicken here:

Hardwood Recommendations for Poultry: I particularly lean toward using two or three hardwood combinations for poultry in order to balance the lighter meat flavor with wood. Here are some great combinations to consider: #1 ash, maple, cherry #2 hickory, maple, cherry #3 maple & cherry #4 white oak & cherry. Experiment and find your perfect balance.

As you see, two-zone cooking is the best method to ensure you don’t have to be tied to the grill for hours at a time and instead, can continue to do more with family. Larger cuts of meat will not only save you money but extend your animal protein supply for multi meals. Oh, and don’t forget, live fire cooked meats freeze well and the smoked component preserve them for even longer use dates.

What cut of meat is your favorite for the grill or smoker? Leave us a comment and subscribe to get our latest tips, techniques, recipes and the science behind the fire and smoke, for all live fire cooking methods. That’s SmokinLicious!

SmokinLicious® Products:

Charwood

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

More Related reading on this subject about large cuts of meat that grill & smoke well over a long period. Use our guide on your next visit to the butcher shoppe.

Related readings:

-3 METHODS OF SMOKING BOSTON BUTT FOR AUTHENTIC BARBECUE FLAVOR

-WHY IS MY BARBECUE MEAT DRY??

-Great Sustainable Wines To Pair With Your Smoked Meat

Dr. Smoke- don’t be a slave to the grill by doing large cuts of meat that grill & smoke while you entertain or just do your chores around the house Then you have a wonderful meal!

 

CHEF WATERS’ GOAT CHEESE SALAD

 Posted by Donna Grant
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Cheese , Gas Grill Techniques , indirect cooking , Salad
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The finished- WOOD GRILLED VERSION OF CHEF WATERS’ GOAT CHEESE SALAD

listen to- A WOOD GRILLED VERSION OF CHEF WATERS’ GOAT CHEESE SALAD

 

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Taking a page from Chef Alice Waters, we are making our version of the baked goat cheese salad by wood baking the goat cheese rounds on the grill using a two-zone cooking method and wood chunks for smoky flavor. Then making garlic crostini for the croutons on the charcoal grill to serve alongside this fabulous salad dish. A recipe that can be a salad course or an entrée on its own, we also give you an easy way to make this into an appetizer. Purchase 12 ounces of quality goat cheese in log form and let’s get grilling.

Chef Waters’ Goat Cheese Salad- Marinate to Start

This dish requires at least 8 hours of marinade time though I like to do mine overnight. It’s the marinade of oil and fresh herbs that give the goat cheese great flavor. Cut the goat cheese log into ½-inch rounds. In the bottom of a glass dish, sprinkle chopped fresh herbs of your choice; today I’m using oregano but most any fresh herb will do. Place the goat cheese rounds into the dish and pour over a ¼ cup of olive oil. Turn the cheese rounds over to coat both sides. Place fresh herb sprigs over the top of the rounds, cover with wrap and marinate in the refrigerator.

Tasting Notes: Other fresh herbs work great with this recipe but note that stronger herbs like thyme and rosemary likely don’t need the layers of chopped herbs at the bottom of the dish. Simply lay the fresh herb springs on top of the goat cheese rounds and marinate in the refrigerator.

Chef Waters’ Goat Cheese Salad- Grilling with Wood Chunks

Once the goat cheese has marinated, it’s time to coat it in a mixture of ½ cup plain breadcrumbs and two teaspoons dried herb of your choice. I’ll be using oregano but other good options include thyme, basil, marjoram, rosemary. Once coated on both sides, place the cheese rounds on a lightly greased shallow pan. I’m using mini sheet pans as they work well on the grill, even for a two-zone cooking method.

As this is a cheese dish it is important that a two-zone cooking method is used which means the cheese will be going on the unlit side of the grill. I’m using a smoker box with three hardwood chunks to provide the smoke flavor to the cheese, with the box placed on the hot side of the grill. Total time to cook will be about 20 minutes. You’ll know the cheese rounds are ready once browned and bubbly.

While the cheese is on the grill, prepare the vinaigrette by combining ¼ cup red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Whisk in ½ cup of olive oil and set aside.

Chef Waters’ Goat Cheese Salad- Greens and Garlic Crostini

To go with the goat cheese rounds and salad vinaigrette, I’m making garlic crostini on the charcoal grill. Using ½-inch slices of a day-old baguette, brush both sides of each slice with melted butter. Place on a high heat tolerant sheet over hot coals only, no active flames. Allow the slices to brown and slightly char before turning over. Once browned on both sides, remove from the grill and brush with the cut side of a garlic clove. I cut these crostini slices in half at the diagonal to go with the salad.

Tasting Notes: An assortment of fresh greens can be used for the salad though I like to use a combination of bitters with more savory greens.

Chef Waters’ Goat Cheese Salad- Assembling to Enjoy

With all the components made its time to assemble our salad. Start by mixing the vinaigrette with the greens. I like to place the garlic crostini on the outside of the salad and the wood-baked cheese rounds in the center of the greens. This is best served while the cheese is warm. Here’s another suggestion: this can make for the perfect appetizer if you cut each round in half so they fit on a garlic crostini. For that recipe, prepare the same but place a few leaves of salad on the garlic crostini and top with a wood baked goat cheese half round. There you have it! A super easy salad or appetizer with that signature wood flavor that takes Chef Waters’ recipe to a new level.

SmokinLicious® products used in this recipe:

Wood Chunks: Double & Single Filet

Related recipes:

-FIRE ROASTED PEPPER MAKE THE PERFECT SALAD

-THE EASY METHOD TO COLD SMOKED CHEESE

-RASPBERRIES GO TO THE GRILL– FOR THE ULTIMATE MINI TART APPETIZER

-SMOKED CHEESE & BACON QUICHE FEATURING COLD SMOKED CHEESES

Dr. Smoke- try this-WOOD GRILLED VERSION OF CHEF WATERS’ GOAT CHEESE SALAD on your next party!

FROM FOREST TO SMOKE GENERATOR: TRACEABILITY PROTECTS YOUR INVESTMENT

 Posted by DrSmoke
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General Smoking Information , Smokinlicious Products , Wood Science
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Our traceability of forest fresh products to your smoke generator

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Our view of wood – it is not simply what produces vapor or being a smoke generator. It is THE ingredient that provides for colour, aroma, flavour and even texture to food.

Just like the other ingredients used in your operation, you need peace of mind knowing that if questions arise, you can produce the documentation to show where the wood came from and how it was handled.

Tracing from Mill to You- A Key Factor for Wood to Be a Smoke Generator

First, when you partner with SmokinLicious®, you’ll be using fresh forest hardwoods from Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. Second, all our hardwoods arrive at our facility de-barked. Third, we only use pure heartwood for the log. This is considered the purest part of the tree and one that is resistant to decay, pests, and fungi.

Hardwood Growth Rings

We trace every piece of wood we manufacture and have information on:

• the harvest date
• what mill processed the raw wood
• our heat treatment date and data
  
• ship date

That is forest to oven.

Why is Traceability Important?

Without it, your operation could be interrupted.

Any time your company’s standards are reviewed, we have the data on the wood. That means, it’s at your fingertips. Plus, our commitment to a higher heat treatment level (75°C for a minimum of 75 minutes) ensures Thermal Death Time. Potentially dangerous organisms like fungi spore, mold spores and listeria can’t survive with our heat level!

75 degrees C for 75 minues

This extra step ensures potentially fatal bacterium cannot enter the food chain. Plus, research shows that E. coli and E. faecium can be eliminated or substantially reduced in risk through this higher heat treatment level.

Join Us!

It’s time to work with a friction log manufacturer that understands what part of the tree is the most stable and beneficial to your food process. We know what it takes to gain the perfect essence from the wood. Learn why SmokinLicious® is the perfect partner for your food process and explore the world of hardwood as an ingredient!

Products discussed in this Blog:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®

Smoker Logs

For more related reading on this topic, check out these articles

Forest Grown Hardwoods

Cooking Wood Purchasing- Are You Getting What You Paid For?

Why Forest Hardwoods Make a Difference

Dr. Smoke says, "Try Minuto® and Piccolo® chips for your smoke generator!"

 

SWORDFISH A LA PLANCHA

Posted by Donna Grant
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Fish , Plancha cooking , Seafood
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Discover a great taste with wood chips by cooking Swordfish A LA Plancha!

SWORDFISH A LA PLANCHA

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Colder weather can often end your outdoor cooking but it doesn’t have to take away your desire for wood fired foods. I’m going to show you an easy method of keeping wood fired flavors going even in the coldest, snowiest weather by taking the indoor plancha to my stove top. I’ll prepare a tasty swordfish using wood chips for flavoring to the fish and finishing with a ginger-garlic butter sauce. Purchase some fresh swordfish and let’s bring authentic wood flavoring to this great cut of fish.

Swordfish A La Plancha- Preparing the Plancha

#plancha #minutowoodchips

I love my stove top plancha pan but you can easily use a standard griddle with a heat safe pot lid.

To start, get a supply of Minuto® wood chips and prepare your plancha or griddle by first placing a ¼ cup of chips in the center of the griddle, then placing the grilling racks on the surface. Turn a medium-high heat on and place the cover on the unit to allow it to reach temperature. We want a high temperature of about 375-400° F. Once the plancha is hot, you will smell the wood chips combusting and releasing aromatic flavor. That tells you it’s time to add the fish.

Swordfish A La Plancha- Cooking & Sauce Making

#sauces # fishsauces

Place the fish fillets on the grill racks of your plancha griddle. Cover and allow to cook and infuse with wood flavor for 4-5 minutes on one side.

With the fish on the plancha, you can start to prepare the butter sauce that will go on the finished fish. You’ll need:

• 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cloves garlic minced
• ¾ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• lemon peel- ¾ teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon citrus balsamic vinegar

Place all these ingredients in a small saucepan and bring together over low heat.

After 4-5 minutes of cooking, turn the swordfish fillets and cooked for another 4 minutes. Then remove the fillets to a plate and clean out the combusted chips to a heat safe container. Place the hot plancha back on the heat but reduce it the heat to low and leave the grill racks off.

Put the fillets back on the hot surface of the plancha to sear the outside. It will only take a minute per each side. Once seared, remove to a serving plate and pour the hot butter sauce over the top. That’s it! Great wood-fired flavor done on the stove top with a hot plancha or griddle.

What’s your favorite fish to add wood flavoring to? Leave us a comment to opine and subscribe to get all our postings on techniques and recipes. Bringing innovation to wood fired cooking with recipes, techniques and the science behind the fire, smoke, and flavor. That’s SmokinLicious®.

SmokinLicious® products used in this recipe:

Wood Chips- Minuto®

For more reading related on Swordfish Al A Plancha and other plancha cooking from Smokinlicious.

Related reading:

-HOT SEARED SCALLOPS!

-WOOD FIRED LOBSTER TAILS CHILI

-STUFFED SQUID COOKED ON THE PLANCHA WITH SMOKINLICIOUS®

Dr. Smoke- Swordfish Al A Plancha with wood chips adds a great smoky taste to this wonderful fish!

1. What great timing! Just today I was out purchasing fruitwood chips and hickory chips. (I already have mesquite chips and am an avid fan of tea smoking in a wok with tea, rice and brown sugar.
   
2.  I grew up learning how to smoke eels and everything else! Your post suits me to a tee although I don’t use swordfish very often(too expensive. here….Like crayfish tails and yabbies it tends to be exported to foreign markets in much the same way as orange ruffy and abalone in New Zealand.[Economists would cite the balance of trade agreements that exist regarding trade on the international markets]
   

EMBER FIRED FRESH ZUCCHINI

Zucchini is a great vegetable to not only grill but ember cook. It has the density to hold up over the high heat. Add a distinct char taste to this abundant vegetable either as a side dish or an ingredient by making ember fired fresh zucchini.

I love thick-skinned vegetables that come in season during Summer. They are the perfect items to light a fire and make some hot coals to ember fire flavor into them.

We’re getting ready to coal roast one of my favorite vegetables – zucchini! This is so simple to do and produces an extraordinary flavor for zucchini to be eaten on its own or to be used in your favorite recipe. Clean out the fire pit, charcoal grill or outdoor fireplace and prepare to roast “ember fired fresh zucchini” directly on the hot coals.

Building A Small Fire

Know this from the start – You do not need a large fire! A small fire is best to accomplish your cooking in about an hour’s time. For my fire, I am using ten SmokinLicious Single Filet Wood Chunks in Ash with a couple of pieces of charwood that were left over from a previous cook. Why Ash hardwood? Because it is hands down, the best hardwood to produce an even bed of coals which is what you want when you coal roast.

I stack the wood so there is quite a bit of air space between the pieces. This ensures I have good oxygen flow to produce combustion quickly. My technique is to stand the wood pieces on their end and make a circle. I try to have a couple of pieces in the center kind of tipped on to each other. Remember, you want to produce hot embers quickly so it only requires a little wood and a lot of oxygen to burn things down. I light my wood using a small butane torch. Leave the torch in place until I’m sure the wood has ignited. I keep the lid off my charcoal grill so I can push the combustion process through completion and get those ash covered, hot embers.

Red Means Hot

You will know when the coals or embers are ready for cooking when you have uniform coals and they are glowing red from the bottom and gray on top. I keep a couple of larger coals banked to the side to maintain heat and for reserved hot coals. Just in case I need to rake more to the cooking side. I like to nestle a high heat metal cooking rack on the hot coals and then place my whole zucchini on the rack. This allows for little ash to accumulate on the skin. Remember, those coals are very hot so the zucchini will take less than 20 minutes to tenderize and char.

Turn For Full Char

With the zucchini and coal rack in place, I give the embers about 8 minutes to char and cook the first side of the zucchini. After that time, I gently turn the zucchini so that each side gets an even char. Once the first 8 minutes are done, there will be less time needed for each of the other sides as the zucchini will hold heat. I’ve added one additional wood piece to my banked fire just to be sure I have enough heat in the coal area. I will not put the lid on the unit during the entire cooking process as this is open fire cooking. My total coal cooking time is approximately 16 minutes.

Perfection In Smoke & Char on Ember Fired Fresh Zucchini

After placing my ember fired fresh zucchini on hot coals for about 16 minutes total, turning several times to get an even char, this spectacular vegetable is ready for eating. You will see, there is very little coal bed left following this technique so remember, if you are cooking more than a couple of zucchini, you will need a larger coal bed.

For those of you thinking that the black, charred skin will be bitter and not appealing to eat, think again. Most of the char will rub right off but the flavor will be infused throughout the ember fired fresh zucchini. I’ve sliced mine about ¼-inch thick as I plan to make a galette of ricotta, garlic oil, and basil.

The Culinary Crew wants you to know…

… that ember roasting is ideal to boost up the bland, delicately flavored zucchini and will add a rich, wood-fired taste dimension to any dish featuring this exquisite summer squash. So, be prepared to enjoy a rich, char-smoked variation of your ratatouille, quesadillas, stuffed zucchini or soups from ember cooked zucchini!

Check in soon for our post on that recipe. Did you love this wood-fired technique? Leave a comment and subscribe as we continue to bring you new ideas, tips, techniques and recipes for all things wood-fired, smoked, and charred!

WOOD-FIRED CLAMS CASINO

Our wood-fired clams casino on the offset grill with brick and the finished product

Have you ever noticed how many ingredients go with clams? This low fat, high protein seafood also has many beneficial minerals. They are also one of the most sustainable seafood resources.

I thought I would provide an easy wood-fired cooking method that can be done on your charcoal grill (you certainly can modify a few setup items and do this on the gas grill as well using wood) and produce the most flavorful clams casino out there.

Go find some similarly sized clams, fire up the grill, and get ready for this recipe and technique to become your favorite.

Hot Coal Grilling

Our Wood-Fired Clams Casino recipe is quite simple gather together:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 oz. sliced pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced (you can use pre-minced garlic)
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 18 medium clams, shucked, bottom shells reserved

 

Before starting on the casino filling, it’s important that you get the grill ready. First, you’ll want to get a chimney starter of charcoal going. I’m using SmokinLicious® charwood in place of traditional charcoal as this is a partially charred product that will also provide for some hardwood flavor infusion. Once lit, the chimney starter needs to burn down the charwood to hot coals – no flame should be visible when you dump this into the grill.

For my charcoal grill, I’ve set a mesh screen at the base of my kettle grill to allow me to retain as many hot coals as possible. The screen helps to prevent small coals from falling through the charcoal area. I’ve also covered brick with heavy-duty foil to act as a heat conductor and radiator. This will help to keep a constant temperature during the actual cooking process. The brick will also separate the cooking area from the fuel area. A bit of unlit charwood is also added to the charcoal half of the grill so these bits can ignite from the hot coals and sustain the heat level more evenly.

Casino Mixture

With the charwood burning in the chimney starter, I can now start on the casino filling. After adding a tablespoon of oil and cooking the pancetta or bacon in a skillet, I’ve put that aside on a paper towel lined dish and added the diced red pepper to the fat drippings in my pan. After cooking a few minutes, I had the shallots, garlic, and parsley to the same skillet and sauté until the shallots are tender and translucent, which is about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool completely.

Assembling the Casinos

While the casino mixture is cooling, I prepare my clams. Here you have a couple of options depending on your skill level and time management. You can shuck the clams as normal and reserve the bottom shell with the clam, or you can steam the clams until just open, separate the top from the bottom shell, reserving the bottom shell. I loosen the clam from the shell so it’s easier to consume with the casino mixture. After the clams are readied, I take the cooled casino mixture and add the previously cooked pancetta or bacon, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, and fresh pepper mixing well. I then take a tablespoon of the mixture and mound it over the clam in the shell. The finished clams are placed in a grill-proof pan.

Wood Firing Brings Depth of Flavor

With all my top neck clams stuffed with casino filling, I sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and the 2 tablespoons of panko bread crumbs over each clam. I am now ready to place the tray on the grill. Since I’m using a two-zone cooking method, I can safely put the lid on the grill without concern for charring these clams too far. With a steady temperature of about 300°F, these will take between 15-20 minutes. You can rotate the tray if you feel the heat level in your grill is not even or steady. For those that like a crunchy outside to the clam feel free to place these under the broiler for a few minutes. The clams pick up the wood flavor in a very balanced way, giving just hints of charry goodness with each bit. Super easy, super flavorful, and super fun to make. Take your clams to the wood fire for your next event.

The Culinary Crew wants you to know…

… about the great results had from indirect cooking or the two-zone grilling technique, as referenced in this recipe blog. When it comes to this particular recipe, you will find that wood fired clams done on a charcoal grill with indirect heat and a simple brick heat conductor will add a distinctive smoky flavor twist to your clams casino. This appetizer promises to be a fan favorite for any seasonal or football party!

Now you can enjoy a video tutorial on this recipe as we collaborated with our friends at Passing It On. Get the visual step-by-step directive on making our rendition of clams casino.

WHY TWO-ZONE COOKING METHOD LET'S YOU WALK AWAY FROM THE GRILL

The SmokinLicious® culinary crew’s two-zone cooking method set up to smoke Fava Beans on the Gas grill with Wood chunks!

We all know that the key to easy and successful outdoor cooking is to control the temperature. I also believe that outdoor cooking should not hold you hostage at the grill. That’s why everyone should learn the two-zone cooking method for grilling.

Let’s cover what type of cooking you can do by this method, why it’s so successful, and how to set up the zones.

Why it is Best

Two-zone cooking can be done on any type of grill no matter the fuel source. What is two-zone cooking? Using the fuel source on only half the grill while the other half holds the food. Although you may use the unlit side of the grill for most of the cooking, you have the benefit of finishing crispy skins of items or quick cooking thinner cuts of meats on the direct heat side.

Two-zone cooking is also called direct and indirect cooking. The indirect side uses indirect convection heat to cook the food which means the heat generated by the lit side radiates into the material of the equipment and produces heat (convection heat) on the unlit side. The direct side produces the heat within the unit and can be used when quick cooking is needed or when a food that has been cooked on the indirect side needs crisping, additional coloring, or some char.

The Set Up

The primary reason you want to set up two-zone cooking is most of the grill cooking does not require direct heat. When you consistently cook foods, especially meats, over direct heat, you easily can have dried, stiff, flavorless results. This is due to the components of meat reacting at different temperatures that with direct cooking occur too fast to react.

I will tell you that you need a grilling area that is large enough to establish two zones. I judge the space needed with a rectangular, disposable foil pan. If the pan can fit on half the grill area without issue, then you have plenty of room for a two-zone setup. When using a gas grill, this means lighting the burners on one half of the grill. If you don’t have an even number of burners, then decide how many are to be turned on and how many left off. With a charcoal grill, placing the hot coals on only half the charcoal area. On an electric unit, if you can manipulate the heating element, isolate the element to one side of the unit. The temperature that works ideally for two-zone cooking is 225°F. Of course, I always add wood chunks to give a smoky flavor to the foods. Remember, the hardwood goes on the direct side of the grill or lit burner or hot coals.

Note that you can also use a water pan using two zones. This can be placed on either side of the grill depending on when you need the direct heat side. Keep in mind, when doing meats, it’s great to place a pan under the meat with vegetables (onions, potatoes, celery, peppers, etc.) and a small amount of liquid that can collect the meat renderings. You can also place pans of beans to catch those drippings. Anything is fair game.

For those times when you don’t want to add any additional foods, you can simply lay a thin foil pan under the grill grate of the indirect side or a sheet of foil. That will collect any fat drippings.

Cook Anything!

Since radiant heat is what you are cooking with when foods are placed on the indirect side, you can cook anything. I love doing tarts and cakes via this method, especially during the hot months when you don’t want to lite your indoor oven. In fact, those are the times that I cook an entire meal using a two-zone setup.

You can also cook multiple items using both direct and indirect heat. A long cooking meat goes on the indirect side, is cooked to temperature and held there, while a side dish is cooked on direct heat. Don’t forget, if the cookware you use is high heat tolerant, you can use cookware as well. This is how I can make cakes, tarts, and bread on the grill. You need to view this equipment like an oven as that is essentially what it is!

Use Like an Oven & Walk Away

I’m going, to be honest. Although it’s true that you can produce more moist foods using a two-zone method the real reason I love this method of cooking is I can walk away from the grill. This is particularly true when using a gas grill which holds the temperature steady, which for me, is 250°F for long cook meats and regular baking temperatures for all my cookies, cakes, tarts, bread. Remember, charcoal grills will still require you to refuel so the temperature can fluctuate more if you’re not careful. Keeping an extra chimney starter of charcoal going will solve that issue.

What is a two zone fire? You may ask…

A two zone fire is also called two-zone cooking method can be used to grill or smoke any type of food on any grill (smoker, gas, charcoal, wood-fired or electric)! Setting up a two-zone cooking method is very easy- have a hotter side on one half of the grill and a lower or no setting on the other half. A two zone fire gives the cook or chef “a stylized or finessed” way to grill without ruining great food flavors by over cooking. It is especially the best way to cook meats and vegetables. Keep in mind that grills radiate and transfer heat, so it’s really not necessary to crank up every burner or heat source to a temp equivalent to the Sun! It’s as simple as that!

As a final note, even though two-zone cooking allows you more time away from the grill, you still need a good digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of the food. Invest in an easy read one and you’ll really enjoy this new way of grilling and smoking.