What Outdoor Smoking is and How to Do it Right

While you might have heard of outdoor smoking as a way to cook your meat, this is actually a more advanced technique than it might seem. In order to use this outdoor cooking technique correctly, you need to make sure you’re following the right steps in the right order. With practice and patience, you will be able to perfectly smoke anything you may want to cook, giving the meat a unique flavor that tends to be a crowd pleaser.

First of all, you need to make sure you have plenty of wood ships or dry branches in order to create an outdoor fire. This gathering can be made into a group task when you have a number of guests coming to your house. To make sure you have enough wood for this outdoor cooking, you will need to not only gather small pieces of wood, but also larger pieces to keep the smoke coming if the fire begins to die down on its own.

What You Need to Know about Fire Pit Cooking

If you’ve never tried outdoor cooking and fire pit cooking, there’s never a better time to learn. By educating yourself about this type of outdoors cooking, you can create special meals nearly anywhere you have access to the ground and a flame. As one of the oldest ways of cooking, fire pit cooking is still one of the best ways to cook a larger animal without the stress of having to cut the animal up into smaller pieces and then cooking each piece individually.

You’ve probably already been a witness to fire pit cooking if you’ve been to Hawaii. Traditionally done at a luau, the pig from the feast is generally subjected to fire pit outdoor cooking. By digging a hole in the ground, filling it with fire, and adding the pig, the cooking can begin. The pig then stays in the hole for a few hours before it is ready to be served. This allows the meat to be cooked not only from the outside in, but the method of cooking also helps to seal in the juices and to cook the pig entirely from the inside out at the same time.

Fun Ways to Enjoy Outdoor Cooking

One of the best things about outdoor cooking is that it is one of the more fun ways to enjoy foods. Not only are you able to get out of the house for a while, but the atmosphere tends to be more casual and more relaxed. But if you’re new to outdoor cooking or you simply want some ideas on how to make your next party a bit more exciting, here are some ways to take your cooking outdoors today.

First of all, you really don’t need to have a reason for heading outside to cook. No matter the time of year or the day, adding a grill to your next gathering can help to make everyone a part of the social aspect of food. Try asking your friends to all bring something to cook on the grill and to share with everyone else. You might be surprised by what people bring and what you never realized you could actually cook outside. In fact, have a contest to see who can bring the oddest thing to cook on the grill.

Safety Matters When Cooking Outside

Outdoor cooking has its own set of troubles when it comes to food safety. With the lack of kitchen setup as well as the great outdoors around the raw foods, you need to be extra careful when you are feeding people from the grill. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier to keep your meals safe than you might realize. With a little planning and a bit of common sense, your outdoor grilling can be just as safe as a sit down dinner and a lot more fun than being cooped up in the kitchen all day.

Before you even begin outdoor cooking, you need to make sure your cooking and preparation surfaces are clean. Take some time to scrub down your grill grates with a wire brush first and then empty out the grill of the ashes. Next, make sure to wipe down the handles and the surfaces that will be used with an antibacterial soap or spray. This will help to minimize any remaining germs that might be hanging out here from your last cooking adventure. And of course, make sure all of the grill utensils are also clean and germ free.

Food Prep Advice to Keep in Mind for Outdoor Cooking

When you’re outdoor cooking, the rules of food preparation have to shift a bit. Because of the outdoor environment, there’s more to keep in mind beyond washing your hands and cutting up the vegetables ahead of time. To make sure your gathering is fun and delicious, you should follow these food preparation tips.

Since you’re not going to be around a sink and a traditional kitchen setup when you’re outdoor cooking, you will need to bring a sort of kitchen to your grilling area. You might want to start with bringing a large bowl out to the area with you, along with a pitcher of water. This will serve as a sort of sink, if you need it, or as a way to douse the fire if it gets out of control. You will also want to bring out two cutting boards that can be used for preparing things like shish kebabs and veggies you may want to roast. Use one board for raw meats and one for other ingredients to ensure you’re cooking safely too.