Lunatic Singe BBQ - Selecting Quality Meats

When choosing meats to smoke, pick meats that have a good amount of fat on them. Smokers cook meat at a low temperature for a few hours. If you choose the wrong kind of meat, you'll be left with something dried-out, unappetizing, and unappealing.

Wash hands in warm, soapy water after touching raw meats. Keep raw meat & poultry separate from other foods during storage and preparation.

BEEF

While there are all kinds of food you can smoke, beef may be the most popular. Not only is it filling, high in protein, and versatile, it holds up well to the low-temperature smoking that infuses it with the flavors of wood.

How to choose Beef:
Marbling– Pay attention to the fat (white lines) on the meat. This gives the meat flavor and moisture during the cooking process.

Grade– Higher grades of meat will generally have more marbling. For beef, look for USDA grades that are Prime, Choice, or Select (Prime is the highest).

Color– Beef should dark red or cherry in color, not brown.

Cut – Different cuts of beef work better with different styles of cooking. Smaller cuts are better for grilling and larger ones are ideal for smoking.

PORK

If you want to grill pork, most people go for the ribs, but other popular options are pork chops as well as a pork butt or shoulder roast.

How to Choose Pork:

Pork doesn’t come in grades like beef, but certain breeds will have higher levels of marbling, such as Berkshire and Duroc. Pork should be red to pink in color, never green or brown.

Some producers add a salt and water solution to their pork. This may add moisture, but it indicates poor quality of the meat itself. The package will say, “Enhanced with up to XX% solution” if it has been injected. Steer clear of this and look for packaging that contains only 100% meat!

CHICKEN

Chicken is excellent on the smoker! You can smoke chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs - or a whole chicken.

How to Choose Chicken:

Poultry comes in grades A, B, and C, but you are likely to only see Grade A chicken at your local grocery store. Poultry should also be pink, not white, or brown.

Fresh chicken is injected with a solution of saltwater so it stays juicier and more flavorful (so they say). The solution contains a long list of ingredients that can account for up to 15%, or more, of the chicken's weight.

TURKEY

Turkey on the smoker? You bet! Similar to chicken, you can purchase turkey breast cutlets that are low fat and delicious when grilled.

How to Choose Turkey:

When choosing turkey for your next BBQ, simply use the same criteria that you would for chicken.