It’s not unusual to glance grill-ways every time you spot a steak, find a fillet or chance upon some chicken. However, that beautiful barbeque of yours is capable of so much more… When most people think of DIY smoking, they immediately envision an expensive smoking machine or even a blackened shed at the end of the backyard. However, with a little know-how, your gorgeous grill can do double duty with relative ease – and all you need is some smoking wood.

Wood you?
The type of smoking wood that you use is entirely a matter of opinion, which makes the process even more appealing as you experiment with the various flavors each renders. The choices are numerous and range from alder, apple and apricot to oak, sassafras and even seaweed. And while certain flavors tend to pair well with certain foods, it truly does come down to personal taste. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Heat it up
Maintaining a steady grill temperature is of paramount importance when smoking any kind of meat or fish. For the ideal smoking environment, your iGrill should read between 200°F - 225°F (93°C - 107°C). Although this might seem like an extremely low temperature, it assists in the smoking process, allowing those amazing flavors to permeate the meat more deeply. Smoke the meat until your iGrill reads 165°F (74°C) in the middle.

Thank-you for smoking
Naturally, the most important part about smoking meat is creating the smoke. When not using a smoker, it’s advisable to either foil wrap your wood or lay it directly on the hot coals. (foil works best for gas grills). Despite the fact that the old saying goes, “Where there’s smoke there’s fire”, the more accurate adage is, “Where there’s water, there’s smoke.” Your wood needs to be completely saturated prior to use, if you want the benefit of that really thick, flavorful smoke.

Location, location, location…
Now that you’ve nailed the right flavor, temperature and density of smoke, success lies squarely on the shoulders of the meat and where it’s situated. It’s important to arrange the meat in a manner that allows each piece to be surrounded by thick smoke. While the most amount of smoke will be generated when the barbeque lid has been closed, the wood and the meat should be placed in a way that’s conducive to smoke circulation.

Happy smoking!