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20
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Follow these helpful tips and techniques, passed on from Pit Boss® owners, our staff, and customers just like you, to become more
familiar with your smoker:
1.
FOOD SAFETY
• Keep everything in the kitchen and cooking area clean. Use different platters and utensils for the cooked meat than
the ones you used to prepare or transport the raw meat out to the smoker. This will prevent cross contamination of
bacteria. Each marinade or basting sauce should have its own utensil.
• Keep hot foods hot (above 60ºC / 140ºF), and keep cold foods cold (below 3ºC / 37ºF).
• A marinade should never be saved to use at a later time. If you are going to use it to serve with your meat, be sure
to bring it to a boil before serving.
• Cooked foods should not be left out in the heat for more than an hour. Do not leave hot foods out of refrigeration
for more than two hours.
• Defrost and marinade meats by refrigeration. Do not thaw meat at room temperature or on a counter top. Bacteria
can grow and multiply rapidly in warm, moist foods. Wash hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before starting
any meal preparation and after handling fresh meat, fish and poultry.
2.
COOKING PREPARATION
• Be prepared, or
Mise en Place
. This refers to preparing the cooking recipe, fuel, accessories, utensils, and all
ingredients you require at your side before you start cooking. Also, read the entire recipe, start to finish, before
lighting the smoker.
• A BBQ floor mat is very useful. Due to food handling accidents and cooking splatter, a BBQ floor mat would protect
a deck, patio, or stone platform from the possibility of grease stains or accidental spills.
3.
SMOKING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
• To infuse more smoke flavor into your meats, cook longer and at lower temperatures (also known as
low and slow
).
Meat will close its fibers after it reaches an internal temperature of 49ºC / 120ºF. Misting, or mopping, are great ways
to keep meat from drying out.
• Always use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the foods you are cooking. Smoking foods
with hardwood pellets will turn meats and poultry pink. The band of pink (after cooking) is referred to as a
smoke
ring
and is highly prized by outdoor chefs.
• Sugar-based sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning and flare-ups.
• Leave open space between the foods and the extremities of the smoke cabinet for proper heat flow. Food on a
crowded smoker will require more cooking time.
• Use a set of long-handled tongs for turning meats, and a spatula for softer items like fish and cheese. Using a
piercing utensil, such as a fork, will prick the meat and allow the juices to escape.
• Foods in deep casserole dishes will require more time to cook than a shallow baking pan.
• It’s a good idea to put cooked food onto a heated platter, keeping the food warm. Red meats, such as tenderloins
and roasts, benefit from resting for several minutes before serving. It allows the juices that were driven to the
surface by heat to ease back to the center of the meat, adding more flavor.
