Hi y'all,
This thought just crossed my mind and I figured I'd ask you for your input. What do you consider to be smoking and what do you consider to be grilling? In my mind, when the fire/heat source is kept separate from the meat and only the heated smoky air comes in contact with said meat (as in an offset smoker)...that's "smoking". "Grilling" is when you use coals/fire and either plop down the meat right above it (direct grilling), or slightly away from it (indirect grilling).
The confusion for me is mainly when we talk about indirect grilling. I've heard some folks say that they are smoking when really it seems like indirect grilling to me (for example, putting a rack of ribs on one side of a Weber kettle with the coal bed/wood chunks on the other side of it). But the more I think about it...indirect grilling could technically qualify as smoking, right?? The meat is cooked by heated air/smoke that comes from a heat source NOT directly beneath it.
The more I think about it, the more confused I get. Years of confidently-spoken barbecue terminology hangs in the balance here, and possibly some of my sanity. Please weigh in on this! :biggrin1::laugh:
This thought just crossed my mind and I figured I'd ask you for your input. What do you consider to be smoking and what do you consider to be grilling? In my mind, when the fire/heat source is kept separate from the meat and only the heated smoky air comes in contact with said meat (as in an offset smoker)...that's "smoking". "Grilling" is when you use coals/fire and either plop down the meat right above it (direct grilling), or slightly away from it (indirect grilling).
The confusion for me is mainly when we talk about indirect grilling. I've heard some folks say that they are smoking when really it seems like indirect grilling to me (for example, putting a rack of ribs on one side of a Weber kettle with the coal bed/wood chunks on the other side of it). But the more I think about it...indirect grilling could technically qualify as smoking, right?? The meat is cooked by heated air/smoke that comes from a heat source NOT directly beneath it.
The more I think about it, the more confused I get. Years of confidently-spoken barbecue terminology hangs in the balance here, and possibly some of my sanity. Please weigh in on this! :biggrin1::laugh: