Just like wine, wood also pairs better with certain types of proteins. And when we talk about wood in the context of BBQ, we are of course talking about charcoal, pellets, wood chips and chunks.
So that you can perfectly pair your meal with the right type of wood, we have prepared a little guide to help you find your way.
Uses
First, you should know that although charcoal, pellets, chips and chunks are all made of wood, their usefulness is not quite the same.
When it comes to grilling, both charcoal and pellets are basically fuels used for their own specific types of grills, namely charcoal grills and pellet grills, respectively.
What is interesting about pellets, however, is that they can also be added during the cooking of a food in a charcoal grill to fan the flame or in a smoking accessory, the Smoker Maze BBQ Québec , in any type of grill.
Wood chips and pieces, on the other hand, are mainly used to smoke food. The former are placed in an accessory designed for smoking in a gas BBQ, theCopeaunateur BBQ Québec or the Boîte à fumée BBQ Québec , and the latter directly on the grill of a gas barbecue or on the pieces of burning charcoal.
( Psst! If you are curious about how our smoking accessories work, we invite you to read this blog .)
Charcoal vs. Pellet Grills
If you're on the fence about whether to buy or work with a charcoal or pellet grill to smoke your food, it's important to know the role each fuel plays and why one might be more appealing to you than the other.
- Coal
The advantage of charcoal is that, compared to logs, it is smaller (and therefore more portable), it smokes less, it makes fewer flames, it is easier to control, and it allows you to cook easily at low temperatures. In addition to this, there is also the main attraction for many: the particular taste of charcoal. Indeed, it is so unique that that is why many BBQ purists swear by this fuel.
- The granules
While you can't put anything other than pellets in a pellet grill, the great thing about them is that they can be mixed to give meals an even more unique flavor. Pellet grills also offer their users the option to select the level of smoke they want when cooking, which allows them to really be in control of their final result. Often, they also have less need to stay near the grill, since they can access their cooking data and adjust it via a mobile application.
Types of wood
Once you know what type of fuel you want to use, you then need to choose the type of wood you want. Just like in nature, there are many types of wood, so you need to know which one to choose depending on what you are looking for.
At BBQ Québec, we are proud to have a range of quality products that can be used by BBQ enthusiasts of all levels. Our selection includes products that we have developed ourselves, as well as Quebec products and products from renowned international brands.
In this case, we have prepared a table that can serve as a reference to help you know what type of fuel to use with which protein based on the attributes of our products, BBQ Québec.
Note that there are combinations you can do too. For example, Max loves to cook his steaks using oak charcoal and a few pieces of maple wood or to mix pecan and maple pellets when cooking beef or pork.
The final word
Finally, we want to tell you that there are different tastes, so to know which combination is best for you, there is nothing better than trying several.
Happy BBQ to all!