#smoking-techniques

#smoking-techniques

Outdoor grilling and smoking is a unique pleasure, particularly in warmer weather. When there's a chill in the air, and you don't much feel like standing outside, it might seem like cooking up your favorite grilled meats is just out of reach. The oven can easily be your saving grace for savory favorites, albeit with a slightly different but nonetheless delicious taste and texture. It's simply a matter of proper preparation, time, and patience to create a crave-worthy rack of ribs right in your oven.

Bologna is a type of deli meat that's similar to mortadella, with a smooth pink texture, but is made from beef, pork, or chicken (or a combination). Smoking the meat creates a crunchy casing, as the crust of the meat's tubular exterior becomes caramelized and crumbly. The smoking process adds a mildly spicy taste, and the meat becomes richer in flavor. Plus, smoked bologna is affordable for feeding a group, easy to make, and is a surefire crowdpleaser.

"The biggest part of learning how to work a fire ... what that comes down to is your wood selection," Franklin emphasizes on his YouTube channel, BBQ with Franklin. He nudges pitmasters to carefully assess the size and density of each piece of wood, selecting larger logs for giant smokers and smaller ones for compact grills. His approach is intuitive, requiring that you feel the weight of each log in your hand to make sure it isn't too heavy or too light.