How Do You Smoke food On A Gas BBQ?

There are few things more evocative than smell. The scent of a particular sauce or a certain meat has this magical, nostalgic power to remind us of special meals and exactly where we were when we ate them. Smoking on the barbecue creates a unique aroma and delivers flavour that you can't get in the kitchen. Yet, like much in the world of BBQ, smoking is an underrated technique – and one which can be applied with a far broader brush than you might think. So let’s whip out our barbecues and smoke out some of the myths about this versatile method.

Even among keen barbecuers, there is often a widespread misconception that all smoked foods, whether they’re meat, fish or vegetables, taste the same. What is most exciting about smoking, however, is the exact opposite: smoking can create a whole range of flavours!

Changing the wood is the easiest way to manipulate these elements. Every type of wood releases a different aroma, so cooking your meat on a Weber cedar plank will infuse a subtle smokiness into your dish, while our range of flavoured wood chips (such as apple or whisky) can bring out whole new dimensions of deliciousness. Another tool is seasoning. In smoking, this includes three aspects of flavouring, from brine, to rub, to sauce – experiment and see what works for you!

We’re all familiar with the crispy skin of smoked brisket, the heady flavours of smoked ribs and the sultry smoothness of smoked salmon. These are the foods most associated with the technique, and for good reason. They are crowd-pleasers, and you can get to grips with these classic recipes for smoked meat and smoked salmon on the following pages. But it’s worth remembering that smoked brisket, ribs and salmon are just the beginning: a small corner of the big, delicious world of smoking.

Smoking’s foremost principle – ‘low & slow’ – is guaranteed to bring out unique tastes and textures in all sorts of meat, fish and vegetables. Smoked artichokes paired with a garlicky yoghurt sauce; cherry tomatoes smoked until almost at bursting point, then tossed into a warm grain salad; Brussels sprouts smoked alongside juicy chunks of pork belly. Smoking can do it all. So don’t let the myths fool you!