There is a type of smoking which is on the steady increase in the UK – wood pellet smoking - and, surprisingly, it is good for your health! This relatively new style of barbecuing is catching on fast as the food tastes so delicious cooked this way. And considering the health and environmental benefits, it is no surprise that wood pellet smokers are the way forward in terms of barbecues.
While summer evenings are drawing in, the American BBQ is certainly not something you would consider putting away till next summer. You can use your American BBQ all year – it really is a smoker for all seasons. Our cousins in the US have the right idea: they barbecue all year round (apparently three out of four American households cook on a barbecue on average at least five times a month regardless of the weather). They consider it to be another piece of everyday cooking equipment – an outdoor cooker – it can even cook a full UK-style Christmas lunch of roast turkey with all the trimmings, as well as mince pies and Christmas pudding.
They are now being manufactured here in the UK, in Sandwich, Kent, to US specifications, using imported American mechanical components, but British steel and providing British jobs. Plans are well in hand to produce some of the wood the pellets here as well.
Pellet cookers are an advanced, easy to operate way of cooking on pure wood, thereby retaining the benefits of traditional American style barbecue, but combined with the ease of use normally associated with gas or electric grills. Various wood pellets are used to impart the different flavours to the food. “A wide variety of woods are available such as apple, cherry, maple, hickory and mesquite.” says Rick Weight of the American BBQ Co. “The pellets are clean-burning and environmentally friendly, with low ash production. Only the best quality hardwoods are used, and they are sourced as a by-product of the furniture industry, thus allowing maximum recycling from the initial wood.”
The burnt, charred food, which many of us tend to associate with barbecues, is known to be bad for one’s health: the pellet smoker method does not produce charred, carbonized food. In addition, cooking by this method adds no further fat, cholesterol or calories to your food.
What’s more, food cooked this way tastes better than food cooked on gas or charcoal grills. Food can be cooked slowly resulting in a more tender, juicy finished product. A wood fire is a more natural, healthier way to cook. In a recent email from one of their customers they were told …
“… just thought I would let you guys know that the first attempt at brisket on the Traeger was a massive success. Moist, tender, beautiful smoke ring!!! the only problem is that i have eaten far too much and cant move!! Regards … Ben M”
A pellet smoker is, in fact, four appliances - all in one. It smokes, barbecues, grills, and bakes.
You can cook gourmet, smoked foods in your own garden. Hardwood smoke penetrates the food, adding tremendous flavour. Fish, ribs, sausages, game etc. can all be smoked. The pellets are derived purely from wood; but also the pellets are made without additives, and do not contain any bark or bitter wood or binders (as they are invariably produced as a by-product of industry and contain only sweet, untreated wood.) The American BBQ Co is currently in negotiation with a company in Wales to produce pellets as a by-product of the furniture industry. This will provide the UK market with sustainable pellets from an environmentally-friendly source, as well reducing the amount of fuel needed to transport the pellets from the USA..
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