BBQ Wood Chips Take Grilling to a Whole New Level

Take a tip from the experts: use BBQ wood chips to spice up your grilling. If you are an avid griller then you already know the reason for using barbecue wood chips. However, lots of people don't have a clue why this product is so popular.

Wood chips are used in your grill in addition to charcoal or gas. If you're not already using wood to cook your food, the only way you're going to get true smoke flavor is to add wood to your grill fire.

Using BBQ wood chips can send your grilling into the stratosphere. Whether you use a charcoal, gas or electric grill, wood chips will give you authentic barbecue flavor. You can also buy a special smoker box to place in your gas or charcoal grill so that you can get that "wood smoke" flavor. Make sure you read the instructions for your grill before trying this.

The key to using wood chips is to not let them burn too quickly. This creates intense bursts of smoke that can make food bitter. If you soak wood chips in water for about 15 minutes before you use them, you'll slow down their burn and make them smoke more. Before you use them, though, let the wood chips "drip dry" for a few minutes before you add them to your fire. The wood chips should be moist rather than truly wet.

When using a small smoker in your grill you don't necessarily have to soak your BBQ wood chips first. Soaked wood chips will burn longer, but if you're cooking a steak, you probably don't want a long, slow grilling.

Wood smoking chips or BBQ wood chips are available in a wide variety of flavors. They go from mesquite and hickory all the way to cabernet. The stores that sell BBQ wood chips will have flavor guides to help you wade your way through the new age of wood chips.

In general, the lighter the meat, the milder the wood chip you need to use. You can also try "heavier" flavors with lighter meats, though, such as using mesquite with chicken, but start with fewer wood chips.

With its more delicate aroma, alder wood chips best accompany lighter meats like fish and poultry. The flavorful fruitwoods go best with veal, poultry and pork. These types of woods include cherry or apple.

Maple and hickory BBQ wood chips have a strong flavor and are best used with beef, pork and poultry. Lamb, duck and beef also are great meats to use with mesquite wood chips, while beef or ham go well with oak wood chips, which is another strong flavor.

But remember that barbecuing is all about the meat. A substandard cut of meat is not going to be improved significantly by the wood chip you use. Make sure you have a good cut that is fresh and well prepared.

Don't settle for just a plain old grilled steak or bland chicken breast cooked on bare coals - cook like a pro and enjoy the vibrant aromas and flavors that come from cooking with BBQ wood chips.