Mouthwatering Smoked Meat: 6 of the Best Cuts of Meat to Smoke

Meat

90% of Americans eat meat on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter how popular the vegetarian diet might become, most people love meat and are going to continue enjoying it.

But most meat-eaters do themselves a disservice by only eating a few basic cuts of meat over and over again. The vast majority of beef, lamb, and venison cuts are skipped by most Americans, simply because they don’t know what it is or how to cook it.

More people are smoking meat at home, however, and learning how to choose the best cuts of meat to smoke. So cuts like the leg or shoulder of lamb are finally being enjoyed by more people.

If you’re ready to start enjoying the best smoked meats, instead of eating ground beef every day, then the guide below was written for you.

1. Beef Brisket

This is one of the best cuts of meat to cook in a smoker, and most home chefs aspire to brisket perfection.

While it’s popular to try for those new to smoking, it can be tricky to get it right. And brisket is a bit more expensive, so you might want to try a few other cuts beforehand.

If you have a large cut, it can take a very long time to cook; upwards of 20 hours. Brisket often experiences a stall, where it gets “stuck” at an internal temperature of around 160 degrees. But you are aiming for a final internal temperature of around 195 degrees.

But with brisket, you need to remember that the temperature can continue rising, even after you take it off the grill.

It’s also a very cheap cut, making it a great meat to use as you’re learning the process of smoking on your new Masterbuilt electric smoker. Other cuts on this list can be much more pricey. So if you’re going to experiment and make mistakes, do it on something cheap like this.

2. Whole Turkey

If you use the spatchcock method of cooking a whole bird, it can cook much faster than traditional cuts of meat, and absorb more of the tasty, smoky flavor.

The spatchcock method is the process of removing the backbone of the bird. Doing this allows you to lay the meat flat, instead of in a big round bundle.

With more surface area exposed to heat and smoke, you can cook a bird in just a few hours. And the meat that typically doesn’t have any flavor, on the inside of the turkey, will be rich in a smoky flavor.

3. Ribs

Ribs just might be the best meat to smoke. There are plenty of types of ribs you can try smoking. All of which can taste amazing, as they fall off the bone in your mouth if done properly.

Beef ribs are a great option, as are spare and baby back ribs that come from pigs. Baby back ribs are the smaller, meatier, leaner ribs from the pigs, meaning a lower smoking time.

Spare ribs are larger and usually require more cooking time.

4. Lamb Shoulder

Most Americans don’t eat lamb on a regular basis. But since they only cook with their stove or govern, that’s understandable. But lamb shoulder can be absolutely delicious when smoked.

It’s full of connective tissues, meaning that it should be slow-cooked for many hours. When done, the meat will be extra tender and juicy. Lamb also boasts a naturally rich flavor, which the smoke only enhances over time.

Lamb’s leg is also a popular choice for smoking. With legs, you can choose the narrow shank end or the fattier upper end, which is better suited to the smoker.

The fat on the leg melts away during the three or four-hour smoke time, yielding an extra tender hunk of meat.

5. Whole Chicken

Chicken is one of the most consumed meats in the country. But most people eat bland chicken.

Smoking a whole chicken can create some of the richest tasting chicken you ever tried.

But since chicken is so lean, you can soak the meat in a brine of your choice to help the bird retain moisture as it smokes. You can also use the spatchcock method for fast, flavorful cooking.

Chickens are cheap, cook fast, and taste great once you learn the right method. With a sub-two-hour smoke time. this makes for a great mid-week meal.

6. Tri-Tip

Tri-tip has always been a flavor on the grill in the kitchen. But it has seen a surge in popularity among smokers as well, as many people have discovered the optimal smoking process.

Tri-tip is quite lean, so you don’t want to overcook it. That means you can get a slab of tri-tip cooked in just a couple of hours at most.

Since this triangle-shaped cut of meat retains its shape during the smoking process, it’s easy to slice up once you remove it from the smoker. Once cut up, you’ll notice the marbling.

Marbling is the strings of connective tissues that can make tri-tip unenjoyable if cooked incorrectly. But when cooked properly, and when sliced in the right direction, the texture will be perfectly tender.

Smoked trip-tip on a warm summer evening is hard to beat.

Experimenting With the Best Cuts of Meat to Smoke

If you’re ready to put that new smoker to work, then give anything of these cuts a try. They are among the best cuts of meat to smoke, with professionals and novices alike smoking these on a regular basis.

Of course, smoking is an art. It’s a skill that needs to be mastered. If you get it wrong, and your meat doesn’t come out, just keep experimenting and trying until you find a method that works for you.

Looking for more cooking inspiration like this? Head over to our blog now to keep salivating.