Smoke Before or After Sous Vide? What’s Better?

When it comes to smoking, what’s best: Smoking before you sous vide your food? Or after?

How often have you gone out to eat at a restaurant and ordered something only to end up leaving you less than thrilled with the entire experience?

Maybe you left the restaurant feeling full but unsatisfied with your meal. There are many reasons why this could happen.

Whatever the case may be, there are some things you can do to avoid this kind of experience the next time you dine out.

In this article, we are going to discuss what’s better: smoking before or after sous vide.

Sous Vide vs. Smoking: Differences and Similarities

smoking-rib-eye-steak
Smoking a rib-eye steak

In sous vide cooking, you set your timer for the duration of the cooking time and then simply step away.

If you are not going to eat the food immediately, it can sit in the fridge or freezer for a few hours without any harm done to it.

There are many differences between smoking and sous vide cooking.

For starters, sous vide cooking uses a precise temperature range (usually 63°F to 145°F), while smoking is usually done at a much higher temperature range (200°F to 550°F).

Sous Vide cooking is one of the most exciting things that I’ve learned about since being introduced to it several years ago.

Combining Sous Vide and Smoking

In my opinion, this would be pretty easy to do if you did it right. You can take the steak out of the sous vide machine and finish it over the grill.

Make sure you are using a grill that has a nice even heat and is properly seasoned.

This is a common question asked by many people. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to answer this question.

If you do smoke at home or are planning to try smoking at home, then you are likely to have a problem.

If you don’t want to smoke at home, then you can use your sous vide cooker for cooking and use a smoker for smoking.

This would be the easiest way to cook a whole chicken, but it is more time-consuming. Another option is to smoke the chicken in the oven.

It’s not the most convenient method, but it does the trick.

You can also smoke the chicken in your outdoor grill if you have one.

Should You Smoke Before or After Sous Vide?

You must smoke after you sous vide. First, smoking will denature the meat. Second, smoke will break down the surface protein, making the meat more tender. 

Still, both ways are fine and it varies from person to person.

According to some, there is no reason for you to eat something that has not been cooked properly, so smoking the food before cooking is a great way to kill it before cooking.

Use sous vide cooking to achieve consistently moist and tender brisket at home

If you’re wondering how to cook a perfect brisket, you might be interested to know that the traditional way of doing it is to slow cook it in a smoker over a low fire for hours at a time.

But it’s possible to replicate the results with sous vide cooking and a little bit of patience.

I have been making brisket this way for years, using a combination of sous vide and dry rub. The end result is flavorful meat that is super juicy and has a great smoke ring but without the mess.

So if you’re looking to learn how to cook a perfect brisket, you’re going to want to start by learning how to make a dry rub.

A dry rub is a blend of spices that is applied directly to the meat before it goes into the oven. The spice mix is spread evenly over the meat and rubbed in.

You don’t need to get fancy here, just a good old-fashioned mix of spices that will give the brisket its flavor.

How to Combine Sous Vide and Smoke for the Best BBQ Ever

A simple trick! You can get a pretty good smoke by using a sous vide pouch and then smoking it in a pan with a lid.

You can then open the bag and transfer the meat to a regular smoker or grill. This is a great option if you want to avoid spending money on a fancy smoker or grill.

You need to heat the sous vide container using the grill. Once heated up, place your meat on top of the container, and cover with foil. Now add some liquid smoke.

If you want, you can also use a basting brush to apply the liquid smoke to the meat.

Smoke for flavor, sous vide for precise doneness/tenderness and texture

I would say it’s more of a personal preference than anything but to each his own.

Sous vide and smoke have similar effects – they both impart moisture and a bit of a smoky taste, but the temperature isn’t a huge factor – it’s mainly an effect of the way the food is prepared and cooked.

I would use them for different types of food, but it depends on my mood and what I’m feeling like eating.

How Does Smoking Work?

Smoking is a method that helps to infuse flavors into foods by burning them at high temperatures. Smoking also reduces the chances of contamination with pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

If you are smoking a meal, the smoke is a nice way to add flavor and moisture to the meal. A little bit of smoke will not make a difference in taste, but if you are smoking a steak or chicken breast, it can add moisture and make your meat taste better!

Benefits of Smoking Food

It increases blood circulation which is very beneficial for the brain. It helps to make food more delicious and increases appetite.

It’s a great way to taste food. You can use it to enjoy various flavors, colors, and textures without the hassles of heating food.

Food is cooked before it’s smoked, so you don’t have to worry about it becoming too hot or cold. You can enjoy smoking food at any temperature.

You may know that smoking food can help you to get more nutrients from your food. It’s a healthy way to eat and it’s also a great way to reduce your cholesterol levels.

Drawbacks of smoking food 

It can cause a lot of problems such as digestion and weight gain. The food gets cold after it is smoked and this could cause nausea or other health problems.

Food that has been smoked also tends to taste bitter.

You may not enjoy your favorite dish. A study has shown that the flavors of food are altered by smoking it.

A new study suggests that the taste receptors in the mouth get adapted to the nicotine molecules in the smoke. As a result, people lose the ability to enjoy their favorite foods.

Conclusion

There are a lot of myths surrounding smoking food. And I’m sure you’ve heard them all before. But, I’d like to make it clear that they are false.

As far as I know, smoking food is completely safe and doesn’t change its taste or nutritional value in any way.

What I do recommend is not smoking a pre-cooked dish. You can always smoke the dish after it has been cooked and served. I’m a big fan of smoking seafood. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy smoked food.

But, you can also smoke almost anything. As long as you use the right equipment and don’t put your health at risk, smoking food is completely safe.

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