There's a moment every summer when the whole neighborhood smells like wood smoke and something wonderful. Someone's grilling and smoking. You can hear the sizzle two yards over, smell the smoke from your fishing boat across the lake, and suddenly your dinner plans change (yes, really!).
Every summer, that neighbor is us.
Over the decades, we've used a variety of fuels and grills (a confession, though: we don't own a pellet grill). My knowledgeable brother and I tinker with when to start, times, wrapping, making it through the stall, finding out which veggies work, how to smoke a pizza (!!), when you can actually go swimming, and the best rubs and post-smoking techniques (the towel is real). The deliciousness has been well-documented over the years, both in memory and photograph.
Up at our cottage, I've been learning about and enjoying Bear Mountain BBQ's Limited Edition Red, White & BBQ pellets and their Applewood chunks all season, on a gas grill, in my grandfather's home-built soapstone grill, and in a Weber.
And I'm here to tell you: you don't need a pellet grill to get real wood-fired flavor. You need a bag of good pellets, a sheet of foil, and about five minutes of setup. That's it!
First gas grill smoke try (aka, smoke everything): garlic bun, brat, home fries, onions, asparagus. Done in 15 minutes, max. Smoke: AMAZING.
Midwest idea: can we smoke ranch powder? hmm...
We were so pleased to review the pellets and applewood chunks (both for educational and gustatory purposes). Bear Mountain BBQ is the real deal! "All we do is wood. That’s Bear Mountain BBQ’s strength. Our flavors deliver the distinctive tastes Americans know and treasure,” says Bear Mountain BBQ’s Levi Strayer. "We produce high-quality fuel that delivers rich, consistent smoke, so grillers can enjoy the freedom of knowing they’re getting the best wood flavor, every time and on any grill.”
Here's our review, interspersed with photos of ALL the deliciousness I smoked and grilled last weekend.
Those veggies! Smoked in a gas grill!
Why Bear Mountain pellets work for summer grilling on any grill
Wood pellets are simply compressed hardwood sawdust. No fillers, no flavorings, no additives (I checked the bag, and then I checked their FAQ, because I love doing research). Bear Mountain BBQ sources hardwood from pellet mills across the United States, and uses either oak or alder as a base wood for a consistent burn.
Which means pellets don't care what kind of grill you have. They only need heat and a lid. Gas, charcoal, electric, kettle, kamado... if it closes, it can smoke!
My pitmaster friend down South and I message about this all the time (geeking out about wood varieties is our real hobby). The wood IS the flavor. Everything else is technique - and it differs for everyone. Low and slow? Hot and quick(er)? How often do you want to go swim? That's my deciding factor, to be honest: low and slow it is.
Here's how you know your smoking session will be amazing: Open the bag. Sniff. Repeat. Swoon a bit inside.
If you're new to pellets, as I was, here's your guide.
Three ways to smoke with pellets on regular grills
While there are fancier setups out there, here are three easy ways to start (and you probably have everything you need in the kitchen RIGHT NOW):
1. The sprinkle method (charcoal grills). Get your coals hot, then sprinkle a large handful of pellets right on top. Close the lid. The pellets should smoke, not flame (if you see flames, close the vents down a bit). That's the whole method (!!). This is an easy way to smoke short-term things (pizza, chicken, brats, cream cheese, etc.)
2. The pan method (gas, electric, or charcoal). Fill a small baking pan with about 1/4 cup pellets. Set the pan directly on the heat source (ours is the curved infrared pan), close the lid, and let the smoke build. This one is our favorite for longer cooks, because the foil keeps the pellets smoldering slow and steady.
3. The foil boat method (any grill, zero equipment). Fold a piece of aluminum foil into a square shape (called a boat, for some reason, but there you go, language is weird sometimes). Add a handful of pellets. Place it on or near the heat. Done!
Tip: Keep the lid closed as much as possible. Every peek lets your smoke escape, and the smoke is what you came for.
Quick and easy foil boat. We put it on a metal rack in our grill pan, so that the foil would not melt. Ask me how I know. Also: Don't mind the mess...
If you fall in love with pellet smoke (likely!), a stainless steel pellet smoker tube is worth the small investment. Fill it, light it, and it produces smoke for hours...long enough for ribs or a brisket, even on a gas grill.
Pellets hiding sneakily in a gas grill.
The Red, White & BBQ blend: hickory and oak, made for a crowd
Bear Mountain BBQ's Limited Edition Red, White & BBQ Craft Blends pellets are a blend of hickory and oak, and the combination is smart. Hickory brings the bold, savory smoke you think of when you think of American BBQ. Oak smooths it out with a clean, balanced burn. Together? Crowd-pleasing smoke that works on pretty much everything you'd put on a grill. I even chucked an onion on the Weber, to see. My husband bit into it like an apple (to be fair, he does love onions)!
The lone smoked onion. Highly recommended!
These smoke pellets!!!! Of particular delicious note was my pizza. I used a store dough (for ease; I'd prefer to smoke than to stir up dough), a garlicky olive oil parsley sauce, mozzarella, local asparagus (Lutz farm!), local cherry tomatoes (Z&N Farm!), and local smoked lake trout (West Michigan's Big O' Smokehouse). LET ME TELL YOU. This pizza will change your life.
Smoked pizza with smoked lake trout, smoked local veggies, all deliciousness. STILL FULL.
I also smoked chicken fajitas (Cook's Illustrated's fabulous recipe that we've used for AGES), and some brats.
Look at that smoke!
But my favorite? BURGERS. No pictures were taken. I was too enamored to stop and snap.
In all of the foodie forays, the smoke flavor was real, the time was short (especially when compared to a 12-hour smoke), and the flavor was INCREDIBLE.
Bear Mountain BBQ also sent their Applewood BBQ Wood Chunks. I used these, along with some standard briquettes, to smoke a few pork shoulders (12 hours, there you go) to 205. The flavor was astounding. As I pulled that pork later in the evening, I just stood there and ATE. The applewood chunks' flavor was subtle but well-worth including.
We ride at dawn...
Pulled while still warm, yummy in my tummy
I am a zero flames kind of person, but I DID smoke some jalapenos and poblanos on the Weber, once the meat was done. I added more applewood chunks and a scattering of pellets! My husband added it to his escabeche and was absolutely elated. Many, many chips were consumed while enjoying...
Takes about 20 minutes of smoking to ensure peak deliciousness. Here, just starting.
Our favorite discovery of the summer:
A gas grill and a handful of pellets is the best of both worlds.
The gas gives you the quick cooking that you're used to, especially when hungry. The pellets give you the wood smoke flavor. Burgers over that combination taste like they came from your favorite BBQ food truck or smokehouse. YUM. The applewood chunks shine in longer smoking efforts. They are easy, light, and bring the best flavor.
What to cook this summer (and which method to use)
A quick decision guide, from this summer's testing:
Burgers and sausages: sprinkle method or foil boat. Fast cooks only need a little smoke to transform a standard (yet beloved) offer.
Chicken: pan or foil boat method. The longer, steadier smoke has time to work while the chicken cooks through.
Ribs: pan method or smoker tube, low heat, lid closed, patience galore.
Brisket: smoker tube. This is the long game, and the tube smokes for hours.
Veggies and corn: foil boat. Even ten minutes of hickory-oak smoke makes grilled corn taste extraordinary (hi, corn! we love you!). Don't even get me started on asparagus.
Pizza: foil boat. Start the grill and then get that pizza in after only a few minutes. For my pizza, the smoke at the beginning was truly able to flavor every single ingredient (including the dough!)
Smoking pizza on the grill...what? Trust me!
For more methods and tips, Bear Mountain BBQ's grilling tips page is quite useful.
That 12-hour smoke...
Have you tried smoking on a regular grill? 10/10 would recommend! What's on your grill this summer?
Jessie Voigts, PhD, is the founder and publisher of Wandering Educators. She LOVES cooking outside all year round, but smoking on those grills in summer especially make meals shine.
Note: We received Bear Mountain BBQ products for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
All photos courtesy and copyright Wandering Educators