Shopping around for what is the best meat to smoke? We got you covered!
I am mad about choosing the best meat for smoking. I am very picky with my choices too and I think that you should be too! Of course, you can simply smoke the type of meat that you love to eat, but which one is going to be the tastiest when smoked? This is where I come in!
Let me take you through my list of the best meats to smoke!
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The Best Meat to Smoke
We all have favorites and my two main types of meats for smoking are of course pork and beef. But, this post is not about me and my preferences. Here is a short list of the best meat to smoke.
Smoking Pork:
- the meat is leaner than the beef,
- amazing meat to smoke, both hot and cold
- not all cuts are good for smoking
Smoking Beef:
- perfect for all around smoking
- great meat for BBQ, grilling and amazing for smoking
- all cuts are good
Smoking Chicken and other birds:
- very lean meat, but great for smoking
- much quicker to smoke than the other choices
- you can smoke the whole bird
Smoking Lamb and Smoking Venison:
- lean meat and awesome for smoking sausages
- great meat for smoking jerky
- best smoked in low temperature
Smoking Seafood:
- fatty seafood is best for smoking
- very limited when it comes to smoking
- best to smoke in very low temperature and for longer
The Best Meats to Smoke!
Ok, so we went through the best type of meat to smoke and now it’s time to go a little bit deeper into, which are the best cuts of meat to smoke.
Here is my list of best cuts of meat for smoking:
The Best Cuts of Meat to Smoke
There are plenty of great cuts of meat to smoke and they are all delicious! Let’s start with my favorite Pork cuts:
Best Pork to Smoke
The best parts of pork to smoke are a pork shoulder, loin, ribs, and my top best pork to smoke – pork belly (bacon). Pork is a relatively lean meat all around, but it is surrounded by a good amount of fat in most cuts.
When you are smoking ribs or smoking pork belly, you will create tender, succulent and super delicious meat! It is definitely best used with the best wood for smoking.
Best Beef to Smoke
The best parts of beef to smoke are a beef brisket and beef ribs. Brisket is the top choice cut of meat for smoking. This is the cut of meat that every reputable competitive pitmaster smokes to win challenges. This meat, when it is done well, is the most tender meat on the planet!
As for smoking beef ribs or smoking prime rib, this is my favorite beef for smoking! Why? Because of the beautiful and fatty layers tenderize the meat as it is slowly enveloped by the smoky flavors, creating the most delicious smoked beef in the universe! Well, at least for me!
Best Bird to Smoke
There are two main birds to smoke and they are of course the chicken and turkey. Both birds are best-smoked whole. This way, all of the fatty layers are enclosed inside the bird, thus keeping the meat tender and delicious.
Because this is a very lean type of meat, the best to smoke this kind of meat at low temperatures. You can also play with different flavors of wood smoke. Chicken and turkey are very good with sweeter and fruitier smoke!
Best Lamb to Smoke
The best parts of lamb to smoke are a lamb shoulder and the leg. Because lamb is one of the fattiest of meats to smoke, when cooked well, this meat can even beat the brisket when it comes to tenderness. Yes, I said it!
You may argue, but please do try it next time you smoke and compare both. Of course, this comes to my personal preference once again!
Best Venison to Smoke
Venison meat is great to smoke all around. It is a dry type of meat, so it is the best for creating smoky flavors for jerky! It can be a bit more of a chewy meat, so ensure to pack plenty of flavor into the smoke and cooked the meat on very low for a longer period of time.
This is not the most popular meat to smoke, but you will be surprised as to just how good it is when you try it!
Best Seafood to Smoke
The best seafood for smoking is the fish, but only the fatty type of fish, such as the salmon or the underrated eel! Although salmon is absolutely amazing when smoke, both hot and cold, to me smoked eel brakes all the boundaries.
Simply peel off the skin of the freshly smoked eel and you will be soon tasting the best smoked fish that you have ever eaten! Well, I know what I am doing this weekend!
Final Verdict
I understand that when it comes to smoking meat we tend to all go for the meat that we already love to eat and that we are familiar with. However, I propose a bit of a challenge. And here it is: Next time you are smoking, try out some of the meat cuts from the above list that you are not familiar with and follow some of the recipes in the best smoker recipe books if you like. Let me know how it went!
Further reading:
Check out some of the beef roasting recipes here and follow so cool smoked meat blogs.