Sear or Brown Meat before Smoking

Q: Any benefits to searing or browning before smoking? ie. brown chicken before smoking to have better skin and flavor?

A: I know many people that sear steaks and such to "lock in" the flavor when grilling but I do not see a need for this in smoking.. in fact, It could have the opposite effect and make it more difficult for the smoke to penetrate into the meat if you sear it or brown it first.

During smoking, the meat browns up real nice and can get quite dark at times. From an aesthetic standpoint, the meat ends up just as golden brown if not darker than it would if you were doing the same meat on the grill over flames.. it just does it over a greater period of time.

The best prep for your meat before going into the smoker is in brining/marinating and/or putting on a rub, and then letting the meat warm up for about 30 minutes outside of the fridge before placing it in the smoker.

This will prepare your meat for taking on smoke and becoming a very flavorful piece of meat while not being condusive to creosote.

To answer your question in regards to smoking chicken, in the smoker at 225 degrees the skin will not be crispy. It is ok to smoke chicken a little hotter (250-275) if you prefer the skin to be crispier.

Visit Smoking-Meat.com for hundreds of great tutorials and guides on smoking meat.

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