Grilling Tip: Spritz For The Win!
A key element to great BBQ is building the crust or bark on the outside of meat. There are many ways to accomplish a great bark, but one of the best ways to do that is by spritzing the surface of the meat throughout the cook process.
The spritzing allows the surface of the meat to cycle between moist and dry, ultimately improving the texture of the bark or crust, and adding to the flavor of the cut.
Spritzing can be achieved utilizing a variety of products to spray down the outside of the meat. A simple garden bottle sprayer will do the trick; however, sometimes they clog or don’t function correctly, thus a pressurized sprayer (as shown in the video) is recommended.
When it comes to the liquid utilized to spritz the meat, you need to take into consideration what the protein is and the flavor profile you are attempting to achieve.
A good example of this would be brisket. Utilizing a dark beer or beef broth adds to the flavor development in the crust and the sugars in both help the caramelization process to create the color and texture everyone loves.
Further, utilizing a soda product like Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke on pork, will accomplish the same desired effect for that protein and help to develop the crust prior to the wrap.
Spritzing the meat every 45 minutes to an hour will ensure great crust and bark development in conjunction with whatever rub or seasoning you have coated the meat with. These pitmaster pro tips and tricks, and a lot more, will be featured each month with your Grill Masters subscription box to help you step up your grilling game!
- Ryan Ralston, Grill Masters Club Pitmaster Panel Member
Ryan Ralston
