How to Cook Meat With as Little Smoke as Possible

Steaks, sausages, burgers and ribs: perfectly cooked meat is a real delicacy, whether grilled, barbecued or in a regular pan, perhaps cast iron, ideal for slow and even cooking.

There's just one problem: cooking meat releases a lot of smoke, which is not only harmful to your health but also ruins the flavor of what you're cooking, not to mention making your neighbors angry. Don't worry: there's a solution to reduce it to a minimum (avoiding it completely is practically impossible). We'll suggest a few tricks and tips that will help you cook meat with as little smoke as possible, regardless of the type of cooking you're going to use.

Why Does Meat Release Smoke When Cooked?

Let's dispel a myth right away: the legend that the smoke generated by roasting meat is synonymous with good cooking is wrong. The smoke does not come from the quality of the meat or how you are cooking it, but is simply generated by the juices and fats that come into contact with the heat. The higher the heat, the more smoke is formed.

In fact, smoking can be potentially dangerous. When it comes to grilling or barbecuing, in fact, prolonged exposure to smoke or ingesting “contaminated” foods is not good: smoke contains a large amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, powerful air pollutants, some of which have been identified as carcinogenic.

This also applies to home cooking in a pan, although obviously since there are no embers the temperatures are lower and the smoke less intense. In any case, it is better to try to reduce the emission of smoke to a minimum while cooking the meat.

How to Cook Meat With Little Smoke

Choosing the right pan is essential to minimize the creation of smoke while cooking meat: a grill pan, for example, is an excellent tool, even better if made of cast iron or stone. Many also have empty spaces underneath that allow fat to drip into a pan, thus preventing it from stopping and producing smoke.

Also pay attention to the seasoning before cooking: it must not be too exaggerated and, if you want to marinate the meat, choose delicate and low-fat products such as vinegar and lemon, which also soften it and make it tastier.

Other useful tips are to prefer, at least in daily life, the consumption of lean meat so that it avoids the dispersion of liquids and therefore produces less smoke, and also to check the cooking status often, to avoid it burning and therefore producing even more smoke.

How to Reduce Smoke in Other Types of Cooking

If you decide to cook meat on the grill (which, we remind you, is different from the barbecue), therefore using the ancient technique of cooking on the grill, it is essential to choose good quality charcoal, certified by companies with experience in the sector: good charcoal, in fact, produces few explosions and little smoke.

The lighting phase is also very important, and it helps to reduce smoke by choosing natural products such as eco-friendly firelighters that are much less harmful than those containing dangerous additives.

As we have explained, dripping fat and juices on the grill inevitably cause smoke. To reduce the problem avoid skewering the food, preferring instead to turn it with the help of tongs.

It is also important that the grill is always kept clean: if fats remain attached they will come into contact with the flames and will end up generating a lot of smoke.