Contrary to popular opinion, smoking on a gas grill is easy. Before heating up your grill remove your grill grates, take off the protective heat plate from above the burner, and place your smoke box immediately above the burner. The Monument Grills Smoke Box is specifically designed to fit in this position on a Monument Grill, allowing precise temperature control over your wood chips. Make sure to soak your wood chips ahead of time to get the slow smoldering burn that produces maximum smoke over time.
The rest is easy. You can use your grill like normal (making sure the burner under your chips is on) and you will end up with a slight smokiness, similar to cooking on a charcoal grill. Or you can take it to the next level and ONLY use the burner under your wood chips and cook with indirect heat over a longer period. You will end up with your meal deliciously infused with smoky flavor. When cooking for longer periods, try resting your wood chips on top of the grates instead of under. You can’t control the temperature of the chips as easily, but you can add more chips as they burn away. If new to indirect cooking it may be worth investing in a meat thermometer to ensure a safe internal temperature!
Unsure what woodchips to be using with what types of meat? Find a recipe online! Look for a smoked version of your favorite grilled meal. Don’t limit yourself to smoking your favorite cut of meat, look for a smoked version of your favorite vegetables too! Really impress your friends and family this grilling season with smoky grilled corn, melt in your mouth smoky grilled onions, or smoked mixed veggies.
Don’t have a smoke box? No worries, you can still enjoy smoking on your gas grill. Option one is to buy an aluminum tray with an aluminum lid, cut holes in the top (for escaping smoke) and place it on top of your grill grates. Option two is to take a large sheet of aluminum foil, put your soaked wood chips in the middle and fold your foil over them fully containing the wood chips then slice several slits in the top. The trick is to seal them in fully, the less oxygen getting in the slower the woodchips will burn and release smoke. Place your wood chip packet on your grill grates over a burner and you’re all set.
Now smoky flavor in food doesn’t come from being near smoke, it comes from being directly in the smoke. Keeping the lid closed allows the smoke to build up inside the grill and really get into the food. Remember to keep food as close to the source of smoke as possible, while of course keeping in mind whether you’re still cooking with indirect or direct heat.
The final step? Enjoy your delicious smoke infused meal!
