Stopped mopping my smoker grates, big flavor shift

I used to scrub the grates spotless between cooks, but last month I left some old crust on and everything came out richer. Now I just hit them with a wire brush while hot and skip the soap entirely, anyone else do the lazy method or am I just asking for rancid grease?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

lee_grant971mo ago

The "rancid grease" question got me thinking. My buddy Dave used to swear by leaving his cast iron skillet completely unwashed for weeks, just wiped out with a paper towel. One time he left it too long and his eggs tasted like old gym socks, but the smoke flavor from his brisket was unreal. I think there's a fine line between seasoning and just being nasty, but if your ribs are coming out better with the crust, roll with it. Worst case you re-season the grates in a hot fire, which honestly sounds like a fun Saturday project anyway.

9