Parchment paper is versatile in use. It serves as a non-stick surface for baking cakes and bread in the oven but can you also smoke meats and chicken with parchment paper? Yes, you can.
Parchment paper is heat-resistant, non-stick, and moisture-resistant which makes it great for wrapping meat for smoking in the oven. It helps to retain moisture and flavor in the meat. It also helps to shorten cooking time.
Find out more about smoking on parchment paper, the effect, substitutes for parchment paper, and safety measures for smoking with parchment paper.
Why smoke with parchment paper?
Parchment paper is most often used for baking cakes, brownies, and bread but it can also pass for smoking meats in the oven.
The heat-proof, moisture-resistant, and greaseproof properties make it hold up the water released from meats. These properties also allow for faster cooking time.
Smoking with parchment paper also helps to make your meats crispy, tender, and flavorful.
How to use parchment paper for smoking
- Heat your food in the oven up to 165°F
- Make ready two parchment sheets that are four to five times longer than the meat or fish
- Place one sheet horizontally on a tabletop and the other vertically on the first parchment paper
- Place the food right in the middle of the parchment paper
- Fold the bottom edge of a paper tightly over your food at an obtuse angle
- Do the same for the other paper and smooth it out
- Keep rolling the paper until all sides are secured and wrapped firmly
Can you use parchment paper in a smoker?
Yes, it is safe to use parchment paper in a smoker. But parchment paper can only withstand heat up to 420°F.
Wonderfully, most meat smoking temperature doesn’t exceed 300°F. But, you must be careful not to use it in direct contact with fire or heat source because it will burn.
Also, bleached parchment paper is laced with chemicals that can leach into its food and pose a health risk. Unbleached parchment paper is a safe option for smoking food. It is non-toxic and doesn’t pose any risks whatsoever.
What can you substitute for parchment paper when smoking?
Aside from parchment paper, there are other alternatives that you can use to smoke meats in the oven. They include:
1. Butcher paper
Butcher paper is specifically designed to wrap foods such as meat and fish. It is the safest and most appropriate option for smoking because it has little pores that allow heat to get into food while retaining water and making them cook faster.
2. Aluminum foil
Foils are another option to use for smoking in your oven. It is sturdy and can wrap food more tightly because of its ability to form shapes.
Foil cooks meat faster because of its tight seal, so you may have to shorten your cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes when using aluminum foil.
However, foil paper is non-permeable and will not give the food the smoky flavor that parchment and butcher paper give.
FAQs
Can parchment paper catch fire?
Yes. Parchment paper will burn if it comes directly in contact with fire when it is too close to the oven heat source or if the heat is beyond 450°F.
Is parchment paper the same as butcher paper?
No. Parchment paper is coated in silicone and treated with sulphuric acid. Butcher paper is made from kraft pulp treated with caustic soda, sulfide, and sizing agents to help prevent leaking.
Is parchment paper toxic?
Bleached parchment paper is toxic because it contains sulfur that can leach into your food, but unbleached parchment paper is safe to use.
Conclusion
Smoking with parchment paper is an excellent method for cooking meat and fish. It retains water, allows the food to cook faster, and makes it juicy and tender.
Without wrapping meats in parchment paper, you’ll spend more time smoking meat and may end up with mushy, dry meat. For safety, do not put parchment paper directly on fire or heat source.
I hope this article was helpful. Thanks for reading.
Also, find out if you can microwave food with parchment paper.
