When his son went off to college, George Loving started smoking meat. “I said, you know, I’m going to get one of those big smokers made and pull it behind my truck and just tailgate in the parking lot. And somebody said, George, why don’t you, you know, do it as a business?”

So, he did. He started a barbeque catering business in Washington, D.C., called SmokeDatt BBQ Catering.

George knows exactly what makes a perfectly-smoked meat — how to get it smoky and charred without being burnt.

It’s a delicate balance — and it’s one informed by chemistry. Because the perfect barbecue isn’t just about what cut of meat you’re cooking. It’s about how you cook it, and how you can get all those chemical reactions to happen in just the right way.

That’s why the experts we talked to say to keep the smoke to a minimum. Lots of thick, white smoke that sometimes plumes with barbecues imparts a harsh flavor. They also say that the key to creating that deliciously tender we all know and love is in retaining the moisture. That’s why it’s all about the low and slow heat. Cook the meat too fast and the natural moisture inside meat evaporates. The muscle fibers crowd together into a dry, chewy cut.

This story was originally reported for NPR by Gisele Grayson. Read her digital piece to learn more about how to finesse various cuts of meat, the likely origins of smoking meat and even more science behind the perfect slab of juicy meat.

And with that, we wish you happy cooking all summer long!

Curious about other science powering the things you love? Email us at [email protected].

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Credits: Today’s episode was produced by Brit Hanson, Berly McCoy and Willa Rubin. It was edited by Sadie Babits and managing producer Rebecca Ramirez. Gisele Grayson and Ayda Pourasad checked the facts. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

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