Grilling and Smoking Glossary: 15 Terms Explained
The words that show up in grilling and smoking specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon.
- Bark
- The dark, flavourful crust that forms on smoked meat from rub, smoke and surface drying.
- Carryover cooking
- Heat that keeps raising the internal temperature after meat leaves the grill, often several degrees for large cuts.
- Chimney starter
- A metal cylinder that lights charcoal with newspaper or a starter cube, no lighter fluid needed.
- Related: Best Charcoal Chimney Starters (2026) →
- Direct heat
- Cooking right over the flame or coals, best for thin, fast-cooking foods and searing.
- Indirect heat
- Cooking beside the heat source with the lid closed, like an oven, for thicker cuts and low-and-slow cooking.
- Internal temperature
- The temperature at the thickest part of the meat. It, not cooking time, tells you when food is safe and done.
- Related: Best Instant-Read Thermometers (2026) →
- Kamado
- A thick ceramic egg-shaped grill that holds temperature very efficiently for both searing and smoking.
- Related: Best Kamado Grills for Versatile Outdoor Cooking (2026) →
- Low and slow
- Smoking at roughly 225-275°F for hours to break down connective tissue in cuts like brisket and pork shoulder.
- Lump charcoal
- Charred hardwood pieces that light fast and burn hot with little ash.
- Related: Best Lump Charcoal (2026) →
- Pellet grill
- A grill that feeds wood pellets automatically to hold a set temperature, like an outdoor convection oven.
- Related: Best Pellet Grills for Backyard Cooks (2026) →
- Rest time
- Letting meat sit after cooking. USDA guidance for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb is 145°F plus a 3-minute rest.
- Reverse sear
- Cooking a thick steak gently with indirect heat first, then searing hot at the end for an even interior.
- Smoke ring
- A pink layer under the surface of smoked meat caused by a reaction between smoke gases and meat pigment. It does not mean the meat is undercooked.
- The stall
- A long plateau, often around 150-170°F, when evaporation cools a large cut and the temperature stops rising for hours.
- Two-zone fire
- Coals or burners on one side only, giving a hot searing zone and a cooler indirect zone.
- Related: Best Charcoal Baskets (2026) →