How to Use a BBQ Smoker

The key to barbecue smokers is low heat over a long period of time, which keeps your meat and fish tender and juicy. The smoky flavor comes from damp wood chips placed over the coals in the base of the smoker that fills the chamber with smoke. After hours of slow roasting inside the smoky space, the food absorbs the smoky aroma that is the signature taste for smoked barbecue.

Things You'll Need

• Barbecue smoker Sauces, rubs, or marinades of your choosing Charcoal Wood chips

Instructions

1. Decide how you want to prep your meat. Just like regular barbecue, smoked barbecue can be made with rubs, marinades, or brines. Experiment with different preparations, barbecue cookbooks or websites can give you new ideas to try. You also need to decide what type of wood chips to use. There are a variety of wood chips available for smoking, but it is a good idea to purchase your chips from a supplier who chooses the wood specifically for barbecue smokers, as bad chips can ruin the flavor of the meat.

2. Determine how long you want your food to stay in the smoker. Cooking time can vary greatly depending on what temperature you choose to smoke at and what you want your final barbecue texture to be. A general guideline is 1½ to 2 hours per pound for roasts and pulled pork, and about 6 hours for a rack of ribs. (For ribs, leave them to smoke normally for the first three hours, then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil for the next two hours, and finally unwrap them for the last hour of smoking. Wrapping the ribs allows the meat to steam, which separates it from the bone.)

3. Place your wood chips in water to soak for at least 30 minutes. Assemble charcoals in the firebox at the base of the barbecue smoker, light the coals and let them burn until they are covered with grey ash. Take your soaked wood chips and place them over the ash, close the chamber and wait for the smoke to form. Once smoke starts to build up, place your meat or fish on the cooking rack and leave it to cook.

4. Every 2 to 3 hours add more wood chips and, if needed, more charcoal to the firebox. If you notice your fuel disappearing more quickly, try adding chips every hour. Check the thermometer on the smoker, ideal temperature for smoking is between 200 and 220 degrees.

5. Before you remove your meat from the smoker, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure that it is cooked all the way through. It is generally agreed that meat should be 165 degrees in the center to be safe for consumption, but some "rare" meat lovers push this boundary. In any case, to keep the meat tender you don't want to go much hotter than 165 degrees.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using a gas or electric smoker, follow the same directions but place the wood chips over the gas or electric heat source instead of lighting charcoals.

Resources

• Barbeque Hut