How to Smoke on a Weber Grill
Weber kettle-style grills allow grill masters to prepare meat using charcoal fires--the purist's form of barbecuing. Using Weber grills as smokers takes barbecuing to a new level, offering tenderness and smoky flavor imparted from slow-cooking with charcoal and hardwood. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Dry, aged hardwood chips or chunks
- Dry rub seasoning
- Meat
- Natural lump charcoal or briquettes
- Electric charcoal starter
- Drip pan
Instructions
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1
Apply dry rub seasonings to the desired meat the night before cooking and allow the meat to sit, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. This allows the seasonings to absorb into the meat, curing it.
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2
On the day of smoking, open all vents wide and place four or five handfuls of lump charcoal on one side of the charcoal grate.
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3
Bury an electric starter in the coals before plugging in the device. Keep the starter in the charcoal for eight minutes until it begins to smoke and crackle.
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4
Remove the starter, unplug it, and place the drip pan on the side of the grill bottom that is charcoal free. Add a cup or two of water to the pan to keep any meat drippings from burning during the cooking process, then replace the lid and allow coals to sit another 10 minutes to thoroughly catch fire.
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5
Open the lid and throw some wet wood chips or chunks on the coals to begin producing smoke.
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6
Replace cooking grate and place meat on the side of the grill over the drip pan and furthest away from the heat source before re-closing the lid.
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7
Use the grill vents to regulate temperature inside the kettle to about 200 degrees F.
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8
Add a fresh handful or two of lump charcoal every hour and wood chips every 30 minutes during the cooking process.
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Tips & Warnings
Wet wood chips and chunks produce more smoke, so soak them ahead of time in water, beer or wine. Adding a handful of chips and charcoal to the fire every 30 minutes to an hour feeds the heat source and creates enough smoke to flavor the meat. Consult grilling or smoking cookbooks or websites, such as Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible site, for suggested smoking times based on meat type and weight.
Control cooking chamber temperatures by adjusting the vents on the lid and underneath the Weber kettle grill.
Always use fire-resistant cooking mitts when feeding coals or chips into the fire, and handle meat with long grilling-style cooking tongs to avoid burns. Handle hot grates with long-handled pliers when adding charcoal and wood chips.
