Smoker advice

So, I just checked out the LBE post and realized that we had gotten a smoker as a gift last year. Haven't used it once. Just sitting there. One of the main reasons we give for not trying it, is that we don't know how to smoke.

Any guidance?

We used to smoke caribou/moose and salmon. My dad would make up a marinade and soak strips of meat for 24-48 hours. Then you stick them on the racks and smoke them until they're dry, or at least a day.

If the thicker parts are still moist you can transfer them to oven racks and finish drying them on low in the oven (it will save on wood chips).

They were paranoid about parasites so after the meat was smoked/cured and fully dried they would put them in ziplock bags and freeze them.

The finished product is fully cooked and comparable to what you would buy from the store. It's not anything like how the natives make it, which is mushy and oily and probably still raw.

First we need to know what kind of smoker you have. There are several different methods of imparting smoke flavor to meat.

airplanedoc said:

First we need to know what kind of smoker you have. There are several different methods of imparting smoke flavor to meat.

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Seconded.

I'm going to jump in and give advice on hot smoking anyway.

Hot smoking--using hot smoke to actually cook the food--is pretty common with the barrel-type smokers, so I'll talk about that.

Barrel smoker:


I use charcoal, but the principle is the same for gas and electric. To start, I put a load of coals in my chimney starter and get them nice and hot. My model has a pan for water that evaporates and keeps the meat moist, so while the coals are at their hottest, I put the barrel over the fire box to heat the water up.

Then, when everything's hot, I put the meat on the grates and throw some wood chunks on the fire. If they're fresh they don't need to be soaked, but if they're kiln-dried or well-seasoned they should be soaked beforehand to prevent burning.

I throw one hot coal into the bottom of my chimney starter and fill it the rest of the way with fresh charcoal (hardwood lump is so much better than briquettes). This way, when you need more heat, the coals are all hot and ready to go.

When you start the cook, make sure that nothing's actually on fire and the the temperature is in the right range. Once it's set, check it every half an hour or so and make sure that you still have white smoke coming out of the cracks. Add more coals or wood as needed.

When I do pork ribs, they take 2.5-3 hours. I like to have to tear the meat off of the bone, so if you prefer fall-off-the-bone you can leave them in a little longer.

I use Alton Brown's 8:3:3:1 rub recipe for the ribs. That's 8 parts brown sugar, 3 parts kosher salt, 3 parts chili powder, and 1 part Something Else. For that, I use half black pepper and half cumin, but have fun with it. Let the rub sit over night, then smoke away.

For poultry, I use my mother-in-law's recipe, which is very simple:
Make a mixture of half brown sugar and half kosher salt.
Rub it on the birds.
Smoke them until delicious.

She does turkeys, I usually do Cornish hens.

If you get it down, you'll be the neighborhood hero!

What?

It's a gas smoker. Not a barrel, but more like a box with a door. It's funny, I've had friends with the barrel type, so I pretty much figured it was the same principle. I'm starting to think some research might be in order.

Cheech said:

It's a gas smoker. Not a barrel, but more like a box with a door. It's funny, I've had friends with the barrel type, so I pretty much figured it was the same principle. I'm starting to think some research might be in order.

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It's quite likely that it's meant to be a hot smoker, but you should make sure.

Yes, research is definitely in order. Delicious, delicious research.

Smoking doesn't need to be complicated. Figure out how to get your smoker to 225* and make it stay there (+ or - 10%). Add the smoking wood of your choice. Hickory and apple are my favorites. Put your meat of choice (rubbed with the mix of your choice) on. Don't open it except to add wood ("If you're lookin' you aint cookin'"). For ribs leave babybacks for 2.5-3 hours, st louis cut for 4.5-5. For a boston butt leave it for 1.5 hours per pound. I've never done brisket so I'll leave that to others here.

Take the meat off the smoker, let it rest, and enjoy. And believe me, enjoy you will.

Smoken baby back ribs tomorrow for Labor Day

I use a Weber Smoky Mountain.

If it has a control unit on the left (as you look at it) side then you mist liklley have to have wood chips, discs, etc from that particular brand. In my opinon these are a PITA. Others Think they are great.

If it just has a heating element in the botton, buy some wood, meat and give it a go. Like others have said try to keep it around 220 or so.

I don't know about all of you, but it is kind of hard to smoke something to the point it is unedible.

The smoker that I learned on looks like this.



It's overkill unless you have several of some large animal to smoke. The small ones work on the same principle though. Low heat, dry environment, and a lot of time.

As for tips, try an aromatic wood like hickory, mesquite, or apple. They impart a flavor to the meat that can't really be achieved otherwise. Also, soak your wood chips in grain alcohol diluted about 3-1 with water(water 3 alcohol 1). The alcohol will allow the wet wood to light and the water soaked into the chips will keep the temperature in check.

Dubbya said:

The smoker that I learned on looks like this.

It's overkill unless you have several of some large animal to smoke. The small ones work on the same principle though. Low heat, dry environment, and a lot of time.

As for tips, try an aromatic wood like hickory, mesquite, or apple. They impart a flavor to the meat that can't really be achieved otherwise. Also, soak your wood chips in grain alcohol diluted about 3-1 with water(water 3 alcohol 1). The alcohol will allow the wet wood to light and the water soaked into the chips will keep the temperature in check.

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Now that's a smoker!

Hawkeye5 said:

I use a Weber Smoky Mountain.

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I would have babies with mine if I could.

I mean...not that I know you can't. It's not like I tried. Because...that would be...gross. I mean...I wouldn't even know which vent...Ok, um, I'm gonna go now.

stobes21 said:

Smoking doesn't need to be complicated. Figure out how to get your smoker to 225* and make it stay there (+ or - 10%). Add the smoking wood of your choice. Hickory and apple are my favorites. Put your meat of choice (rubbed with the mix of your choice) on. Don't open it except to add wood ("If you're lookin' you aint cookin'"). For ribs leave babybacks for 2.5-3 hours, st louis cut for 4.5-5. For a boston butt leave it for 1.5 hours per pound. I've never done brisket so I'll leave that to others here.

Take the meat off the smoker, let it rest, and enjoy. And believe me, enjoy you will.

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A large chunk of meat like a pork butt won't take smoke for more than a couple hours. After that you're just forming creosote. Cut the smoke after a couple hours and then just use heat for the rest of the time.

Houndawg said:

A large chunk of meat like a pork butt won't take smoke for more than a couple hours. After that you're just forming creosote. Cut the smoke after a couple hours and then just use heat for the rest of the time.

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I've had some success in cooking over low coals for a number of hours and finishing with smoke.

SilkySmooth said:

Now that's a smoker!

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30 hams at a time hanging and a whole side of bacon on each of 20 shelves around the sides.

Pork=

Kyle brought up an interesting and somewhat contentious topic...Whats Smoking?
Lets try to sort a few terms and techniques out.

Whats smoking?

Smoking developed in eons ago as a way to preserve meat, Kyle mentions Hams and Bacon in the smoker, generally they would be cured in salt and sugar prior to hanging and "smoked" the smoke creates a nitrate barrier that is inhospitable to various pests and bacteria. Its also known as the smoke ring on meats. Smoke house temps are at the low side of the range 70-200 degrees and as Kyle pointed out a dry environment.

Whats BBQ and can I use my smoker?

BBQ can also be made in a "smoker" like a brinkman or various other type units like an offset wood burner or bullet, the goal is generally not to be preserving the meat for storage but cooking it to eat. There is an oft quoted saying "Low and Slow". The goal of BBQ is to break down tough connective tissue and collagen and render the meat tender.

While BBQing temps range from 225 to 325 degrees, a moist humid environment is an advantage here. it is common to mop or bast the meat while BBQing. In BBQ the heat is indirect and the smoke is thin and blue.


Grilling is generally recognized as cooking your meat directly over a heat source, be it charcoal,wood, or gas.

I came in to offer my .02 but seeing that Jim and the Gents got you covered, I'll just say good luck and let us know how it goes!

Jim said:

Whats smoking?

Smoking developed in eons ago as a way to preserve meat, Kyle mentions Hams and Bacon in the smoker, generally they would be cured in salt and sugar prior to hanging and "smoked" the smoke creates a nitrate barrier that is inhospitable to various pests and bacteria. Its also known as the smoke ring on meats. Smoke house temps are at the low side of the range 70-200 degrees and as Kyle pointed out a dry environment.

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I believe this is more commonly referred to as cold smoking nowadays, while smoking/BBQ-ing would be the 200+ temps.

Of course, it also all depends on who you are talking to, but that's how I typically use the terminology.