How to Use BBQ Smokers
Barbecue smoker grills are designed to cook meat slowly to keep it tender and juicy. In addition, they use smoked wood to give the meat a special and irresistible flavor. There are, however, techniques that should be mastered in order to achieve the best possible results.
Materials:
- Smoked wood chips or blocks
- Marinade or rub of your choosing
- Charcoals
- Lighter and lighter fluid
- Smoker grill with a thermometer
- Cure your grill if it is brand new. Light a fire in the grill with a small pile of coals in order to get rid of the new smell. This "fresh out of the factory" scent will make your meat taste funny if it is cooked into your food. Let the coals burn to over 350 degrees and then open the vents to cool it down, then shovel out the ashes a day after it's finished burning out.
- Soak a large pile of wood chips or wood blocks in water for a few hours. They should be either hickory or applewood for the best results.
- The best results with the smoker grilll come from preparing your meat first before you barbecue it. Cover the meat in your favorite pre-barbecue rub or marinade before you fire up the grill.
- Take off the grill rack and open the vents, then lay the coals at the bottom. Pour lighter fluid on it and light the coals. Wait for the coals to turn white.
- Shake out some of the wood chips or blocks so they're not dripping, then lay them on the coals. Put the rack back in place.
- Place the meat on the rack, close the grill lid, and open the vents until the thermometer reads 200 degrees Fahrenheit for the grill's internal temperature.
- Check the meat every 2 hours. If the coals burn out too fast, add and light more coals. Be sure to put the lighter fluid on any subsequent coals before you put them in the grill. Add more wood chips if the smoke abates.
- Check the meat with a meat thermometer; remove the meat if its internal temperature reaches 165. Close all the vents and clean the rack immediately, then clean the rest of the grill once it cools down.