Smoking Meat (4 page)

1. Hook up the propane tank and make sure it is snug. The newer 20-pound tanks all have a large, black-handled knob that uses normal right-handed threads to tighten the connection to the propane tank.
   
2. Open the door of the smoker by turning the handle 90 degrees counterclockwise. Remove the smoker box and fill it to the top with dry wood chips or chunks. Replace the lid on the smoker box and return it to the wire-framed cradle just above the burner where you removed it originally.
   
3. Line the water pan (located just above the chip box) with a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Make a habit of this step to save a lot of time. Instead of cleaning all the goo that accumulates in the water pan, you can simply remove and discard the foil, leaving a clean water pan ready for your next smoke.
   
4. Go into the house (or, if you’re lucky, to the sink in your outdoor kitchen area) and fill a ½-gallon pitcher full of hot water. Pour the water into the foil-lined water pan.
   
5. Now for the fun part! Turn the large knob on the left a few clicks and make sure it is emitting a spark next to the burner. If there is no spark, remove your hand from the knob and feel below the control area (the area just below the two knobs) for a wire; make sure it’s securely connected, then try turning the knob again.
   IMPORTANT: (optional)
   Do not touch the wire while you are turning the knob or you may have a shocking experience! If the burner sparks properly, turn the right-hand knob to high and immediately turn the left-hand knob a few clicks to ignite the propane burner.
   
6. While the smoker is coming up to temperature, you need to make sure the vents are set properly. If you have the type with two lower vents, close them as far as the tab stops will allow (which is the “
   GOSM
   way” of helping you avoid the mistake of closing the vents all the way), then set the top vent to the same position (closed at the tab stop). If you have the type with only the top vent, simply set it to closed (at the tab stop). I know some folks who have learned that with certain milder woods they can get more smoke flavor by bending up the stops and closing the vents a little more. For now, leave them be and stay on the safe side.
   IMPORTANT: (optional)
   On
   any
   smoker, it’s crucial to set the vents correctly to allow proper airflow in and out of the smoker. This allows your fire to burn properly, and lets the smoke “kiss” your meat instead of settling on it and building up creosote.
   
7. Let the smoker continue to burn on high for about a minute, then set the heat control knob between low and medium to allow the temperature to settle in at 225°
   F
   .
   
8. The wood will start smoking in about four or five minutes, or maybe even sooner, so you want to get your meat into the smoker quickly. If I’m smoking only a small amount, I use the rack that sits at the same level as the thermometer, just to make sure I know what the exact temperature is at meat level. If I’m loading it down, I leave a little room around each piece of meat to allow plenty of airflow, which ensures everything is smoked properly.
   
9. Once you have the meat in the smoker, close the door and latch it by turning the handle 90 degrees clockwise.
   
10. Sit back for about an hour or so with your favorite beverage, checking the smoker occasionally to make sure it is maintaining your target temperature or to make small adjustments to the heat control knob (higher or lower as necessary). You’ll find that it sometimes takes as much as two or three minutes for the temperature to level out once you make a change, so make a very small adjustment and wait to see what happens. With practice, you’ll learn exactly where to set the knob to maintain a specific temperature. You’ll also notice a difference based on how much meat you are cooking; a smoker full of cold meat will need more heat to reach and maintain your target temperature than a smoker with, say, only one Pork butt in it.
    
11. After about 90 minutes you’ll probably need to add more wood chips or chunks to the chip box. (A telltale sign that it’s almost time to add more wood is when the smoker starts smoking heavier than usual.) Quickly and carefully open the door and, using heavy-duty tongs (big channel-lock pliers also work great) and a welding glove or other heat-resistant glove, pull out the chip box carriage. Remove the lid and then the chip box with the tongs or pliers, and set them on the ground. Quickly close and latch the door so the smoker maintains its temperature while you are replacing the wood chips or chunks.
    
12. Pour the ashes and pieces of coal still in the chip box into a metal container, making sure nothing flammable is in the vicinity.
    
13. Refill the chip box with chunks or chips and return it to the chip box carriage in the reverse order of removal as quickly as possible to minimize heat loss. For ribs and poultry you’ll probably need to refill the chip box only a couple of times, but for larger cuts like brisket and Pork butt you may need to do it three or more times. A good rule of thumb is to keep refilling the chip box until the temperature of the meat reaches 140°
    F
    .
    

TENDERNESS TEST FOR RIBS

Most smoked meats are cooked to a certain temperature at which they are safe to eat, but ribs are cooked until they are tender (which usually happens long after they are “done” in terms of temperature). To check tenderness, pull two of the rib bones in opposite directions. If the meat tears easily, the ribs are ready to eat.

When the meat is almost done based on the reading of a digital probe meat thermometer (see the Master Table of Smoking Times and Temperatures on the last page of this chapter) or a tenderness test (see sidebar), get yourself another cold beverage and hang out around the smoker so you’re ready to pull the meat out when it reaches its moment of perfection.

Wood-Fired Smokers

I think everyone will agree that the taste of meat cooked on an authentic wood-fired smoker is unbeatable in every way. The time spent building, tending, and poking the fire just appeals to the inner Neanderthal in all of us. And believe it or not, a certain part of our brain is put into a trance-like state when we watch flames dancing upon wood. Aside from the psychological aspect of it, the intense flavor of meat cooked over a real wood fire is second to none.

I personally enjoy cooking on a wood-fired smoker more than on any other kind, but it is labor-intensive. You can’t walk away for too long because you need to adjust a vent or add a stick of wood quite often. I usually reserve cooking on my wood smoker for days when the weather is good and I have other things I can do outdoors and close by—but it can also be a great excuse to grab your favorite beverage and a lawn chair and just treat yourself to some real rest and relaxation.

Most wood-fired smokers are built very similarly to the horizontal offset charcoal smoker, with a large cooking chamber for the meat and a slightly smaller area on the side known as the firebox. A vent lets air into the firebox and a chimney protruding up from the cooking chamber allows the air/smoke mixture to exit.

There are two types of wood-fired smokers built in this horizontal offset fashion: the direct flow and the reverse flow. In the direct flow style, the heat and smoke flow from the firebox directly into the cooking chamber through a semicircle-shaped hole. The smoke travels immediately up to the grate where it cooks and flavors the meat. Some smokers have a baffle that directs the heat and smoke downward.

In my experience, the temperature in the direct flow type of smoker is not as balanced as in the reverse flow. The latter is so named because of the way the heat and smoke flow out of the firebox, under the grate, and all the way to the far end of the cooking chamber before finally rising and moving across the grate to the open chimney on the firebox side of the smoker. This reverse flow is made possible via a heavy steel plate welded just under the grate, which forces the heat and smoke to stay down until reaching the far end of the smoker. The metal plate tends to absorb some of the heat, and this helps to balance both the temperature inside the cooking chamber and the movement of air through the smoker. Many fans of the reverse flow style feel a balanced temperature is paramount in cooking great food, whether for home use or in competitions.

I have used both types of wood-fired smokers and, while I prefer the reverse flow design, both styles are widely used. More important, each can be fine-tuned to produce the tastiest and most mouthwatering food on the planet.

Smoking on a Grill

So, you don’t have a smoker but you
do
have a grill, and you are wondering if there is possibly some way you could . . . I can read your mind, and the answer is an emphatic yes! You can absolutely use your gas or charcoal grill to smoke meat using a few simple techniques. You must fully understand that smoking meat is all about
low and slow
. But for now, just know that any form of smoking must be done with low, indirect heat.

Indirect heat on a grill is achieved by placing the meat on one side of the grill while the heat source is on the other side. On a gas grill, this can mean turning on the leftmost burner and placing the meat on the right side of the grate. You could also turn all burners on high to get the grill up to temperature, then adjust the heat by leaving only one burner on. Or, if your grill has three burners, you could turn off the middle burner and place the meat in the center of the grate.

To achieve a smoky flavor, wrap some wood chips in foil and place them above one of the burners; poke a few holes in the foil packet to allow the smoke to escape easily. Alternatively, you can purchase a smoker box to hold the wood chips from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon.com, or any place that sells smoking and grilling supplies.

It may take 15 to 20 minutes for the chips to start smoking properly on a gas grill, but I have a special technique for dealing with this: place the wood chip package or smoker box filled with chips directly over the burner you are using for heat. Turn the burner on high and leave the lid of the grill open until you see smoke. At this point, you can add the meat to the grill (on the opposite side to the heat source), close the lid, and turn the heat down to medium to maintain a temperature of 225°
F
to 240°
F
.

If you need more smoke, start with two wood chip packages or smoker boxes instead of one, and follow the same technique. Don’t soak the wood—this just creates steam initially and prolongs the time it takes for the real smoke flavor to emerge.

In a hurry? I’ve been known to place the wood chip package or smoker box directly over the flame on my side burner to get it going faster. Once I see it smoking really well, I use barbecue tongs to set the wood chip package directly over the burner I’m using for heat.

To smoke meat on a charcoal grill (like the famous Weber grill), you can place a metal drip pan in the center of the grill (under the grate) with hot charcoal placed evenly on either side. Place the meat directly above the drip pan. For longer cooking sessions, place water in the drip pan to help balance the heat inside the grill and to keep the drippings from burning. Wood chips or chunks should be placed on the charcoal for smoke flavor.

What Kind of Smoker Is Right for You?

Many other models of smokers are made by various companies, and all work similarly to the ones I have mentioned. Amazon.com is a good source of information and reviews about all types of smokers. There is also a Smokers & More section at
www.smokingmeatforums.com
, where you can find reviews and ratings of various smokers and equipment. The really nice thing about this resource is that the reviews and ratings are all created by forum members.

The smoker you purchase is entirely up to you, but your choice should be guided by the number of people you want to feed, whether you live in a house or an apartment, and the amount of time that you have available to cook. For instance, someone with a very busy lifestyle might want to consider a set-it-and-forget-it style of electric smoker, such as the cabinet models made by Bradley or Masterbuilt. Someone living in an apartment complex with restrictions on patio fires may also choose an electric smoker. Others may have more flexibility. My advice is to do your research and identify the factors important to you before making a purchase decision.

FUEL: CHARCOAL, GAS, OR WOOD?

Charcoal

Not all charcoal is created equal. Even similarly marked bags of the two main forms—lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes—have differences in burn time, burn quality, moisture level, and overall quality. Bigger price or bigger name doesn’t necessarily equal better charcoal. It pays to read reviews and do some testing to see what works best.

I’m not a big fan of charcoal briquettes, since it is well known they are sometimes made from questionable ingredients. I’m not saying that I never use charcoal in briquette form, but it is very rare and usually because I need a very steady heat for a long period of time, such as when I’m using the Minion method and I don’t have the time to babysit the smoker.

Unfortunately, lump charcoal does not always provide the consistent burn you get from the evenly sized briquettes. Other than that, lump charcoal is the all-around best option. It is simply wood that has been burned in a low- or no-oxygen environment. Some say that lump charcoal burns hotter and faster, but I haven’t seen any official evidence for this. One major advantage to using lump charcoal is that it is manufactured from pure wood and doesn’t contain the fillers and other chemicals found in briquettes. Lump charcoal also produces significantly less ash, which tends to smother a fire during long burn times. If you don’t use charcoal in lump form, you have to find a way to let the ash drop below the charcoal. Disadvantages of lump charcoal are that it is usually more expensive than briquettes, the pieces are inconsistent in size, and it tends to spark when poured into the charcoal pan or firebox.