Cooking over slowly smoldering hickory, applewood or pecan chips that produce a fine, sweet smoke and low, even heat makes meats of all kinds more flavorful and delicious. Smoking is an altogether different thing from grilling, which cooks food quickly, directly over hot coals or flame. Rather, smoking requires patience, because you must cook at low temperatures for a long time to allow the smokey goodness to thoroughly permeate your meat. While it may seem challenging at first, smoking meat is actually quite simple, with the right preparation, equipment and diligent attention to the temperature and smoke output of your smoker.
Step 1
Defrost the meat you plan to smoke overnight in the refrigerator. The United States Department of Agriculture states that proper thawing in refrigeration rather than at room temperature will help prevent food-borne illnesses. Marinate the meat in a sauce or marinade of your choice in the refrigerator.
Step 2
Select wood chips to smoke your meet. Hickory, mesquite, oak, apple, maple and other hardwoods are good choices. Do not use pine, cedar, spruce or other conifers or softer woods, as these burn too quickly, producing higher temperatures. These woods also release resins that can adversely affect the flavor of the meat. Soak the wood chips in water for several hours prior to smoking. Soaking the wood will cause it to smolder rather than burn.
Step 3
Prepare your smoker. Ensure that it is clean and free of debris. Place charcoal in the smoker, apply some charcoal lighter fluid and ignite the fluid, carefully, with a match or lighter. If your smoker is an electric or propane model, ignite the flame or plug the unit in and turn it on. Allow the unit to heat up sufficiently.
Step 4
Place the metal end of the cooking thermometer in the smoker to constantly monitor the temperature. Maintain the temperature between 225 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. For charcoal smokers, replenish the charcoal as needed to maintain this temperature. For propane and electric smokers, adjust the flame or electric setting, accordingly.
Step 5
Place the wood chips in the smoker, either on the burning charcoal or in the pan provided with an electric or propane model. Wait until the wood chips begin to smoke well before placing your meat in the smoker.
Step 6
Place the meat on the grill within the smoker. Close the smoker and allow the meat to smoke for anywhere from three to eight hours depending on the size, shape and type of meat being smoked.
Step 7
Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the meat to take a temperature reading. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, smoke beef, veal or lamb steaks, roasts or chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Smoke all pork cuts to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. For ground beef, veal or lamb, smoke these ground meats to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoke all poultry to a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tips and Warnings
- Apply any sauces or glazes during the last 15 to 20 minutes of smoking. This will help prevent the sugars in the sauce or glaze from burning.
- To reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses, cook your meat to the proper minimum temperature, and be careful of potential cross-contamination when handling meat with utensils or kitchenware.
Things You'll Need
- Wood chips
- Smoker
- Charcoal briquettes
- Matches or lighter
- Cooking thermometer with separate readout
- Meat thermometer
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