The smell of smoke coming from a smoker can make any mouth water in anticipation of a flavorful meal. You can use two types of smoking -- cold and hot -- to add a natural smoky flavor to nearly any food. Hot smoke refers to actually cooking the meat while you smoke it, and a cold smoke is used to simply add the smoky flavor without cooking the food. Regardless of whether you are hot smoking pork loins, shoulders, hams or chops, the general smoking process remains the same.
Step 1
Soak the wood chips in water for about two to three hours to prevent any flare-ups during the smoking process.
Step 2
Season the pork, according to your recipe, with a marinade or brine. You can leave the pork in the marinade or brine for several hours to tenderize the meat and add flavor.
Step 3
Start the smoker and allow the wood chips to get red hot and fill the inside of the smoker with smoke.
Step 4
Place the meat on the smoker racks and close the door.
Step 5
Place the drip pan directly under the pork to catch any fat drippings or juice.
Step 6
Add wood chips to the smoker every 45 to 60 minutes to maintain the amount of smoke.
Step 7
Turn the adjustable temperature knob on the smoker up or down so the temperature stays between 225 and 230 degrees Fahrenheit during the entire cooking process.
Step 8
Smoke the pork for about 90 minutes per lb. For example, 2 lbs. of pork requires about three hours of total cooking time.
Step 9
Check the internal temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. Make sure the probe of the thermometer is in the middle of the meat and isn't touching a bone.
Step 10
Remove the pork from the smoker when the temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to destroy bacteria that could cause food-borne illness.
Tips and Warnings
- Always consult the smoker owner's manual for specific cooking tips. The best wood chips for smoking are hickory, apple, maple or cherry.
- Never smoke pork in containers made from galvanized steel or other materials that haven't been approved for cooking.
Things You'll Need
- Wood chips
- Timer
- Meat thermometer
