BBQ SmokersHave search on Amazon.com for BBQ smokers:
BBQ smokers are used in a process of cooking and flavouring food. Anything from meat or fish to cheese and
beer
are flavoured with smoke in various parts of the world using similar methods.BBQ Smoking is a slow cooking process involving low heat (between 100F/40C upto 185F/85C) over long periods of time; typically up to 6 hours or even more.
Two Smoking TechniquesThe process referred to here is known as Hot smoking, which uses temperatures of at least 180F/85C to cook as well as flavour the meat or other types of food.Cold smoking on the other hand is used to flavor food rather than cook it; the temperature is around 100F/40C. I won't go into it, but you can find out more about cold smoking here. BBQ Smoker EquipmentSmokers come in two basic designs - the offset smoker and the upright smoker.The more traditional offset type, which looks rather like an early steam engine. It consists of a lidded compartment like a grill, but with a separate connected compartment for the fire and wood chips. The picture at the top is of the Brinkmann 805-2101-S Pitmaster Deluxe Smoke 'n Pit and is a classic example of this type of barbecue smoker. The upright smokers are generally a wide tubular shape with a domed top.
Both types ideally should have a thermometer mounted on the outside which displays the internal temperature of the cooking chamber. Vents and chimneys are used to control airflow and therefore temperature - this is actually key to mastering BBQ smoking. Prices for smokers can be high for the big professional offset or upright drum type smokers - but backyard versions should be in the $300-400 range for something like the Brinkmann or Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker (pictured). Although perfectly usable models of either design can be bought for third of that price.
How to Cook With a BBQ SmokerThis brings me to what is technically referred to as smoke-roasting - an indirect barbecue technique which can be emulated in an ordinary covered gas or charcoal grill.Here is a clip of an offset smoker in action to give a better idea of how it works and what you can cook in one.
Barbecue smoke can be made either with logs of wood placed directly in the BBQ smokers fire box and burnt - as discussed in more detail in the
BBQ wood page.
If you don't want to splash out and buy a specialized barbeque smoker then wood chips can be used in an ordinary grill with a lid, using the - indirect grilling technique. These wood chips are made from common barbecue woods like mesquite , hickory and many others. All that is required is a BBQ smoke box. The soaked wood chips go inside, and the box placed in the grill directly above the heat source. The wood chips will smoke copiously and flavour the meat. The results are pretty damn good. What to Cook in Your SmokerHere are a mouth watering examples of food you could cook in your barbecue smoker:
Have a search on Amazon.com for some of these brands of BBQ smoker:
Further Recommended ReadingMasterbuilt electric smokersIndirect grilling is a similar technique to smoking read about it here. Return from BBQ Smokers to Barbecue Grill Maestro |
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