Barbecue Smoker

You can treat your family and friends to smoked ribs or pulled pork right at home. All it requires is a barbecue smoker and your grilling skills. With some practice, you should soon be on your way to preparing exotic foods that were once considered 'impossible at home'.

Barbecue enthusiasts

For every food lover, barbecuing cooking is undoubtedly an appetizing way to entertain family and friends. Barbecuing is just not about authentic flavors alone; it has its unique attraction and advantages.

• You enjoy cooking differently
  
• An ideal social event with family/friends
  
• Portable barbecues make for good picnics
  
• You are ready for slow cooking
  
• Abundant varieties of food and recipes
  
• Most appropriate to cook larger pieces of meat like
  
• Briskets, turkeys, roasting chickens or pork roasts
  
• It is an ultimate treat provider.

Barbecue smoker

By choosing to cook food the barbecue way, you have opted for a slower cooking method over low heat. Though traditionally for an authentic taste, barbecue is done over charcoal or wood, gas and electric barbecue smokers are popular. A liquid in the form of water, wine, juice or any other desired liquid is required to produce the moist heat and smoke. The food item that is taken for barbecue cooking benefits from the long, slow cooking process. Though time consuming, the result is amazing, the end meat product is so tender that it just drops off the bone.

Barbecue smokers bring a different dimension to barbecue cooking. In reality, barbecue smokers are food smokers. Right from salmon to tougher cuts of meat, such as beef brisket, or pork ribs, lots of different types of food can be turned into tender, succulent treats. A barbecue smoker helps the tougher meat to simply fall apart just before your taste buds gets into action. You may wonder why and how this is possible with a barbecue smoker.

Smoking the food in the barbecue makes this possible. As the food is cooked slowly, the collagen in meat breaks down making it easier to eat. Barbecue smoker has a special provision in the form of a closeable lid that keeps the smoke trapped inside. This provides a smoky environment and slow even heat is maintained for several hours and the food is thus smoked. The smoked food tastes great; its aroma alluring, texture that is succulent with an unparalleled flavor.

Selecting barbecue smoker
You can select from two types of barbecue smokers. Direct smoker is a single unit with a closeable lid whereas an indirect barbecue smoker has two units. The grill unit that comes with a closeable lid is common in direct and indirect barbecue smokers. In addition to this, an indirect barbecue smoker has an extra provision in the form a separate box that contains charcoal and wood chips.

Ensure that you can control the fire or temperature on your barbecue smoker. A barbecue smoker with firebox running down the entire length of the grill allows for even and consistent cooking temperature. You can go in for a model with rotating rotisserie racks so that you need not turn the meat around for all-round cooking. Before you decide on the type, it is imperative to consider fundamental points.

• How extensively the barbecue smoker will be used
  
  
• Where you will be placing it
  
  
• Preferred location and area available
  
  
• The material of the unit (ex: new steel)
  
  
• Check if the unit holds heat well
  
  
• Height adjustment /other features
  
  
• Native weather condition
  
  
• Preferred life expectancy.
  
  
• Maintenance demanded
  
  
• Ease of operation
  
  
• Other accessory requirement
  
  
• Mainly indoors and occasional outdoor use
  
  
• Your budget
  

You can pick up a barbecue smoker for about $400 if you are relatively new to the barbecuing process and need to smoke lesser quantities of food. A serious barbecue expert can consider a smoker with more features. Check out the quality of paint and other fixtures since very high temperatures can damage the finish or shed off the paint. Ensure that there is sufficient ventilation to prevent buildup of creostate.

Don't go overboard on cleaning the barbecue smoker since the smoky and oily surface lends protection against rusting. Scrape away grease and food gently. Remove any rust as soon as you notice it. Remember to possess a pair of good gloves in order to avoid possible hand burns along with an apron and oven mitts that are also essential barbecue attire. Once you have selected the type of barbecue smoker, it is imperative to familiarize with the instructions in the user manual.

Barbecue Smoker – How to use it

With a barbecue smoker at home, you can try to smoke exotic varieties of food.

• Keep the meat ready. If refrigerated remove ½ hour earlier.
  
  
• Complete seasoning if any before you start work
  
  
• Maintain a steady temperature. (250 ° F to 300° F)
  
  
• Monitor temperature steadily in the in-built thermometer
  
  
• Monitor with a candy or deep fryer thermometer also
  
  
• Meat should be surrounded by smoke
  
  
• Ensure smoke moves around
  
  
• Always allow extra time for smoking than the stipulated time
  
  
• Always put presoaked wood chips in a gas grill
  
  
• Put these in a cast-iron smoker box or wrap in aluminum foil
  
  
• Make sure to punch small holes in the foil to let out smoke
  
  
• Add wood chips only when its time to start cooking, not before
  
  
• Never put wood directly on a gas grill as it may fall on burners