Food smoking is easy!
When smoking food, you want to slow down the cooking process, so relax, it’s not like grilling (constant turning and prodding) in fact, avoiding the temptation to "fiddle" with your food when smoking, often results in better tasting food, also, it affords the outdoor chef more time to enjoy the company. You will want to cook food at temperatures of between 200°F - 250°F (Hot Smoking). You can smoke any type of food…..from vegetables to large joints of meat, even whole turkeys and on a relatively small unit you can cook a load of food.
Some of the features and other food smoking terms:
Water Pan - A water pan positioned between the food & fire which acts as a buffer, making it almost impossible to burn food. It also serves to stabilise the cooking temperature and provides a moist cooking environment. Tip – Add beer, wine and/or herbs to your water pan for extra flavour.
Rub – Dry or wet, a mixture of spices and herbs that is applied (rubbed) to the outside of the food.
Wood – Wood for smoking comes in various forms, chunks, chips, dust and pellets, it also comes in many varieties (flavours) from apple to Walnut, each imparting a different taste. Tip – Use only wood that you know has not been treated, or better still buy from an outlet that can advise you correctly…. DO NOT USE OLD FENCE POSTS OR ANY OTHER WOOD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE LYING AROUND.
Charcoal – Like wood, it comes in a confusing array of shapes and styles, Lump or briquettes, some made from hardwood, some made from coconut husks and some made from whatever the manufacturer could find that slightly resembles wood (avoid this one). Charcoal provides the heat source and if used correctly should not impart any flavour to your food… let it burn until the surface is covered with a layer of grey ash (once you’ve become a seasoned BBQ’er, you can worry about using techniques like the "minion" method to get longer burn times). Tip – Always use high quality charcoal, remember some contain binders that may not be good for you.
Charcoal Chimney Starter – This is an excellent invention, it allows you to light charcoal without the need for petrol, rocket fuel or firelighters, all it requires to get your charcoal going quickly, safely and cleanly is some rolled up newspaper. It also allows you to top up your charcoal basket easily. Good quality BBQ mitts are also recommended.
Probe Thermometer – An essential tool for determining when the food is cooked. Insert a probe into the thickest part of the food (be sure to avoid hitting a bone as this will give a false reading) you can then use the reading to see whether the food has reached the desired temperature, a chart can be found under Cooking Tips / Cooking Temperatures.
Tip – The smoking process makes some meats turn pink, so don’t mistake this for being raw.