BBQ Smoking Tip: Knowing And Controlling The Temperature Counts

Posted by Jerryr on 5:05 pm None comments

Knowing the temperature inside the bbq smokers cooking chamber is a BBQ smoking essential. The objective is to cook the meat to at least 165°F. To achieve this, the range of temperature that has to be maintained inside the cooking chamber is between 190°F to 220°F.

When you have achieved this temperature you can now place the meat inside the cooking chamber. Since not all meats are cut equal; there are times when meat placed inside will be larger or thicker in cuts than in other instances. Larger meat cuts will of course require more time and the best way to be sure you are maintaining the correct (and safe) internal temperature is to stick an internal meat temperature probe into the meat.

Examples of thick meat cuts are butts and brisket and these are the kind of thick cuts that you would normally use an internal meat temperature probe. When probing on a butt don’t hit a bone if you want to get an accurate reading.

For ribs and chicken you can do with the cooking chamber temperature reading (of the BBQ smoker) and the timer. Although not commonly used on chicken you can also use an internal temperature probe just to make sure you have the correct temperature.

As you now know temperature is critical and a drop in temperature can increase the time for cooking. Removing the lid of the smoker will cause a significant drop in temperature, so this is something you should not do while cooking.

So knowing and keeping the right temperature is important and having a digital probe thermometer can be quite handy since it also tells you that the meat is all set.

If you don’t pay attention to this you may wind up just thinking about the great smoked meat you could have had instead of actually savouring a mouth watering one.

BBQ Smoking Tip: It’s All About The Wood

Posted by Jerryr on 12:03 am None comments

There is this misconception that charcoal is an integral part in producing the smoke in bbq smokers which leads to having that great “smoke” taste of the meat. The smoke is actually made by the wood that we put in. Charcoal is there to produce heat which can also be done by using gas or electricity (depending on the product model).

When the amount of oxygen available to the wood during burning is limited, it produces smoke. This is a case when slower (burning) is better. To produce more smoke is the reason why before placing wood chips on top of the source of heat, we soak the wood chips in water for around 30 minutes. So the meat is smoked and cooked since it is subjected to a steady flow of smoke from the wood chips and heat.

The kind of wood you use will have an effect on the taste of your meat. Like if you use orange wood you can have this slight fruit taste and some smoke flavor as well. With wood from apricot what you get is this gentle sweetness that’s fruity.

There are other kinds of woods that you can use such as grapefruit, peach and pear. There is no rule that says you can only stick to one kind of wood. Two of the wood tastes were described above. To know the rest it’s best to try them out. You might just find a particular wood that will become your favorite or you may wind up with more than one favorite!

Where to get the wood chips or chunks? They are usually available in grocery stores and sold in bags. Another source would be through the internet, there are sites offering these.

Now you know, to get that particular taste-it’s all about the wood!

The All-In-One Guide To Using BBQ Smokers

Posted by Jerryr on 3:21 pm None comments

To get the most out of bbq smokers use low heating through an extended length of time, fish and meat are kept succulent and soft this way. The distinctive taste of smoked food is derived from the smoke that the food absorbs when it is slowly cooked inside the smoker for a number of hours. At the base of the smoker there are charcoals that have moist wood chips placed over them, this produces smoke which fills the chamber and provides the smoky taste.

Steps To Take:

Food Preparation And Cooking Process

    • There are numerous ways to prepare your meat. It can be done with brines, marinades or rubs. Nowadays information is readily available; you can use barbecue cookbooks or browse over the internet to find different ways of preparing the meat (or fish). Look over or even try out the different methods then decide which one to use.
    • Know the length of time you will need to cook the meat/fish. The thing to consider is at what temperature and what kind of consistency you want your barbecue to come out. What’s commonly followed is:
      • Per pound of pulled pork or roasts is 1 to 2 hours.
      • A rack of ribs is 6 hours.
    • For ribs the following steps are recommended that separates the bone from the meat:
      • The first 3 hours of smoking is done normally.
      • The next 2 hours of smoking the ribs should be wrapped firmly in aluminum foil.
      • The last 1 hour of smoking the ribs are unwrapped.

(the meat is steamed when wrapped causing it to separate from the bone)

    • Check the temperature of your meat with the use of a meat thermometer to see if it is fully cooked and safe for consumption. The temperature at the center of the meat should be around 165°F (about 73.9°C). To have a tender cooked meat the temperature should go no higher than 165°F.

Wood Chip and Smoker Preparation, and Other Things

  • There are many types of wood chips to use. To have the proper wood chips get them from a supplier who provides wood chips specifically for barbecue smoker. The kind of wood chip you have could make or break the taste of your meat.
  • Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes.
  • Put charcoals at the firebox found at the bottom of the barbecue smoker and light the charcoals and let burn until you see gray ashes formed.
  • Get soaked wood chips, place over charcoals and close chamber to allow smoke to build up.
  • Once there is smoke build up place meat on cooking rack for it to cook.
  • Add wood chips at 2 or 3 hours interval also add more charcoal if needed.
  • It may be necessary to add wood chips at closer one hour interval if chips/charcoals are consumed faster.
  • Ideal cooking temperature range is between 200°F to 220°F (about 93.3°C to 104.4°C). Check smoker thermometer.

Materials Needed

  • Meat/Fish
  • Your choice of marinades, sauces, rubs
  • Charcoal
  • Wood Chips
  • Barbecue smoker (there are also gas and electric smokers, same procedure except wood chips are placed over source of heat-always take extra care when dealing with fire or other heating source).

Choosing The Right Barbecue Smoker For You

Posted by Jerryr on 2:02 am None comments

Let’s get to know more about a bbq smoker so we can make an informed choice when buying one. As to its size, the common barbecue smoker is usually about 3 feet (91.44 cm) in height and approximately 20 inches (50.80 cm) in diameter. It basically has a cylindrical cooking chamber and a fire box located in the lower portion. Inside the cooking chamber are one or two cooking racks where the meat or fish are placed. There are air vents allowing air in the firebox and air or smoke out of the cooking chamber. There is also a thermometer to gauge the temperature in the cooking chamber.

There are products on the market that can perform the dual role of being a barbecue smoker or a traditional barbecue grill and are known as chargrill smokers or more popularly as smoker barbecue grills.

If you want to go bigger in size there is the barbecue pit smoker or the barbecue smoker trailer. Aside from the size another distinguishing feature of these kinds of smokers is the water pan above the source of heat. The heat will convert the water to steam which results in the food remaining moist which also influences the food taste. There are other versions that operate in a different manner since they do not have water pans.

So what would be a good barbecue smoker, the one that produces the desired results? Well, they should be of good quality built. Two suggested good quality manufacturers are Brinkman and the other is Weber. The things to look out for is that the vents (earlier mentioned) work properly and air moves from the lower heat source and out to the upper portion through the cooking chamber. The vents should allow you to control the movement of air which in turn regulates the temperature. For proper temperature measurement go for a smoker that measures temperature accurately not just low, medium and high. It’s difficult to control your cooking if you only have this kind of information.

There are different kinds of heat sources offered by smoker manufacturers; it may be wood, charcoal, gas, or electricity. Die hard barbecue smokers say charcoal brings the best out of fish or meat, although the distinct flavor associated with smokers has more to do with the wood chips that are placed on top of the heat source. With charcoal or wood there is also a fair amount of cleaning involved after use.

For gas or electricity you will not have to clean it as much as in wood or charcoal. If you do not want to put any more labor than you have to for this form of cooking, these kinds of smoker models would be right for you and is also more convenient.

Whatever your choice make sure you enjoy using your smoker and not something you will only use once then store away and forgotten.

BBQ Smokers Tip: Things A Rookie Should Know

Posted by Jerryr on 1:51 am None comments

So you’ve decided to try your hand with BBQ smokers. After having tasted all those great BBQ smoke meals, it’s time to do your own cooking and not have to wait and pray that a friend of yours will invite you to one of their BBQ parties or having to go to a restaurant to get your favorite smoked meal.

Naturally as a rookie there are a lot of things that you don’t know or have not even thought about after buying bbq smokers and when you first start cooking.

So you won’t start off in the wrong foot or have your tongue experience unexpected and unpleasant tastes here is a list I’ve created on some things you should do to get the best results:

Cure Your Smoker

  • You may think that your smoker is all set to go and you can immediately use it. This may not be the case. The heat resistant paint applied to your smoker may still have some smell to it. The smoker can also be covered with dust or oils. If you cook right away under these conditions, it may produce a taste and smell that is very undesirable. The remedy is to burn off these undesirables. So before you start your first cooking, what you do is heat your brand new smoker to a temperature up to about 400°F and leave it for around 20 minutes. After which lower the temperature to 250 °F and hold it there for 2 to 3 hours.

Turn Your Meat

  • The heat inside your cooking chamber will probably not be uniform. Meaning some portions may be cold and others may be hot. So there is uneven heating which results in uneven cooking. To solve this, turn or rotate your meat regularly during the smoking (cooking); this will make the cooking more even. Do not think you have to do this forever though. Over time you will get to understand your BBQ smoker better and its particular quirks. So there will probably be less turning in the future.

Maintain Your Temperature

  • Do not think that once you have reached a particular temperature, the smoker will keep that temperature steady over the course of the smoking. It doesn’t work that way. The temperature could go higher or lower so you have to be aware of this when it happens by paying attention to the temperature during the entire smoking process. Then you must compensate by either lowering or increasing that temperature to maintain the temperature that is desired. Uneven temperature will result in poor food quality. This is a process all smokers have to do. It is not as difficult as you think and over time it will come to you naturally.

With these tips you are on your way to becoming an expert in BBQ smoking while avoiding some of the “learning by mistake” experiences that a lot of new BBQ smoker owners have undergone which have literally left them with a bad taste in their mouth. Happy smoking!