| Some outdoor cooks prefer barbecue while others | | | | type of cooking cannot be hurried. It is going to take |
| prefer the slower method of smoking. While both | | | | time to properly cook your food in a smoker. On |
| methods have their advantages, many swear by the | | | | average, depending on the cut of your meat and |
| distinct flavor advantages of smoker cooking. While | | | | temperature at which you maintain the grill, smoker |
| cooking with heated smoke will take considerably | | | | cooking a four-pound piece of meat will take over two |
| longer than with straight heat, it is a more flavorful way | | | | hours. By comparison, the same size slab on a |
| of cooking. | | | | conventional grill will take less than an hour. |
| Typically, smoker cooking has an offset fire chamber, | | | | There is no limit to the types of meat you can cook in |
| which provides a means of the heat and smoke from | | | | a smoker, beef, pork, poultry and fish and there are |
| the burner to pass over and through the meat. The | | | | many recipes available to offer instruction on how to |
| flame itself never comes into contact with the food | | | | prepare them all. Some of the more popular meats for |
| and therefore will not burn it. Neither will the oils and | | | | smoker cooking are spare ribs, large fish fillets as well |
| juices that drip from the cooking meat ignite short | | | | as beef briskets. A four pound whole chicken will take |
| bursts of flame that can cause flare ups and scorched | | | | about four hours to be thoroughly cooked in a smoker. |
| food. | | | | The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to insert a |
| The type of wood used in smoker cooking also helps | | | | thermometer into the thick part of the bird without |
| determine the flavor with most people using hickory to | | | | touching any bones and making sure it reads 165 |
| provide a heavy smoky flavor to the meat. Apple and | | | | degrees. |
| pecan wood is sometimes added to lighten the wood | | | | You can rub the chicken or other meat with spices to |
| smoke flavor and wood from fruit trees will make for | | | | prepare it for smoker cooking and add other sauces |
| a slightly sweeter flavor. | | | | during and after. If you a smoker cooking without an |
| Smoker Cooking Not For The Impatient | | | | automatic turning device, you will need to turn it |
| When smoker cooking it must be realized that this | | | | occasionally to ensure even cooking and browning. |