| An outdoor smoker is a great cooking option for any | | | | last much longer. |
| sized home. The only thing needed to make the | | | | Cooking times vary depending on the weight, size and |
| perfect barbecue is an outdoor smoker, a preferred | | | | type of meat being smoked. It's a good idea to have a |
| cut of meat and a lot of time. | | | | meat thermometer on hand. |
| Before starting to smoke, pick out what type of wood | | | | Check the temperature of the meat at its thickest |
| to use. Hickory and mesquite are great reliable choices | | | | portion every few hours until it reaches a safe cooked |
| that can be picked up from almost any grocery store | | | | temperature. |
| or home improvement center. It's important to choose | | | | 180 degrees is a good rule of thumb. |
| chunks of wood instead of chips, as they'll smoke | | | | Since this is smoking, well done is the idea. This isn't |
| longer and impart a better flavor to the meat. | | | | fast food so expect to spend at least a few hours |
| Now it's time to get started on dinner! | | | | letting it go. Good things come to those who wait |
| The secret to great smoked food is indirect low heat. | | | | though! |
| Slow and low is the way to go. That means keeping | | | | A good outdoor smoker won't require a lot of |
| the temperature of your smoker between 200-250 | | | | monitoring. All that should be required is checking the |
| degrees Fahrenheit. | | | | temperature every hour to make sure it isn't getting |
| Once the temperature is steady it's time to add the | | | | too hot or cold. Adjust the settings to keep it going |
| meat and wood. Place the meat on a rack with a drip | | | | between 200 and 250 Fahrenheit. |
| pan beneath it. This will prevent any grease flare ups | | | | Depending on the smoker wood may need to be |
| from drippings. Depending on the outdoor smoker | | | | added every few hours. Just look at the exhaust of |
| either place the wood in a small metal pan of water or | | | | the outdoor smoker. If it isn't puffing out thick clouds of |
| place the wood chunks directly on the fire. | | | | smoke it's time to add more wood. Just take some of |
| If placing directly on the fire it's a good idea to first | | | | those wood chunks that are soaking in the pan of ice |
| soak the wood chunks in a pan of ice water for at | | | | water and toss them in. |
| least a half hour. They will smolder instead of burn and | | | | |