 Charcoal smokers will give you a great variety of flavors and is a spot-on change from your standard summer grilling. You can smoke just about everything you can grill, and mixing the different types of woods with various meats is an awesome challenge and makes for a interesting hobby.
Check it . Ribs are one of the most popular kinds of meat to use in a charcoal smoker. You can’t beat a massive rack of ribs, smoked to perfection with a mesquite or hickory. Beef or pork , doesn’t matter because either are great smoked. Water is important , as well . Since smoking takes a long time – several hours in most cases – you must have a water pan in there to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out. You can get the great smoky flavor, but it’s be for naught if the ribs or chops are dry and tough.
Pork chops are another popular smoking meat. My favorite recipes involves smoking chops with maple wood, then creating a maple syrup glaze to coat the chops with during the last thirty minutes . The chips give the chops a maple flavor, the water keeps it tender , and the glaze at the end seals in the juicy deliciousness . It has a sweetness flavor that goes perfectly with roasted yams.
You need some lighter wood but heartier meat if you’re smoking fish. Grouper or any kind of mild white fish is difficult to smoke, though it can be done. So the best bet if you’re just starting out is to smoke tuna or salmon . They’re thicker, meatier, and they keep together through the smoking process. Apple is a great lighter wood that works well with salmon, though you have to smoke much longer because the flavor is lighter . Be careful! You don’t want to overcook your salmon. If it’s flaky, it’s overcooked. Briny water is very important with salmon to keep it from drying out, especially if you need to smoke it longer. Use wet wood chips to give you a more billowy smoke. If it turns out perfectly , though, it’s worth the work. It goes well with Swiss chard and wild grain rice .
Don’t be afraid to try different things with the water too. Besides just water, you can add juices or beer. For example, smoking venison using a light maple wood and a cherry-infused beer imparts a great flavor you can dress with a cherry sauce or serve as is.
The biggest thing is to experiment. Smoking is an art, and with any skill the technique is whetted through trial and error. Charcoal smokers come in many sizes and shapes, and often have different features. Start simple – a plain vertical smoker should do you just fine – and go from there. Don’t run out and spend hundreds of dollars on the ultimate smoker on your first time go. You won’t know what to do with everything and will be overwhelmed. A cylinder, a water pan, two racks, and a thermometer is enough to get you started.