www.bestmeatsmoker.com How to Smoke Chicken Using An Electric Smoker - Enjoy Perfectly Smoked BBQ Chicken Every Time
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Ongoing Debate of Charcoal Versus Gas
There has always been an ongoing debate of charcoal versus gas when cooking outdoors, whether it be with a smoker or grill. I like the ease of adjustment gas offers. I find it much easier to get and keep the ideal temperature whether I'm using a gas smoker or any of the gas grills.
There are a lot of people who say they enjoy the taste that comes from cooking over charcoal briquettes much better. I personally believe this is due to the meat drippings falling onto the charcoal. I have accomplished the same results by adding a second grate above the gas burners on my grill and placing charcoal flavored ceramic briquettes on that grate. During cooking, the meat drippings fall onto the hot ceramic briquettes and smoke up and back into the meat. I also drop wood chips in to add a hickory smoked flavor. I can smell that flank steak now.
If you are a charcoal aficionado, how do you get the charcoal lit safely and easily? NEVER buy the easy to light briquettes or anything soaked in lighter fluid. It has a recurring taste of petroleum. Some lighter fluids say that they have no taste, but they do.
The quickest way I found to light the charcoal was with an electric starter. It looked like a portable hot plate with an 18 inch handle. Sadly, it does not appear to be available any longer.
I then found the chimney. This is a good way to start the fire. This device looks like a large coffee can with no top or bottom, just a handle. Place the chimney in the smoker. Place some crumbled up paper moistened with cooking oil in the bottom and fill with briquettes. Light it with a match. Very quickly the fire will spread upward and the briquettes will be lit. Some chimneys have a handle to release the charcoal and some do not. Pick up the chimney (make sure you wear gloves) and spread the briquettes around. Then add some more briquettes. Make sure it is hot and you are ready to cook.
With gas, turn the valve on and push the starter button. Wait until the appliance is hot and start cooking.
To clean up the charcoal, wait until the charcoal burns out or spray with the hose. Then, clean up the mess. Be careful the coals are not still smothering and then get rid of the ashes.
With gas, turn the burner off, close the door.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Building a Smoke Oven
Building a smoke oven is a relatively simple procedure and it is essentially a box that contains smoke and is usually insulated to keep in heat. These are sometimes also called 'meat smokers' and a range of other names.
A smoke oven works by cooking meat very slowly in a hot smoky environment contained within the oven. As the meat cooks the smoke will cover the meat and this can also season the outside of the meat giving it a distinct flavour. As the heat and the amount of smoke increases the meat will absorb this smoke also giving it something of a strong 'barbequed' flavour that is hard to achieve other ways. This makes it great for barbecues and for outdoor cooking and achieves an effect that you could not easily achieve any other way. So how do you build a smoke oven?
A smoke oven can be made from many different things and this includes metal or even wood. The meat will cook at a quite low temperature - around 22 degrees Fahrenheit and this will mean that a wooden smoke oven is safe and unlikely to catch fire. Of course though making your smoker from something other than wood will mean that it is more durable and will also mean it is more water proof and keep it safe from the rain and other fluids. To create your meat smoker you will need to create then the insulated box from your chosen material and will just need to include some sort of door or flap so that you can insert the meat yourself and flip/turn it.
In order to create the smoke and the heat however you will need a power source and normally this will be an electrical element. The reason for this is that it will allow you to control the temperature at a very constant rate as this is how smoke cooking is meant to work. However if you cannot achieve this yourself you may use some form of fire.
Perhaps the easiest way to create a meat smoker then yourself is to be able to simply add the box or cover to another cooking device such as an electric barbecue or a grill cooker. In this case you will not need to have an 'entry point' and will simply place the box over the top of your meat while it is cooking. The smoke will automatically remain inside the container as heat rises. You can then lift the box from the top in order to flip and turn the meat.
The next thing you will need is a moisture source, and it is important while smoke cooking to ensure that there is some moisture in the cooker with the meat to prevent it from drying out. Place a pan of water under the hood with the meat and this will cause moisture to circulate around the smoke cooker as the meat cooks.
This will work as a basic smoke cooker, but in order to have your own dedicated smoke cooker you might want to get professional help. This way you can enjoy the unique barbecued taste time and again with relative ease.
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