Smoke

Low-and-slow cooking over indirect wood and/or charcoal smoke. Patience and control of the fire is rewarded with unrivaled flavor.

200-300°F Heat

Fatty cuts of proteinBest For

Smoker, Grill, ThermometerGear

Anywhere from 1 to 18 hrsCook

IntermediateSkill

When to use it

You'll want to smoke most fatty proteins that would otherwise be tough when grilled
This is a second line

Not the move when

The Method

How It’s Done

Prepare your pit
Create smoke!
Warm it up, Chris
Were you about to? If so, we're on the same page. With smokers that have heavy insulation, you can prepare the pit with a weed burner torch, to accelerate the warming of the cook chamber, without having to burn up fuel and time.
Light your fire
C'mon baby. Ok, we'll stop with the music. Maybe. If using charcoal, start with a chimney of ~10 brickets or enough lump charcoal to cover the bottom of your chimney.

From the pit

Avoid these

Racing to get your smoker to temp. Take your time and start backing off the heat as it builds, somewhere around 25-50 degrees before your target (depending on your smoker).
Not all cuts are great for smoking, a good rule of thumb is to choose meats that are higher in fat that can slowly render while taking on the flavor from the smoke.

See it live