Grilling enthusiasts love the smoker and, if you have the time to do it, you'll discover the thrill of smoky flavors.
If you don't have one, your home improvement store stocks them at $200 to $500 each. BBQ masters can spend as much as $10,000 on one that's custom made.
Smoker cooking is done by indirect heat from a source separated from the food. Cooking temperatures are between 225 and 275 degrees. The slow cooking results in juicier food with the extra dimension of smoky flavors.
How to use a smoker
* Fill the charcoal pan half full of regular or flavored briquettes. Cherry or mesquite are popular. Or you can use small pieces of wood, like pecan, cherry or hickory. Woods should be moistened and wrapped in foil.
* Let the charcoal burn a few minutes and slowly add more. Make sure all briquettes catch fire before replacing the pan into the smoker. Replace it slowly so you don't redistribute the briquettes or put out the fire.
* Fill the water pan 3/4 full and put it in the smoker. It helps to regulate the distribution of heat.
* Place food on the grates. If it has two grates, put the meat on the bottom and the vegetables on the top grate.
* Close the lid and open the vents. One vent is for ventilation of the smoke. The other is to help provide ventilation and fresh oxygen for your fire. If the fire is waning, open the fire vent more. If the meat seems to be cooking faster than you want, open the other vent more to provide increased ventilation.
* Check the meat periodically, but don't open the lid every few minutes.
* Remember that it will take much longer to cook than when the food is being grilled. Be patient.
