Smoker Grills: Slow Cooking at Its Best

When it comes to BBQ compared to smoking grills they are opposite extremes. BBQ aficionados are quick to point out the difference between real slow cooked BBQ compared to just a back yard grill. Grilling is hot and fast, with cook times measured in minutes, if not seconds, depending on the cut and type of food. Smoking is low heat and long cook times and is measured in hours. These long hours are used to convey more flavors to the meat, while preserving the meat's natural juices and tenderness. Many times natural juices are lost in high intensity fires found in grills.

Smokers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with plenty of different features. They, like any other grill, are plentiful in choice, depending on whether you want to hot smoke, or cold smoke your meal. The simplest models can be found for right around thirty to forty dollars, and resemble a chimney with some racks on the inside. They will also have a heating element at the bottom, either electric or coal powered. For beginners, or for only occasional smokers, these models will be just enough.

The way the smoker works is the heating element at the bottom is used to essentially cook wooden blocks to produce smoke. These blocks are soaked in water beforehand, and will burn without igniting for quite some time. This smoke conveys heat and flavor to a cut of meat stored above, which slowly cooks it.

Unless you really want to smoke a lot of food, all the time, a small simple model is probably for you. There are a lot of bells and whistles available, but every smoker is going to have the same essential components, and added extras are not necessary. You should be able to remove the top, to get to the food, and remove the bottom for cleaning. There should be a door, giving you access to the midsection as well. You can use a coal fire, but keep in mind that these cook times go on for hours, and a coal fire would require regular maintenance. For ease of preparation, an electric heating element will serve the same purpose, but give an added reliability. Just be sure to plug it in to a dedicated grounded, or GFCI outlet to ensure shorts do not halt the cooking process.

A side note on cold smoking. Cold smoking functions the same way hot smoking does, except an additional system is installed to allow heat to exit the device, but keeps the smoke inside, which finds its way to the meat, and brings more flavor, this meat would then later be prepared regularly. (Smoked bacon is prepared this way)