Water Smoker Recipes – Beef Brisket

After you’ve smoked pork shoulders and ribs, you will want to add beef brisket to your box of water smoker recipes. Any good brisket recipe will start with the selection of a good piece of meat.

For best results, choose a brisket that is untrimmed. Look for a brisket with a layer of fat that is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Also look for marbling throughout the meat fibers. The more marbling, the tenderer the meat will be.

Once you get home from the butcher, unpack the brisket and let it drain in the sink for a few minutes. Trim the fat so that it is about a 1/2 inch thick. Score the fat by cutting 1 inch squares, down to the surface of the meat. Now you want to add your flavoring. You can add flavor with a marinade, spicy rub, or both.

Marinating a brisket is easy. You can either mix up your own recipe or purchase one pre-made. Place the brisket in a non-reactive container and pour on the marinade. If you like, you can use an injector to pump some of the marinade into the brisket. Let the brisket marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

If you prefer a dry rub, you’ll want to make sure you coat the brisket and work the rub into the meat and scores. After it has been well coated, wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The longer it rests, the deeper the flavor will penetrate into the meat.

The next step is the same for all of your smoker recipes; prepare your water smoker. Select the type of charcoal and wood you’ll want to use. Fill up your fire pan with hot coals. Make sure to keep water in the pan and the temperature consistent.

Just like your other smoker recipes, the key to a good brisket is low and slow cooking. A good rule of thumb is to cook the brisket for one hour per pound at 225 degrees. When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees, remove it from the smoker and wrap in aluminum foil. The brisket should be allowed to rest for 30 minutes to an hour to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

The more you experiment the more smoker recipes you can add to your repertoire. Just enjoy your time outdoors and the process of smoking your own meat. Best of Luck and Happy Smoking!

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Water Smoker Recipes – Seasoning Your Meat

Having a water smoker and a great piece of meat doesn’t ensure great barbecue. Any good water smoker recipe is going to include adding seasoning to the meat before and during smoking. The seasoning should compliment the meats natural flavor without overpowering the natural taste of the meat and smoke. Below are few common ways to add flavor to your favorite smoker recipe.

Brining
A brine is a basic solution consisting of salt, sugar and other flavorings. Generally, you’ll mix these ingredients in a bucket of water and submerse the meat for an extended period of time (I recommend brining overnight). The end result of brining is a more juicy, flavorful piece of meat.

Marinating
First and foremost, marinating is meant to tenderize tough cuts of meat. I also allows meat to draw flavor into itself. You can use juice, wine or even Italian dressing as a marinade in your smoker recipes.

Rubs
A dry rub consists of different seasonings that have been mixed together. The best way to apply run is to cover your meat in a thin layer of yellow mustard. After that, sprinkle a coat of tub onto the meat. The mustard will lose its flavor, but will leave a nice crust.

Mopping the Meat
After your meat has been on your water smoker for hours, you may need to add a little bit of moisture back to the meat. After your rub has had a chance to adhere to the meat, you’ll want to start mopping it with a sauce. Commons mopping sauces include apple juice or vinegar as their main ingredient.

I hope these tips will help take your water smoker recipes to the next level. Just remember to experiment and have fun. Best of Luck and Happy Smoking!

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Grilling an Awesome Steak on Your Charcoal Smoker and Grill

The best thing about the charcoal smoker and grill, is that it doubles as a charcoal grill when your not smoking your favorite meat. All you have to do on most models is place the fire pan where the water pan usually goes.

I have a nice propane grill that I use for most of my grilling. It's fast and easy, but it doesn't compare to grilling over hot charcoal. Especially when you are cooking a few steaks.

Follow these simple steps and you'll be well on your way to grilling and eating the best steak you've ever had.

• Just as with smoking meat, it all begins with the meat. When I'm cooking for the entire family, I'll generally go for the sirloin. It's inexpensive and goes a long way. My personal preference is ribeye. You will get the best results from a steak that is well marbled and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Stay away from anything thing has been manufactured or "flavor induced". Go to your local butcher and get the freshest piece of meat you can find.
• Fill your chimney starter with quality charcoal. Use a small amount of newspaper to get it started. In about 15 - 20 minutes, the coals will have ashed over and can be poured into the fire pan. At this point, put on the grill grate and clamp on the lid. You will want the charcoal smoker and grill to get very hot before putting on the steaks, so give it a good five minutes or so to heat up.
• There are all types of spices you can add to your steak before cooking. I'm a purist, so I like to stick to the basics; kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and garlic powder. In my opinion, a quality steak doesn't need a lot of extras. Less expensive cuts of meat might need a little more help.
• Allow your steaks to come to room temperature before placing them on the grill. If not, the temperature of the cold meat hitting the hot grill will prevent searing. After the steaks have been seasoned, add them to the grill and leave it uncovered.
• If you like your steak medium-rare, place them on the grill for two minutes. After two minutes, rotate each steak 45 degrees. This will sear in the x-marks like you see at the restaurants. Grill another 2-3 minutes and then flip. Follow the same procedure for the other side. These times are estimates, so you may need to adjust a little.
• Remove the steaks from the grill with a spatula or tongs. Do not use a fork to move the steaks. If you do, all of the juice will run out on the plate.
• Before serving and cutting the steaks, let them rest for three minutes. Heat causes the the steak juices to move to the center of the meat. The rest period will allow the juices to move back into the rest of the steak.

I hope you enjoy these tips. Remember, your charcoal smoker and grill is a multi-purpose piece of equipment. You may actually discover that you use it as a charcoal grill even more than as a water smoker. Best of Luck and Happy Grilling!

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Propane Smoker – The Easy Way to Smoke Meat

Water smokers cook meat slowly, keeping it moist and flavorful. One of the easiest ways to slow cook food is with a propane smoker. While a smoking purist may turn up their nose at the mere mention of cooking with gas, a propane smoker is a good option for smoking meat in your backyard.

The best thing about a propane smoker is that you can easily control the heat. This is a big benefit if you want to enjoy smoking meat without the hassle of babysitting it all day. In contrast, a charcoal water smoker requires continual oversight.

Another advantage of using a propane smoker is that propane is readily available and can be taken anywhere. Because of this mobility, they can be taken to the beach or on a camping trip. Additional tanks can be purchased almost anywhere and will also fit your propane grill.

Most propane smokers are tall steel containers. They contain a heating element, similar to a propane grill and a water pan. Soaked wood chips can be used to add additional flavor to the meat. The combination of smoke and steam results in tender smoked meats. Propane smokers generally come with several racks that hold multiple pieces of meat. The large door make it easy to check on the meat, add wood chips and water.

Propane smokers are a little more expensive than other types of water smokers. The price will usually vary depending upon the size and quality of the smoker. You can expect to to pay anywhere from $150 – $400 for a decent propane smoker.

If you want to enjoy smoking food and don’t care about watching it all day, then a propane smoker is a good choice. The ease of use and consistent results of smoking food with propane make this an obvious choice. Best of luck and happy smoking!

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Choosing the Right Fuel for a Charcoal Smoker and Grill

A charcoal smoker and grill requires fuel, and that fuel is charcoal. The most common types are briquettes and lump charcoal. Both types have pros and cons, and both can be used to make great barbecue.

Charcoal Briquettes
Charcoal Briquettes are a manufactured product. Kingsford is the best selling brand of charcoal briquettes in the United States.

Briquettes are a convenient and inexpensive source of fuel for your charcoal smoker and grill. They tend to burn longer and more consistently than lump charcoal, but not quite as hot.

Briquettes also contain other ingredients in addition to charcoal to improve the consistency and performance. As a result, these additives leave behind more ash. This can be a concern with less expensive charcoal smokers because the fire pan can be difficult to access. If you are particularly adamant about being “natural”, then you might want to steer clear of briquettes.

Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is made from pieces of wood that have been burned down into charcoal. It contains no additional ingredients. After the lump charcoal has been processed, it’s packaged and sold. Irregularities in the wood are the reason for the varying size and shape of lump charcoal.

Lump charcoal tends to burn hotter than briquettes, but not as long or as consistently. In some parts of the country, it can be purchased for about the same price as briquettes. Generally the price is determined by the availability.

When selecting what type of charcoal you want to use, take the following factors into consideration:

• What’s available where you live?
• How fast does it light?
• How hot does it burn?
• Do you care if it is a “natural” product?
• How long does it burn?
• How much ash does it leave behind?
• How consistently does it burn?
• Does it leave behind a smell or flavor to your food?

Whatever you choose, make certain that it meets your needs. Use a chimney starter and never use lighter fluid. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with Kingsford, but you’ll have to decide that on your own. Best of luck and happy smoking!

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Water Smoker Recipes – Smoked Chicken

When people think of BBQ smoker recipes, they generally think of high fat pork butts and ribs. Smoking chicken can be a tasty and delicious alternative.

To successfully smoke a chicken on your water smoker, you’ll need to start with a 3 – 3.5 pound whole chicken. My recommendation is to buy as natural as possible. If you can afford to buy locally, then do so. If not, then look for a bird that hasn‘t been injected full of solution. Look for terms such as “all natural” or “minimally processed” on the package.

Brine your chicken in a sugar and salt solution for four hours before cooking. Mix 1 gallon of water with a cup of sugar and a cup of kosher salt. You can also add fruit juice, wine, spices, Worcestershire, peppercorns, etc. Make sure the chicken is completely submersed in the brine. A good idea is to place a few plates on top to keep the chicken from floating.

You’ll need enough charcoal to maintain a temperature of 225 degrees for 3 hours. Use your charcoal chimney to get your charcoal started. Once it has ashed over, you can put it in the charcoal pan of your water smoker. Also, don’t forget to fill up your water pan. There is nothing worse than a water smoker with no water.

Place the chicken on the water smoker breast side down. You will want to add a foil envelope of soaked hickory chips on top of the charcoal. Let the chicken cook breast side down for 1 1/2 hours. At this time, flip it over the remainder of the time. Remove the chicken when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Make sure you monitor the heat, adding hot coals whenever needed. You will also need to add more wood chips whenever the foil pack stops producing smoke.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do. The internet contains a wealth of smoker recipes. All you have to do is search. Don’t be afraid to try new things or combine different recipes. Using a water smoker is all about experimentation. Have fun and keep smoking!

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“Build a Smoker” from Your Charcoal Grill

Smoking meat doesn‘t have to be limited to those that have the resources to purchase a dedicated smoker. If you have a charcoal grill, you can easily “build a smoker“. Fortunately, this “build” isn‘t going to require any permanent modifications.

The main difference between a water smoker and a charcoal grill is that the smoker keeps the fire away from the food. A water smoker contains the fire and keeps the temperature around 225 degrees F. A charcoal grill is designed to cook food hot and fast. If you keep the fire small and to one side of the grill, you can easily use a charcoal grill to smoke meat.

To start off with, you’ll need a charcoal grill, charcoal, charcoal chimney, a drip pan, a water pan, and an oven safe thermometer. You’ll also need plenty of time and something to cook.

Begin by removing the cooking grate and building a fire on one half of the grill. You’ll want to place the drip pan on the other side of the grill. Now you can put the cooking grate back on the grill. When the coals are ashed over, you are ready to cook. Fill the water pan about 2/3 full of water and place it directly over the fire. This will add moisture into the air inside the grill. Place the meat over the drip pan and the thermometer on the grate next to the meat. Once that’s done, you will want to place the lid back on the grill.

You’ll need to ensure that you have enough airflow coming into and out of your grill. Ideally, your grill will have airvents in the bottom and top. The air will need to come in under the charcoal and escape through the vent on top of the meat. You’ll also want to use the vent to control the temperature.

While the food is cooking, you’ll need to keep the lid closed as much as possible. Only open the lid to take a quick peek at the fire, water level and temperature. Make sure you have hot charcoal on hand so you can add it when needed. Adding charcoal could be a little difficult because you’ll have to remove the cooking grate.

The set up may not be as convenient as a water smoker, but the end result should be just as good. Just be careful though, smoking meat is addicting. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to upgrade to a dedicated water smoker. Best of luck and happy smoking!

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