5 Essential Smoker Recipes: How to Make Smoked Meat

Smokers are the cooking apparatus for barbecue: They allow you to cook food at low temperatures in a controlled, smoky environment. There are many smokers—from custom-made offset smokers to ceramic outdoor ovens to small smokers you can pack on camping trips.

Smoking cooks food at a low temperature for an extended period, whereas grilling cooks food at a higher temperature for a much shorter amount of time over direct heat. Both cooking methods will yield a crispy crust to the meat.

Depending on the type of smoker and its fuel source, instructions may vary, but follow these basic steps for use:

1. 1. Ignite the fuel source. Different fuel sources require varying preparation. You can simply turn on an electric or gas smoker or light a match to ignite charcoal or wood pellets.
2. 2. Set the temperature. Low and slow is key here. The smoker should maintain a temperature between 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. You can control the temperature of the smoker by opening and closing dampers—the openings at the top and bottom of the smokers (also known as intake or baffles). Opening the lower damper at the bottom of the smoker will increase the heat. Opening the upper damper will vent the smoker, lowering the temperature.
3. 3. Flavor the meat. Marinate your meat and add a dry rub before putting it in the smoker. A BBQ rub might contain mustard, salt, black pepper, brown sugar, chipotle, paprika, and other seasonings that you desire.
4. 4. Prepare a water pan. Fatty meats will stay moist throughout the long cooking time. If you want to cook a lean piece of meat, such as lamb, fill the water pan beneath the grates with water. The water will steam up, keeping the meat moist.
5. 5. Flip the meat. The cook time will differ depending on the type of meat, the cut, and the size. For example, prime rib might take forty-five minutes; smoked meatloaf can take two hours; baby back ribs and a whole chicken (for smoked chicken) may take four to five hours; jerky will take twelve to sixteen hours; a smoked turkey will take thirty to thirty-five minutes per pound of meat. Open the lid of the smoker to flip the meat. (Avoid opening the top to check on the meat—every time you do, it adds fifteen to twenty minutes to the cooking time.)
6. 6. Wrap the meat. Pitmasters recommend wrapping the meat after it comes out of the smoker in aluminum foil to ensure it stays warm and moist.

Consider the following delicious smoker recipes that will wow guests at your next at-home BBQ and take your cooking skills to the next level:

1. 1. Smoked brisket: Over the course of a long cook, brisket’s fat will render and connective tissue will break down, making this cut of meat an optimal choice for extended smoking. Award-winning Texas-based pitmaster Aaron Franklin cooks his brisket for twelve hours. Franklin’s smoked beef brisket recipe yields tender, juicy meat with delicious burnt ends.
2. 2. Smoked eggs: Smoked eggs are a side dish or appetizer made by cooking raw eggs over low indirect heat in a smoker or grill until they reach a hard-boiled texture. This cooking process infuses your eggs with a delicately smoky flavor. The eggs take on a unique appearance in the smoking process, with the egg whites turning golden yellow or brown as they cook. You can also use smoked eggs to make deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, or grain bowls.
3. 3. Smoked pork butt: The relatively forgiving nature of the pork butt cut of meat, along with consistent cooking temperature, make this a great cook for beginners or anyone who wants to practice their fire-maintenance skills. Pork butt, also known as pork shoulder, is typically used to make pulled pork, which is juicy and delicious slathered in bbq sauce or with sandwiches or tacos. Learn pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s method for smoking pork butt.
4. 4. Smoked pork ribs: Follow Aaron Franklin’s pork recipe for smoked pork ribs for mouth-watering pork ribs that fall off the bone. The recipe requires slathering the pork ribs with BBQ sauce before wrapping it.
5. 5. Smoked salmon: After curing salmon in salt for a few days, put it in the smoker to make smoked salmon, which you can serve with bagels and cream cheese. Cold-smoked salmon is placed in a 70 degrees Fahrenheit smoker for the better part of a day and more closely resembles traditional lox. Hot-smoked salmon is placed at 145 Fahrenheit for eight hours, achieving a thicker, darker texture that loses its translucency, and is flakier in texture, like oven-cooked salmon fillets.

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