I just realized that there is almost zero coverage of one ok f the basic cooking techniques on this site: smoked meat and other smoked foodveur)

For years I was intimidated by this, but 2 years ago I watched a few YouTube videos, got out my decrepit Weber grill and a meat thermometer (which fits thru the exhaust vent to make a simple probe up to ~260F.) I happened to have half-cord of 1-yo cherrywood, so I was good to go.

And surprise! After a lesss-than successful attempt with spare ribs (they dried out), it was dead easy, and it is a go-to flavor in any number of dishes, often using only a few ounces of meat. Simplest cut: good quality Italian sausage. (Lesser quality means the casing gets too tough.)

Bottom line: all you need is a basic charcoal grill, 50 briquettes, and some mild (non-oil, non-toxic) hardwood, a meat thermometer, a timer, and a few hours where you are available for an occasional check-up on temp and basting.
And you need a forgiving (ie. fatty) cut of pork. And after 2 years of occasional practice, I was recently successful smoking pork sirloin, which is dangerously lean.

• Posted by: Pete Mack
• September 22, 2020

• 1185 views
• 1 Comment

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