| If you're looking to make the meat you cook | | | | |
| taste better, there are plenty of techniques | | | | Some people want dedicated meat smokers, but |
| that can be applied to it in order to improve | | | | aren't willing to shell out the money for |
| it. Marinating, brining, even just a pinch | | | | one, or have a fondness for tinkering. There |
| of salt can all help bring out the potential | | | | are different methods of creating meat |
| of meat. One method that's not practiced as | | | | smokers yourself, but one can be made using |
| much as it used to be is the use of meat | | | | things as simple as a hot plate and a metal |
| smokers to add flavor from burning wood. | | | | garbage can, among other items. The benefit |
| Smoking is historically a method to aid in | | | | from making your own smoker is that you can |
| food preservation, since combined with the | | | | make a fairly decent one for not a lot of |
| curing process, smoked meat is very resistant | | | | money. Depending on the design, you can |
| to spoiling. If you are interested in | | | | create a smoker that's appropriate for both |
| learning to smoke meats, you will of course | | | | hot and cold smoking; the only limit is the |
| need to look at meat smokers. There are | | | | work you put into it. However, most |
| several different types of smokers to choose | | | | commercially made meat smokers will have more |
| from, and each has benefits and drawbacks. | | | | sophisticated equipment and more precise |
| | | | controls. |
| The Basic Approach | | | | |
| | | | Purchasing A Smoker |
| The most basic way to smoke meat is to use | | | | |
| some wood chips at the bottom of your grill | | | | If you're sure that you're dedicated enough |
| and to close the lid. This is the easiest of | | | | to smoking foods that you will make frequent |
| meat smokers to practice with, since most | | | | use of a smoker, purchasing a meat smoker is |
| homes already have a grill to work with. The | | | | the way to go. Commercially made meat |
| amount of equipment that you need to | | | | smokers have solid construction and controls |
| accomplish this is small, merely a small | | | | that can control temperature, the smoking |
| metal box to hold the wood chips as well as | | | | time, even the amount of smoke. Many will |
| the wood chips themselves. By using grills | | | | have designs that are appropriate for hot and |
| as meat smokers, you can practice smoking | | | | cold smoking. The only real drawback to |
| without much of an investment in complex | | | | these meat smokers is that they cost more |
| equipment. However, because your meat will | | | | money than using your grill or making your |
| be close to the heat source, the effect will | | | | own. However, whichever method you choose to |
| be closer to barbecuing than smoking, and | | | | try using meat smokers, a little practice and |
| cold smoking is impossible. | | | | patience will result in creating food that |
| | | | tastes great. |
| The Do-It-Yourself Approach | | | | |