Charcoal Smokers

The key to cooking with charcoal smokers is learning to control the temperature of the unit. Keeping the food at the proper temperature throughout the cooking process is critical to keeping the food safe and tasty. Undercooking can fail to kill bacteria in the food. Overcooking leads to dry food that nobody wants to eat. When you get a new grill or smoker, you may want to experiment a few times with less expensive cuts of meat, poultry or fish until you learn to control the temperature of your unit.

Charcoal smokers come in a variety of price ranges. The ability of the unit to hold smoke and heat is the primary difference in a quality unit and one of the cheapest models. The smoke produces the flavor we seek for this delicious method of cooking. If the smoke is not properly contained in the unit, this wonderful flavor is not absorbed into the food.

The doors of charcoal smokers need to maintain a tight seal. The box needs to be thick to hold in heat. Make sure you understand how to control the dampers to adjust temperature. Fancy features are less important than a quality box and sturdy construction when it comes to cooking tasty food. Maintaining the proper temperature consistently throughout the cooking process will also insure that the food is done in the length of time the recipe calls for. If the temperature drops too low, it may be necessary to increase cooking times. If the temperature gets too hot, be sure the food is cooked all the way through before serving, even if the exterior is quite done.