Celebrate the culture of agriculture & share skills (Growing! Cooking! Eating!)

Summer Grill Outs: Smoke like a Pro

A smoker is a wonderful piece of equipment. We use it as an extension of our kitchen, and on hot summer evenings, it is a great way to have the cooking take place outside on the patio, rather than heating up the kitchen. For those of you who are not familiar with a smoker, it is a device that allows you to control the temperature (typically within the 200F – 300F range) while cooking over heat/fire that generates smoke which is intended to permeate the food you are cooking. Ribs, loins, and other cuts of meat are enhanced by cooking in the smoker rather on a standard grill since a smoker allows you to cook over low heat for a long period of time. Vegetables and even cheeses pick up a delightful smokey taste with a closely monitored session. Read more...

Next Post >

Comment by Jennifer on September 2, 2013 at 10:04am: Now THIS is barbecue! I've only got a stovetop smoker, which does the trick for things like pulled pork that don't suffer from a lack of burnt ends, but someday I'd love to have the real deal. In the meantime, I'll drool over your gorgeous ribs!

Comment by Urban Overalls on September 3, 2013 at 2:26pm: We got a second-hand smoker for cheap ($20) as we wanted to take our grilling to the next level. The thrift stores and garage sales are good places to find one for not much money. (My husband has been talking about getting a larger smoker so he can smoke more cuts of meat at once.) And since we have had the smoker, dry-rubs are our go-to. You should check out our ribs from Labor Day. The aroma was heavenly.!