Basic Smoking Techniques for Beginners

Hey there my BBQing newbies and welcome to my guide on basic smoking techniques for beginners. So, if you are new this whole BBQ and smoking thing, then hopefully this guide can assist you in hitting the smoking heights faster with less failures – although I have to say that that is part of the fun of it all.

I myself started with a charcoal smoker and moved to a pellet smoker as I was after the set and forget aspects of it all. And this thing I have found along the way is that the simpler you can make things, the easier your cooks will be, and with better results.

Low and Slow Cooking

Even if you are totally new to thew world of smoking meat, you have probably heard the term “low and slow”. You may also have seen many a recipe for popular cuts such as pork butt, brisket and ribs, which are usually full of connective tissues and fatty sections which makes them typically tough if cooked under ‘normal’ methods such as roasting or grilling.

So, the low and slow method involves cooking meat at a low temperature – usually around 225°F/107°C and 275°F/107°C – over an extended period of time as this allows the meat to cook slowly, breaking down connective tissues and resulting in incredibly tender and juicy results. The low heat gently cooks the meat, keeping it moist and preventing it from drying out and the longer cooking time allows the smoke to penetrate the meat as well.

Key Tip: Smoking isn’t a fast process. Depending on the cut, it can take anywhere from 4 to 16 hours. Be patient and don’t rush it!

Indirect Heat

One of the tricks to low and slow cooking is that, unlike grilling, you need to avoid cooking your meat directly over the heat source. Instead, as with an oven, the heat and smoke should circulate around the meat, cooking it evenly from all sides.

Where this heat comes from depends on the type of smoker that you are using. Regardless however, typically the heat source (charcoal, wood, pellet or gas) is located to the side or below the cooking chamber. The heat rises and circulates around the meat rather than cooking it directly which prevents it from charring and allows it to cook evenly.

Key Tip: If you’re using a charcoal grill as a smoker, arrange your coals on one side and place the meat on the opposite side of the grill.

Using the Right Fuel

From my point of view, one of the most interesting parts of smoking is choosing the type of wood you’ll use to impart flavor to your meat. Different woods produce different flavors, so the wood you choose depends on what kind of meat you’re smoking and the flavor profile you want to achieve.

In my experience and discussions in forums etc., many BBQ lovers tend to find a type of wood (or in my case, pellet) that they like and use that more than most others. However, if you would like to experiment (as well you should), below is a baseline for commonly used woods and their flavor profiles:

• Hickory: Strong and smoky with a slightly sweet flavor. Ideal for pork and beef.
• Mesquite: Bold, earthy flavor. Best used for beef but can be overpowering for more delicate meats.
• Applewood: Mild, fruity, and sweet. Great for poultry and pork – One of my go-tos.
• Cherrywood: Sweet and slightly fruity. Perfect for smoking chicken and pork.
• Oak: A medium smoky flavor, versatile for many types of meat, especially brisket.

Key Tip: Stronger woods like mesquite and hickory are best for red meats, while lighter woods like apple and cherry are great for poultry and fish.

Monitoring Temperature

Have you ever heard someone say “I have a pork butt here… Time and Temp?” i.e. how long do iI need to cook it and what temperature do I need to cook it at? In my experience, temperature tends to be one of the most discussed, debated and monitored factors of cooking BBQ. Firstly, you are dealing with the actual temperature to set your smoker to – which, as we discussed above, will usually be at around 225°F/107°C and 275°F/107°C for low and slow outputs.

Secondly, there is the internal temperature of the meat as it cooks which helps guide us to whether the meat is ready to eat. And as we have already looked at smoker temperature, let’s start with the basics of internal temperature monitoring.

For those of you new to the BBQ game, monitoring the internal temperature of the meat (via the use of a meat thermometer) can help you avoid undercooking or overcooking your meat. Undercooked, and you risk food poisoning, overcooked, and you are eating cardboard. For example, poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to be safe to eat, while beef or pork may have different temperature requirements based on desired doneness.

As you become more experienced, you can then start to look at where you like your meats to get to – such as for me, I like to take my pork but off at around 212°F/100°C, whereas I have seen many an argument for removing earlier. Additionally, different meats will behave differently at different temperatures. Always make sure that the thermometer probe can be inserted and removed without any resistance before you remove it from the smoker, regardless of the internal temperature.

You can see some average recommended temperatures that designate doneness below:

Check out my: 3 Best Wireless Meat Thermometers

Key Internal Temperatures:

• Chicken: 165°F (74°C)
• Pork (Pulled): 195°F to 205°F (90°C to 96°C)
• Brisket: 200°F to 205°F (93°C to 96°C)
• Fish: 145°F (63°C)

Key Tip: Measure the Thickest Part – Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone or fat to get an accurate reading.

Rubs

When it comes to BBQ, you will always see mention of the ‘rub’ that is applied to the meat before it is placed in the smoker. And again, everybody has their favorite rub brand or recipe and you can discuss for hours whether it should be applied the night before or just as you are getting it ready to smoke. So, what is a rub?

A rub is a mixture of spices, herbs, and seasonings applied to the surface of meat before cooking. They can be dry or wet, with dry rubs consisting of a blend of dry spices and seasonings, while wet rubs include ingredients like oil, mustard, or other liquids to create a paste-like consistency. The purpose of a rub is to enhance the flavor of the meat and help form a flavorful crust, known as bark, during the cooking process.

Common ingredients in a dry rub include salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and various herbs and spices, depending on the flavor profile desired. Wet rubs might include additional elements like olive oil, vinegar, or mustard to bind the spices together.

Rubs are also good in helping to enhance the flavor as well as to retain moisture in the meat, especially when combined with other techniques like wrapping or spritzing. Again, as you start to get more experienced, you can play around with your rubs as well – for example, I like to play with the amount of chili I add to the rub for pork shoulder or a real lot of sugar for pork ribs.

Key Tip: Apply the rub at least a few hours before cooking, or even the night before, to allow the flavors to meld with the meat.

Resting

And finally we come to another critical element of a good BBQ result – resting. Resting – which in most cases involves wrapping your cook in a towel and placing in a cooler – allows the juices within the meat to redistribute evenly, adding moisture and tenderness.

During the smoking process, the heat causes the juices to move toward the outer layers of the meat so if you slice the meat immediately after smoking, those juices will spill out, leading to a drier texture. Resting gives the meat time to cool slightly and for the muscle fibers to relax, allowing the juices to settle back into the meat rather than escaping when cut.

The length of rest time will be determined by the cut of meat, I personally like to go for a minimum of 1.5 hours for pulled pork or beef ribs and a couple of hours – if not more – for brisket.

Key Tip: If you haven’t already wrapped it during cooking, loosely tent the meat with foil or butcher’s paper during the resting period as this helps to retain heat without trapping too much steam, which can soften the bark and extend the cooking period.

Conclusion

There you have it, a newbies guide to basic smoking techniques. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below. I would also love to hear about your smoking results as well.

Are there any other products you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Until next time

Have fun and get smoking!

Paul