Electric smokers are modern gadgets for an age-old tradition. Smoke cooking has been around for centuries but Americans are still hooked and fascinated with the flavorful aroma of smoked meat up to this day. Proof? The fact that smokers are still very much in demand just like the ubiquitous grill. But modern living is not as compatible with this type of cooking at times because of the time and the attention it requires. The answer to this is the electric smoker.
Electric smokers still smoke food the traditional way ? you still need hours on end to do the meat. You still use wood chips or sawdust for the flavor. And you still come up with great-tasting smoked products. But the difference lies in the fact that you need not 'baby sit' your smoker. You put in the meat, set the timer, thermometer and smoke gauge and leave it as it quietly smokes your food to perfection. This is a perfect solution for the cooks who like to throw in their food and forget about it until it's ready. These user-friendly smokers simply need to be plugged into an electrical source to do their work, effectively removing all fire-tending duties from the smoking process.
With an electric smoker, you have absolute control over the temperature and therefore, the amount of smoke inside the chamber. These are crucial factors in the outcome of the cooking process. You will have the ability to reach a certain temperature and keep it at that throughout the smoking process if you want perfectly-smoked foods.
Once you have set the temperature at the desired level, it will remain there until the smoking is completed. You need not go and check if the fire is still on or something like that. One of the great things about these electric smokers is that there is no tending required. Just plunk your seasoned product onto a rack, put a chunk or two of hardwood into the wood box, plug it in, turn it to the desired temperature, and walk away until it's done.
This means that an electric smoker gives you the best of both worlds ? the control over the smoking process and the convenience of just letting it be until it's time to get the food out of the smoker.
An electric smoker works much like the other types ? wood, charcoal or gas. The main difference among these types is the source of heat with which to create the smoke and cook the food. There is one disadvantage to an electric smoke in that they do not produce as much smoke as wood smokers do. This disadvantage is offset by the ability to use controlled heat that allows you to keep the same temperature for many hours at a time.
Obviously, an electric smoker uses electricity for its source of heat. Unless the source is switched off, your electric smoker will keep on producing the heat needed for the smoking process. It is actually the most convenient type of smoker. Its only downside is it is not always possible to bring it to the beach if you are not sure of any electricity source.
If you want to enjoy sumptuous feasts of smoked ribs, barbeque, salmon or chicken every so often, it is so possible with an electric smoker. Try one today.
Most of us are willing to simply go to the grocery store when looking for something that holds a certain flavor. This is generally the case for smoked foods like bacon, smoked ham, or lox. These are all created by the process of cold smoking, which uses smoke to give flavor to the food as well as dry it out somewhat. Unlike hot smoking, cold smoking gives the food the flavor while not cooking it, which makes it an excellent part of the preservation process. With a little time and a homemade or an electric smoker, you can use cold smoking to make great foods that taste wonderful.
Equipment
For cold smoking, you want to keep the food closer to room temperature than any sort of cooking temperature. To accomplish this, you either need an electric smoker that can control the temperature in one unit, or if you are making a homemade cold smoker, make sure that the actual smoking chamber is in a separate unit from the chamber where the smoke is being made. A simple length of wide tubing can direct the smoke to the smoking chamber without transferring a lot of the heat.
Of course, you also need some wood to smoke with! If you've ever used wood on your barbecue, you already have a good idea of what sorts of wood are safe. As a general rule, avoid woods with a lot of resin, like pine, and go for hard woods or woods from fruit trees. Apple, cherry, hickory, and even oak wood are all appropriate for smoking. To make the wood smoke, a simple metal chip box for barbecuing set on a hot plate will create all the smoke you need without a fire. If you use an electric smoker, follow the instructions that come with your unit for cold smoking.
Brining
Because cold smoking doesn't actually cook the food, bacteria and such can still grow on the food, which is dangerous for your health. For this reason, food that goes through the cold smoking process often go through the brining process in order to make it salty, which in turn makes it hard for microbes to live in the food and spoil it. Find a good brine recipe and make sure to soak your meat in it for a while. Once you've finished with brining it, you can get your home or electric smoker ready.
Time
The last thing that's needed for cold smoking is time. You may have to occasionally add chips to your smoking box in order to ensure that your food is getting a constant flow of smoke, and it helps to have a thermometer so you can attempt to check on and maintain temperature in the cold smoking chamber. In cold smoking, food can be kept in the smoking box for up to several days, so make sure your setup is secure and safe, so that you're not in danger of any fires. Once you've got the technique down, you'll be smoking wonderful foods such as your own homemade bacon. Buy an electric smoker or make a smoking setup soon, and find out what depth it can add to your food.
Both Peyton Hines & Scott Fromherz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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