Charcoal smokers are the fore-runners of all the other types of smokers we have in the market today. Let's face it; these smokers still come up with the best-tasting smoked meat in the land. Early Americans have enjoyed smoked meat for centuries and they all learned how to cook and love it using charcoal smokers.
Charcoal smokers have become more modernized now in the sense that they already come with heat indicators and all that, making smoke cooking with a charcoal smoker a lot easier. They now come in various shapes, sizes and prices so you will never run out of choices. Constructing your own charcoal smoker to your own specifications is yet another option.
Charcoal Smokers - The Secret Is In the Wood
One major factor that determines the outcome of the foods you smoke is the type of wood you will be using in your charcoal smoker. It is best to have a bit of understanding about the flavors of the different woods usually used for smoking and for what type of meat each one works best with.
A smoker works not only to cook food but also to infuse flavor into it. You will get distinct flavors from each type of wood you use. It is therefore crucial to match the type of wood with the meat you are cooking. Walnut, for example, has a heavy smoke flavor and best combined with a light wood like apple. Hickory infuses just enough smoky aromas so it is alright to use it on its own. The availability of the different types of wood has
increased today so there almost too many choices.
Wood from fruit trees tends to leave a certain sweetness on the smoked meat. Avoid pine and cedar as they do not give off a pleasant taste. Briquettes with flavor burned into them can be a substitute for real charcoal as well. They should be easy to use once you have mastered the pairings of wood and meat to be smoked. It has almost become an art to learn how to pair the different woods with the different meats and vegetables.
Charcoal smoke cooking takes a little longer than say, electric smokers. There is also a need to check on it more often to make sure that the temperature and the fuel are kept constant. But these are all part of the process slow, thoughtful cooking that gives you only the best. Smoking food with charcoal is as much about the process and the event as it is about product. This certain type of cooking is never rushed, anyway as your success is determined by how well your food has absorbed the flavor right down to its core.
Outdoor cooking and as we know it today has evolved from traditions passed on from generation to generation. One of these great traditions is smoke cooking with charcoal smokers. Charcoal smokers may be a bit old-fashioned for some but at the end of the day, it all boils down to having the best-tasting smoked meat you ever had.
