Cooking food with indirect heat is an ancient practice, but you don’t have to follow sacred texts or carved tablets to make delicious smoked meats at home. More than just adding a smokey flavour– when done correctly, this type of cooking can tenderize even the toughest of cuts. Brisket? Ribs? Pulled or shredded meat? If you want fall-apart, fork-tender results… the only choice is smoking! D’Arcy’s guide will walk you through traditional smoking, as well as do-it-yourself methods for cooking with indirect heat.
TRADITIONAL SMOKING
There are as many smoking methods as there are cultures that practice this type of cooking, but most of them agree on using charcoal as the fuel source. Whether you use lumps, briquettes or a mixture, your meat should be placed above and away from the hottest coals in your smoker. Water-soaked wood chips or chunks are then added to create fragrant smoke as they smoulder slowly– you can experiment with different varieties such as hickory, apple or cherry. Smoke should be allowed to circulate and escape the cooking chamber, so the meat neither cooks too fast nor too slowly.
**NOTE** Traditional or not– smoking meat can take up the better part of 24 hours, depending on the quantity, size and fat-distribution of each cut. Professional smokers will always advise amateurs to allow plenty of time and to be patient. Remember: slow and steady wins the race… of deliciousness!
NO-SMOKER SMOKING
If you don’t have a fancy, dedicated device for smoking– don’t worry, you can still achieve amazing results with non-traditional methods. Some of the best barbecue comes from brick ovens, converted oil drums or even literal holes in the ground. Considering this, converting your standard backyard grill to an indirect heat smoker is easy by comparison.
- For a gas grill, simply turn on one side of the burners to low and place a pie tin full of soaked wood chips over the heat– with the meat on the other side, keep the hood closed and the temperature steady.
- For charcoal grills, push your hot coals to one side and follow the same practice as the gas grill.
- Smoking can be even done in the kitchen! You need good ventilation and a reliable oven with racks that can be separated to upper and lower positions. Place the wood chips at the bottom on one side, place the meat at the bottom on the other side and keep it slow and low– allow for a long cooking time at a low heat setting.
The methods above– both traditional and D.I.Y.– only summarize the many nuances and intricacies of cooking with indirect heat. Commonly known in North America as smoking or barbecuing, there are few other techniques that result in such tender, flavourful meat. While the learning curve may seem steep, the first step is trying and D’Arcy’s Meat Market is here to help guide you with our own tips and answers to any questions you might have. Contact or visit us today!