SMOKING 101
Like most passionate backyard grillers, I’ve bonded with my particular grill because it’s the model that works for me. The PK 360 Grill and Smoker’s oblong shape makes it particularly easy to create two heat zones (more on this to follow), the airflow is easy to control, and there’s enough room in the expansive cooking chamber to handle larger items like whole chickens or a spatchcocked turkey. However, you can use any grill or smoker for the recipes in this book; just keep in mind that because your setup may be different than mine, temperatures and cooking times may vary slightly. But if you follow the same general guidelines and adjust according to the visual and other cues I give you in the recipes, an enticing array of foods seasoned with a whiff of wood smoke are in your future.
In this section, I’ll cover the fundamentals of how smoking is defined in this book, including rigging your grill as a smoker, operating a variety of smokers, and the best way to deploy wood (and other items) as smoke sources.
How to Rig Your Grill as a Smoker
A two-zone cooking setup is my preferred way to cook almost everything. To create two cooking zones in your grill, you simply bank the coals on one side. The area directly over the coals is your hot “direct heat” zone, where you will sear steaks and burgers, develop deeply flavored char marks, and crisp chicken skin. The adjacent area without coals becomes your cooler “indirect heat” zone, where food cooks from the grill’s ambient heat and the convection airflow created by venting your grill. The indirect heat zone also provides a safety net—an area that allows you to move foods to avoid flare-ups or burnt exteriors, and to cook through the interior of foods (such as chicken thighs or carrots) more slowly and gently.
The following method is the basic setup for most of the recipes in this book. Foods that are “grill-smoked,” or grilled over direct heat with a smoke source added to the fire, do not require a drip pan.
The Smoking Setup:
1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high. 2. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, use tongs to remove the cooking grate and place a drip pan with ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) of warm water on the side with no coals (see sidebar, this page), then add a smoke source (see this page). 3. Return the cooking grate to its position, then carefully wipe the grates with a lightly oiled paper towel (I use a basic vegetable oil—there’s no need to use your best extra-virgin oil here). Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, and then carefully wipe the grates with a lightly oiled towel again. Technically you don’t have to oil the grates if you’re only smoking in containers, but you don’t want your food to pick up sooty flavors from previous meals. I habitually clean the grates because I’m usually multitasking, smoking something on indirect heat and perhaps firing up a pork chop or a few vegetables for dinner. It’s a good habit to get into to avoid a sooty buildup on your grates. 4. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the item you’re cooking directly on the grate above the drip pan or, for smaller items like grains, in a disposable aluminum pan or in a foil packet (crimp the edges of the foil upward to create a rim that prevents the items from sliding off). Close the grill, vent the grill for smoking, and smoke for the time suggested in the recipe. Again, you won’t use a drip pan for quicker-cooking items (like kale, shrimp, or burgers) that are simply grilled over a wood-infused fire.
Although I do the majority of my smoking on my charcoal grill, if you rely on a smoker (or have your heart set on buying one), here’s a look at the many types on the market. A growing interest in live-fire cooking (in restaurants, at food festivals, and with backyard pit masters) means increasingly sophisticated models of smokers are now available for home cooks. The ideal model should be adept at both high-temperature searing and smoking at a lower heat, and perhaps most importantly, suit the style of grilling that you’re comfortable with (do you like the sport of managing a live fire or would you rather set it and forget it?). The truth is, you can adapt any grill for smoking, and many smokers can grill and sear, but few of them do both well.
Kamado, Ceramic, and Egg Smokers As modern incarnations of the Japanese kamado, an earthenware cooking urn whose original design is at least three thousand years old (Indian tandoori models are similar), these egg-shaped, charcoal-fueled devices can be made of ceramic, cement, terra-cotta, and other materials that are excellent insulators. The Big Green Egg has a cult following (and has spawned a flurry of branded accessories); it and the beautifully designed Komodo Kamado are two leading examples of high-end ceramic cookers. These smokers have thick sides that retain and radiate heat evenly, making them excellent smokers and roasters (because they use less charcoal and oxygen, there’s very little airflow so they help preserve moisture in meats). They’re also excellent for pizza, bread, and paella because the sides and domes absorb and radiate heat like a brick oven. The downside of these cookers is that with their round (and sometimes narrow) cooking surface and heavily insulated construction, it’s harder to create two temperature zones (even with the dividers and deflectors that many of them sell).
Bullet Smokers There are a number of bullet-shaped smokers on the market. When I wrote an article on how to smoke a brisket, I took the advice of a pit master friend and got a Weber Smokey Mountain (available in three sizes), a model popular on the competitive barbecue circuit and considered the best. Bullet smokers are great for creating the low-and-slow heat for cuts like brisket and ribs. For the best results, new models need to be seasoned and calibrated before use (a helpful way to learn how to regulate the temperature).
The Weber Smokey Mountain series grills have plated steel cooking grates, heavy-gauge steel charcoal grates, and built-in lid thermometers. But for the most accurate results, you’ll still want to rely on a good digital oven thermometer, because the built-in dial metal thermometer sits in the dome lid, where it’s typically 10 to 20 degrees hotter than on the cooking grate where your meat cooks. Once you get rolling with these cookers, make sure you empty the grease from the foiled water pan (to avoid fires and a rancid oil smell), and clean out the ash from the bottom before lighting a new fire, so the remnants of your last endeavor doesn’t disrupt the air intake and absorb the heat. Bullet cookers come with two cooking grates positioned above the water pan. If you use both grates simultaneously, place the faster cooking meat on top so it’s easier to remove (major bonus: as it cooks, the dripping juices will flavor the meat or pan of beans cooking below). To maintain your cooking temperature and a steady stream of smoke and even temperature, you’ll need to add a couple chunks of wood every 30 minutes or so, and more hot water to the drip pan every couple hours.
Offset Smokers If offset smokers—like the ones made by Char-Broil, Broil King, or Oklahoma Joe’s—were trucks, they’d be a jacked-up diesel with dualies (eight tires) because these macho, massive machines show others that you’re a force to be reckoned with. But are they the most efficient for your needs? The general consensus among pros is that you should steer clear of cheap models, because they’re made from thin metal, so heat retention is poor and they often leak air. If you’re committed to this style of cooking, invest ($700 or more) in a model made from thick metal with tight doors and dampers that will distributes heat more evenly from end to end. But keep in mind that it’s more difficult to wrangle a steady temperature from offset smokers, even for the pros. If you do use one, pit masters suggest cooking with charcoal (not wood), preheating the cooking chamber well before adding meat, only adding fully lit coals, and using a reliable thermometer on each end.
Pellet Smokers If your style of grilling involves a lawn chair, a cold beer snuggled into a Koozie, and zero stress, pellet smokers, like the ones manufactured by Traeger or Z Grills, are for you. Comprised of an auger to feed in compressed wood pellets, a blower to help them burn, and digital temperature controls, these “set it and forget it” machines are all about convenience and control, and a subtle wood smoke flavor. Because pellet smokers primarily rely on an ambient heat, they’re best for smoking turkey, duck, ribs, pork chops, brisket, and salmon, but they don’t generate the high heat prized for searing steaks.
Stovetop Smokers Stovetop models like KitchenQue (the one I use at home) are great for people who don’t have the space to cook outdoors, or when you want to smoke small quantities (say, mushrooms for an appetizer) that don’t warrant firing up a larger grill or smoker. Stovetop smokers are also fun for camping trips because they can be used on a rustic grate set-up or small gas burners, and they’re particularly adept at smoking fish and fowl. The procedure is generally the same: you place a small amount of a smoke source (food-grade sawdust or shavings) in the bottom, add a drip pan and replace the grate top, put the food on the rack, and then keep the food covered so only a small amount of smoke escapes. Models with an integrated thermometer make it easy to regulate heat.
Here’s where the magic happens. Incorporating hardwood in any of the following forms creates the stream of aromatic smoke to infuse whatever you’re cooking. If you’re using a gas grill, your only option is to rely on wood chips (soaked in water beforehand so they’ll slowly smolder) placed in a smoker box or foil packet that’s placed directly on the grates over a flame. You can also use soaked chips in a charcoal grill, either wrapped in a foil packet or scattered directly on the coals. Chips burn much more quickly than wood chunks, so consider the latter for recipes that require longer cook times. I love wood chunks because I can place a couple directly on a bed of hot coals (no soaking required), where they’ll light quickly and smolder steadily, and they’re easy to move with tongs if I need to balance the heat. Wood chunks are a great way to build heat if your temperature begins to drop midway through cooking and you don’t have hot coals at the ready. Once the chunks ignite, you can control the speed at which they burn by moving them around the fire and venting your grill to control the amount of air the fire is receiving.
A log of hardwood is another great option for generating flavorful smoke and extending the life of a fire. When I use a log, I place it adjacent to the bed of hot coals (between the coals and the drip pan, if I’m using one). I prefer to use wood that’s been split, so I can tilt the log at a 45-degree angle, with the thinner edge over the hot embers. When my only option is a round log, I simply nestle it into the fire and allow it to burn down to about half its size before grilling. Logs can take a bit longer to ignite and produce smoke, so to speed up that process, I often add them as soon as I empty the charcoal chimney. But once a log is smoldering, it will burn steadily for a longer amount of time (if the temperature drops, you may need to rearrange the coals and reposition the wood over the hottest embers). You can also reuse a log for several more fires; just close all the vents to snuff out the oxygen when you’re done cooking so it doesn’t continue to burn.
Wood Chips I primarily use hickory and oak chips, because their flavors (more on that, this page) complement everything. Before using, soak the chips in water for at least 30 minutes, or up to one hour. When you’re ready to smoke, drain the chips, double-wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil, use a sharp knife to perforate the top of the foil packet, then place it directly on top of hot coals. For a gas grill, place the chips in a smoker box or a foil packet and position it directly over the flame. When the chips begin to produce a steady stream of smoke, you’re ready to cook. Alternately, scatter the soaked chips around the periphery of the hot coals; obviously they’ll burn more quickly than they do when insulated in foil, so this is a good approach when you want to generate smoke quickly, for a shorter cook.
Wood Chunks Commonly available in the grilling aisle of markets and sold in net bags alongside charcoal, chunks of hardwood (tennis ball–size pieces of oak, hickory, and mesquite) are a smoker’s best ally. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, place two or three chunks around the fire (close enough to the coals that they begin to smolder). When they ignite and begin to produce a steady stream of smoke, you’re ready to cook. If the chunks flare up too vigorously, adjust the air vents in your grill (closing them slightly or completely to reduce airflow) to coax them back to a steady smolder.
Hardwood Logs Seek out dry or “cured” hardwood (“green” wood that’s still moist and heavy will produce a sooty smoke), and make sure it’s untreated and safe for cooking. When you empty your charcoal chimney, place the log in the center of the grill and nestle it against the fire (in two-zone cooking, the opposite side of the grill will have no coals). When the log begins to burn and produce a steady stream of smoke, you’re ready to cook.
Hardwood Pellets Pellets are made from sawdust that has been compressed into little rabbit pellet–size cylinders, each less than ½ inch (1.3 cm) long. They’re used in pellet smokers, where they’re poured into a burn pot and ignited. The number of pellets added to the fire and the oxygen supply are regulated by a digital controller that maintains a steady temperature. Although pellets can also be used in charcoal and gas grills, they’ll flare and finish quickly, so I don’t recommend them there.
The following varieties of wood are commonly available (in stores and online) in all forms of the smoke sources described above. Although each kind of wood imparts its own nuance, for the shorter smoking times in this book, you’d be hard-pressed to taste a significant difference. (In a blind tasting, I’m not sure many of us could distinguish between applewood and maple wood, for instance.) The exception is mesquite, which produces a strong, distinct flavor—I reserve it for beef, lamb, and other recipes that benefit from its heady perfume. Wood preferences vary regionally throughout the country, typically based on what’s grown and available in the area. Never attempt to smoke with softwood or pressure-treated lumber.
Oak Massive live oak trees define the Central Texas landscape (and provide shade for grazing cattle, goats, and the rest of us during the sweltering summers). It’s no coincidence that oak (specifically post oak) is the most common variety used in Central Texas barbecue. It burns evenly and has a sweet, mellow flavor that enhances anything, from cheese to pork.
Hickory The most popular wood for smoking (particularly in the Southeast), hickory has a robust presence and subtly sweet flavor that’s a natural with pork, beef, game, and poultry (particularly dark meat).
Apple, Cherry, Persimmon, and Other Fruitwoods Because these varieties burn relatively quickly and produce a delicate flavor, they’re best used to produce a burst of smoke for milder foods cooked quickly over direct heat, like chicken breasts, fish, and vegetables.
Pecan Our yard in Austin is framed by towering pecan trees, and windstorms leave me plenty of branches to use for cooking (once they’re dried). Pecan burns more quickly than oak, so I use it to enhance mushrooms, fish, thin pork chops, chicken breasts, and other quick-cooking foods that will benefit from its delicate perfume.
Maple This is another quicker-burning variety that produces a subtle flavor that’s good with chicken, small game birds, cheese, corn on the cob, mushrooms, and chiles.
Mesquite As one of the hottest burning woods, mesquite generates an assertive, earthy aroma that’s best saved for beef or lamb, or when you want a particularly pronounced character to permeate a dish, as with the Mesquite-Smoked Pecan Rolls (this page).
In addition to hardwood, you can use hearty herb sprigs and branches, dried tea leaves, corn husks, hay, and other “smoky” ingredients to create a flavorful nuance and/or enhance a wood-fueled fire. The following sources won’t produce enough cooking heat to replace a charcoal fire, so think of them as enhancements that will add an additional layer of intrigue to the results.
Fresh Herb Sprigs Place sturdy sprigs or small branches of fresh rosemary or bay leaves on the periphery of glowing embers (or in a perforated foil packet over direct heat in gas grills), where they’ll burn more slowly. I don’t soak the herbs because I place them strategically (not directly on the hottest part of the fire) so that I don’t dilute their fragrant oils. I also love to place herb sprigs (including thyme, oregano, and marjoram) on top of fish, poultry, pork chops and steaks as they cook so their herbaceous fragrance mingles with the sizzling meat fat and olive oil and perfumes the meat.
Tea Dried green or black tea leaves are often combined with other spices and seasonings (coriander, star anise, peppercorns, brown sugar) to infuse chicken and duck. Place the leaves in a perforated foil packet directly over coals.
Corn Husks Like their smell, fresh corn husks impart a sweet, grassy aroma to the cooking chamber. Use them with foods that need shorter cooking times, like fish (they’re delicious with salmon). After shucking the corn, discard the silk and soak the husks in water for 20 minutes. Then place the husks over hot coals, directly under whatever you’re cooking.
Hay Hay-smoking meat is common in Italy, and the method has been embraced by celebrity chefs here in the United States. Seek out fresh-cut varieties (such as alfalfa or timothy from local farms or garden or feed stores, and ensure it hasn’t been treated with chemicals) to infuse food with a grassy, wheat-field flavor. To use it, place an armful directly onto glowing embers. You can also use the hay to grill-smoke over direct heat—place an inch or so layer of hay in a disposable aluminum pan, top it with, say, a porterhouse pork chop or ham steaks, cover the meat with more hay, and cook to the desired doneness.
Smoking doesn’t require a bunch of fancy gadgets, but having a few key items close at hand will keep you organized, avoid scrambling for necessary tools while your food is cooking, and help you Keep Calm and Smoke On (the process is more fun when you’re relaxed).
Aluminum drip pans (disposable) These are available in a wide range of sizes (from loaf pans to rectangles deep enough to hold a chicken) to suit whatever you’re smoking. For dry ingredients, such as nuts or dried beans, choose a size that allows the items to be no deeper than ½ inch (1.3 cm), so they’ll absorb smoke evenly.
Apron Essential for keeping your clothes from becoming soot-smudged and ash-dusted. I feel more on my game with an apron cinched around my waist. I particularly love aprons with pockets to hold matches, a digital thermometer, my iPhone and my Burt’s Bees lip gloss (hey, we’ve all got our quirky proclivities). Don’t forget to tuck a kitchen towel through your apron strap, so it’s there when you need to wipe your hands (trust me, you’ll need it).
Cleaning brush or broom I prefer an old-school corn fiber whisk brush for sweeping out cooled ashes from the grill and keeping surfaces (like side tables) clean, but there are several grill-specific varieties available.
Digital thermometer A good digital thermometer is a small investment to ensure that the meat you’re serving family and friends is cooked enough to kill disease-causing bacteria (and to prevent you from overcooking that splurge steak or pork chop you’re anticipating). Buy a rapid-read, handheld model with a rotating display that’s easy to read from any angle, and take the guesswork out of gauging doneness. Two reliable options are the Thermapin Mk4 and the Thermoworks Super-Fast ThermoPop.
Grill brush (metal) Use this tool to scrape sooty buildup and debris from the grates, something you should do each and every time you fire up the grill.
Metal spatula (long-handled) A decisive thrust of a metal spatula helps you flip foods and maintain their browned crust. A spatula is also helpful in supporting larger items (a whole snapper, for example) when you turn them. The thin edge of a slotted fish spatula is particularly adept at releasing the skin of delicate foods (like swordfish steaks, fish fillets, chicken breasts) from grates.
Perforated baskets, grids, or wok pans Sometimes called a fish or vegetable basket, these allow you to cook and manipulate smaller foods (green beans, asparagus, shrimp) that might slip through the cracks of standard cooking grates. Preheating these pans creates an instant sizzle and sear. I use a stainless-steel tray model that sits on the grates, so I can flip the ingredients with tongs (or shake the basket as I would a skillet) while they cook. Stainless-steel mesh roasting pans with two handles make it easy to slide them on and off the grill.
Poultry shears A sturdy, spring-loaded model, like the one by OXO, makes quick work of spatchcocking chickens or even turkeys. You’ll also reach for them to open bags of charcoal, slice pizza, and snip fresh herbs from the garden. The soft-grip handle makes them comfortable, and the stainless-steel blades are dishwasher-safe (take them apart at the hinge to ensure they get really clean).
Rimmed baking sheets These are super handy for transporting bowls of ingredients, tools, and seasonings to and from the grill; you can also transfer the baking sheets to a low oven to keep the grilled items warm before serving, if necessary. If I use them for raw meats, I line them with parchment or foil that I change out before pulling the finished product off the grill.
Tongs (long-handled) I’d be lost without them. Tongs help you place food on the grill and flip it during cooking, rearrange a bed of hot coals, and lift the grates to add more charcoal. I keep two at the ready for heavy lifting (and wipe off any ashes before using them on food). The long-handled variety helps you work comfortably over a hot fire. Look for spring-loaded models, as they give you one less thing to manipulate.
Trash cans (small, metal) These are handy for storing and protecting charcoal, wood chunks, and chips (and even the paper bags for the charcoal chimney) from the elements.
Wooden matches Plenty of folks rely on plastic utility lighters, but I think the simple gesture of striking a match to create a flame is more gratifying. I fiddled around with flimsy restaurant varieties a couple of times before realizing life (and lighting charcoal chimneys) is much easier with sturdy wooden kitchen matches.
And Some Nonessential but Fun-to-Have Tools
Will the results of your dinner depend on the extras that follow? Absolutely not—but they’re fun to have, especially if you’re a music lover or fan of cooking after dark.
Grill light with Bluetooth speaker Necessary? Nope. Fun? You bet, so I can stream Austin stations like KUTX while I’m out back with tongs in hand. The Bluetooth capability plays music from your phone or radio, and a handy clamp allows you to position the light precisely where it’s most handy (like on the sizzling rib eye that you don’t want to overcook).
LED headlamp Don’t be shy about gearing up Mission Impossible–style for cooking after dark. The best headlamps are small in size, with eight LED bulbs that make nighttime cooking, last-minute bread toasting, and beverage opening (insert: sound of popping wine cork) easier.
Remote digital thermometer A wireless digital meat thermometer with a dual probe monitors food and/or the temperature of your grill or smoker from up to 300 feet away, enabling you juggle tasks and enjoy your company without continuously excusing yourself (hold that thought, be right back) to monitor the heat. That said, I still prefer to remain close to the fire and engaged in the process.
Smoking gun If you don’t have access to outdoor cooking, using a hand-held smoke infuser is an easy and fun way to infuse just about anything (including cocktails!) with the flavor of wood smoke—without adding extra heat. I’ve had excellent results with the Breville smoking gun, because it’s intuitive to manipulate and it allows you to add applewood or hickory flavors (the two varieties included with the gun) to food before or after cooking. It’s compact and lightweight enough to wield with only one hand, and the 18-inch (46 cm) hose allows you to direct the smoke into anything from resealable plastic bags to a cocktail shaker. All you do is place a pinch of the wood chips (no soaking required) in the burn chamber, turn on the fan as you ignite them, and then use the flexible hose to direct the smoke into a sealed container. The heat is contained in the anodized-aluminum smoking chamber, so the smoke that’s released is cool, making it gentle enough for use on foods like butter, oils, creamy fillings, and delicate fruits and vegetables without changing their texture or temperature.
Smoke pouches and mesh grilling bags They look like a disco handbag or fancy mailing envelope, and work like a charm over heat. You fill silver smoking pouches with wood chips or wood pellets and place them over the heat in your gas grill for plenty of steady, long-lasting smoke. The fine-mesh stainless steel limits the airflow into the pouch, so the wood smolders slowly and never bursts into flame. Mesh grilling bags (like those made by Companion Group) hold small items like cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and garlic cloves, and allow you to flip the entire thing at once, so you’re not chasing around each tiny bit of food.