I'm going to start smoking

My prowess as the Grill Master is known far and wide. My friends and family always enjoy an expertly crafted grilled meal by yours truly. Honestly, I have always been afraid that if people knew how simple grilling REALLY was, they wouldn’t think I was so great. For now, I allow people to think grilling is some amazing talent that takes years of practice. It’s truly not that difficult. I credit my dad and my grandpa for showing me the finer points of grilling.

I still love to grill, but I feel like I have taken it as far as it can go. I am ready for a new challenge and a new adventure. This is why I have decided to venture into the wonderful world of smoking. No, I’m not talking about cigarettes. I’m talking about smoking meats and vegetables. Think brisket, pork butt, pork shoulder, beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, chicken, turkey, ham, potatoes, corn, and everything else under the sun. I have been doing some research and have decided on a digital, electric smoker. I know this not what you’d call traditional smoking, but many of the experts today are using electric smokers. They are less messy than charcoal, and I would prefer to avoid buying bags of charcoal 25 lbs. at a time. Propane smokers are fine, but you have a finite fuel source. If you run out of propane, you can’t smoke anything until you refill your tank. Electric is an infinite power source (in smoking terms, that is). Electric smokers give you a little more precise control over the temperature. So, the verdict I reached was, sign me up for “plug in and go”, and if electric smokers are good enough for the professionals (Stephen Reichlen etc…), they are good enough for me. If you’re wondering what prompted me to purchase an electric smoker, I’ll tell you. The smoky flavor comes from heated wood chips, not the heat source itself. So whether you are heating those wood chips with a charcoal flame, a propane flame, or an electric heating element, it really doesn’t matter. What really matters is cooking meat at a very low temperature, for a very long time, while wood chips smolder and smoke (thereby producing that wonderful smoked flavor many people love). Another factor that affects the flavor is the type of wood chips used. This is just a matter of preference. The most popular woods are, mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry, oak, and maple.

Earlier in this post I mentioned Stephen Reichlen. This guy hosts a TV show called, “Project Smoke”. This show is what got me interested in smoking meats and vegetables. Before I saw “Project Smoke”, I thought smoking was something that required very specialized (and expensive) equipment, as well as a lot of “know how” that I would never have. Stephen inspired me with his assertion that smoking is simple, and basically anybody can do it.

Very soon I will order my smoker, and I will be ready to dip my toe into the water. I know there will a learning curve. There will probably be some disasters, and some very delicious mistakes. But in the end, I hope everyone comes to love my smoked specialties as much as they enjoy my grilled meals.

I know, I know... this thing looks like a refrigerator you'd find in a college dorm room, but trust me, it's not.