Food smoking has lately become very popular as another way of preparing flavorful meat. Food smoking is a very laborious but extremely rewarding way of preparing meat, as this method brings out more nutrients compared to other methods. Depending on the type, part, and component of meat that you’re smoking, you may need a few hours to almost a full day to finish. You don’t have to worry, though, as here at Bradley Smoker, we’re giving away smoking hacks that will make you love the art of smoking.
A high-quality, professional-grade smoker is the first thing you’ll need for a stress-free and successful smoking experience. Since you’ll need countless hours to get your smoking done, less effort from you will make the task easier. The less time you spend monitoring your food in the smoker, the more time you have to perform your other tasks surrounding your delicious meal.
The Bradley Smoker
Good news for all you home cooks and meat lovers: our Bradley Smoker has the most up-to-date features. We have added dual heat elements, an auto wood feeder, and a digital console to our latest set of food smokers. All these awesome features help in taking care of feeding, cooking time, and regulating temperatures. This means that you won’t have to work as hard to get the desired results.
1. Choice of Meat
The second and equally important thing you need to remember before smoking is to make sure you know your meat. We suggest that, if possible, you choose organic, grass-fed, and locally raised products. Knowing what you eat is essential not only for safety purposes but also to make the smoking process more manageable.
2. Preparing the Meat
How you prepare the meat is vital for the perfect result of your recipe. We recommend that you take out the meat from the fridge for at least an hour or two before putting it into the smoker. You may not know the internal temperature of the meat at this point, but you’ll want it as close to your goal temperature as possible.
3. Low and Slow
The third hack for successful smoking of your favorite meat is smoking it low and slow. This is very challenging as it will test your patience, especially if you’re planning to cook large amounts of meat. However, if you fully understand the value of taking your time you will achieve amazing and fulfilling results.
Slow cooking will give the connective fibers in the meat enough time to break down, making it more flavorful with a tender texture. Also, cooking at lower temperatures will allow just enough smoke to penetrate each piece of meat. Remember that each cut of meat is cooked at varying times and temperatures, so check our website for recommended temperatures for all kinds of meat.
4. Avoid Over-smoking
Finally, make sure that you don’t overdo smoking your meat to try and maximize its effect on your recipe. Applying too much smoke to your meat or smoking it for too long is a major mistake. Once certain meat hits a specific temperature, the smoke it can absorb is greatly reduced. Therefore over-smoking your meat is not as beneficial as most people may think it is.
Over-smoking the meat is different from overcooking. Be sure that you don’t smoke the meat for more than half of its total cooking time. Spare ribs, for example, take five to seven hours to cook, so don’t go beyond eleven hours of smoking.
Final Thoughts
Smoking is an art that requires time, effort, a lot of patience, and the right set of ingredients and equipment. Here at Bradley Smoker, we guarantee that you’ll get all the help that you need to master the craft of smoking meat. Now, you can eat smoked beef briskets, chicken wings, pork tenderloin, and many more in the comfort of your home.
For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
