Hard-core ‘cue mavens buy or build special smokers with custom-made rotisseries and fireboxes in order to precisely control the level of heat and smoke needed for each type of meat or fish. Most of us aren’t ready to drop several hundred—even several thousand—dollars on a special smoker. But you can ‘cue at home, even with that simplest of grills—the “egg” or kettle grill Weber made famous in the 1950s.
Is a DIY Smoker as Good as a Real Smoker?
No, you will not get competition-class barbecue every time, because you cannot control your temperature with a kettle grill as well as you can with the expensive smokers. But you can still easily achieve the proper “slow and low” cooking so critical for barbecue.
Need a new grill? Get our list of The Best Grills. Check out our roundup of The Best Pellet Smokers.
The Best Cuts of Meat To Smoke
One of my favorite things to barbecue is ribs, so I’ll use a Kentucky-style bourbon-glazed baby back rib recipe as an example. The larger St. Louis or Memphis cut ribs will work with this method, too, as will a Boston butt for when you want to make pulled pork. I’ve made perfectly barbecued “country ribs” (thick cuts from the pork shoulder) with a kettle, as well as beef ribs, brisket, tri-tip, chicken legs and thighs – even fatty fish such as salmon, sturgeon, bluefish or mackerel.
Brining: Brine ribs for 3-6 hours, or even overnight for a pork butt.Wood chips: Soak for at least 2 hours; overnight is better.Dry rub: Apply a dry rub anywhere from an hour to a day before you start cooking, depending on how deeply spiced you want your meat.Cooking: Fish will take from 45 to 90 minutes. Chicken an hour to 2 hours. Baby back ribs will take from 90 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes. A Boston butt, beef brisket or tri-tip can take as long as 6 hours.
Items Needed To Make a Homemade Smoker
Kettle grillWood chipsDisposable aluminum pansChimney starterBarbecue lighterLump hardwood charcoal or standard briquettesGrill grate with hinged edges that lift upMeat thermometer
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Get your smoking wood ready by soaking it in water for at least 2 hours. Overnight is better. And when you are using a kettle grill, make sure you have wood chips: Not big blocks, not sawdust. Chips. Anywhere from an hour to a day before you start cooking – depending on how deeply spiced you want your meat – you can remove your meat from the brine and apply a dry rub to the meat. This is optional, especially if you have a full-flavored sauce. But most professional pit masters will use a rub as a base flavor with a sauce that complements it. Why water pans? Several reasons. First, it lets sauce and fat drip into something that will not wreck the bottom of your grill or cause flareups. Second, it helps keep the meat moist, which helps smoke adhere to the meat. Third, it moderates the temperature around the meat, which is vital in such a small space. Your life will be easier if you have a grill top that has hinged edges that lift up. These allow you to position one end over the coals and add more charcoal or wood as needed as you cook. If you do not have one of these grill tops, make sure you can slip briquettes through the slim opening. If you cannot, you can carefully lift the whole grate and add more when needed. Once the coals are good and hot, add a couple handfuls of the soaked wood on the coals. Place the top grill grate on the grill. Position the grill grate in a way that if you are using a hinged grill grate, one of the hinged areas lifts up over the coals so you can easily get to them. Cover the grill, positioning the vent on the cover directly over the meat. This helps direct the smoke over the meat. Close all vents (bottom one, too!) to keep the temperature as low as you can go; if you have an especially tight lid, keep the vents open just a little. You are now barbecuing. If your temperature starts to soar, open the lid and let the coals burn off a bit. Then add some more soaked wood and close the lid again; you should be OK. If your temperature begins to drop below 225°F, open the vents. If that doesn’t get the temperature rising, open the lid and add more coals and soaked wood. What happens if your heat was just too high and things are looking charred? Well, hopefully you did not let it go this far because you’d been checking every hour to 90 minutes. But if it looks like you have too much char and the meat is not yet done, have no fear: Finish the meat in a 225°F oven. You will still have enough smoky taste to impress your guests.
