Not everybody is lucky enough to live in an area of the country that has a lot of excellent BBQ joints. Some people live quite far, in fact. If you have ever tried the real thing, then going to a barbecue restaurant that doesn’t get it right is beyond disappointing.
If this is the case, then you have to do it yourself. It is not very complicated to smoke your own meat like ribs and brisket at home, but it is easy to screw up. And it will take some trial and error to get it just the way you like it.
The benefit to doing it yourself is that you have total control over the finished product. You can use the type of wood you prefer, the spice rub can be totally customized and the BBQ sauce made from scratch exactly how you like.
In this article, I will go over how to smoke your own meats at home for the ultimate barbecue.
The smoker
Luckily, the easiest part of the process is the smoker selection. You don’t even need an actual smoker as you can construct one from many materials you already have at home. If you have a grill, then this can easily double as a smoker.
The important aspects to have are that you can create a smoke chamber and are able to control the temperature. The idea is to go low and slow so you’ll need to have a way to check the temperature like using Flame Boss replacement probes on your thermometer for total accuracy.
The other important aspect is that you can heat the grill or smoker from one side for indirect heat. ˇhis ensures that the process goes slowly so all of the collagen in the meat breaks down and leaves irt falling apart tender.
The wood
You can use whatever wood you prefer, but it is important that it be hardwood. The idea is for the wood to burn slowly and evenly. Soft wood will burn too hot and consume itself too quickly.
With hardwood, you can put in chunks of it every couple of hours. This way the smoke is constant and is able to permeate the meat. The popular types are mesquite and hickory, but you can also use cherry or apple wood for a more complex flavor from the smoke.
Take your time
The most important ingredient when it comes to barbecue is time. If you don’t have the time to wait then you need to reschedule as time is essential. Set aside a day when you can devote twelve hours as a minimum to be checking the smoker every couple of hours or so.
Since the temperature needs to be around 250°F it takes quite a while for the meat to cook. You’ll need to be monitoring the temperature and adding more wood as needed. If you have a charcoal smoker or grill then adding charcoal at intervals is also necessary.
