For many outdoor cooking enthusiasts, charcoal is usually for grilling and barbecue purposes only, but did you know that these are not the only ways you can use charcoal when preparing your food? Another tasty approach to cooking food using charcoal (particularly those aromatic raw charcoal lumps that emit appetizing smells) is by smoking.
Smoking is the procedure of cooking, flavoring or preserving food products by subjecting them to smoke coming from burning wood or charcoal. Smoking with charcoal is categorized as “hot smoking.” This process lets the food get smoked directly above the fire, as opposed to “cold smoking,” which is a slower process of holding the food in a separate area from the fire.
Commonly smoked food items include meats (ham, bacon, various sausages, beef jerky and beef briskets), fish (haddock and salmon), and some vegetables and cheeses as well. Ingredients that are used for making tea and alcoholic products such as wine and whiskey are also sometimes smoked. Alder and oak are two of the most popular types of wood charcoal used for smoking. Maple, hickory and mesquite are also favorites.
Special cookers, commonly known as smokers, are used for the process. These smokers can also be used for grilling and barbecuing. The charcoal or flavored wood is placed in a special container inside the smoker, and once the fuel smolders, the smoke is trapped inside, forcing the flavor to be embedded in the food placed inside.
Charcoal smokers come with different shapes and designs, but many backyard and outdoor smoking aficionados prefer the classic barrel-shaped smokers. These types of smokers have enough space to work with, with large compartments for both the food and fuel. Vent controls located at the top let you have a stable temperature for an extended amount of time. Usually, the size of these smokers is enough for a large party or a family gathering.
Your Popup Blocker Must Be Off