Growing up in Colorado, I never really understood the true meaning of barbecue. For my family, it basically meant throwing a few burgers and dogs on the grill, dusting off the lawn chairs, and enjoying summer evenings with neighbors and friends. I know now that this was, in fact, grilling, not barbecuing.
It wasn’t until I moved to Tennessee that I got a taste of true barbecue opens in a new tab — Southern barbecue, that is — food prepared using a low ‘n slow cooking method over indirect heat, sometimes with dry rubs and sauces, and most importantly with lots of smoke!
Back in the time of primitive cavemen, smoking was a way of preserving food. As modern transportation and technology for safely storing food came into play, smoking was less used for preserving and more for bringing flavor to the party.
A basic barbecue smoker is much like a large grill with a small cylindrical shaped firebox attached to one end. A fire is started in the firebox, and airflow allows heat and smoke to enter into the grill, cooking and flavoring the meat (or any food, for that matter) before leaving the smoker through an exhaust vent.
If you’re like me, you probably don’t want to shell out hundreds of bucks on a large barbecue smoker if there’s a shortcut way to get the same results. If you have a grill, you’re half way there. Just follow these steps to hack your grill and turn it into a smoker!
Soak your wood chips for 30 minutes. The type of wood opens in a new tab you use will greatly affect the flavor of your finished product. My absolute favorite is hickory — a classic in the South that adds a forward and distinct smokiness to food.
While your woodchips are taking a dip, fire up the grill. Remember, barbecuing focuses on low heat for a long period of time. You want your grill temperature to be around 225 °F (lower for some recipes) for some nice barbecue action.
Even if you’re using a gas grill, this 30 minute warm-up period allows the grill to fully come up to temperature. Think of it like pre-heating your oven for a nice roast.
For the food nerds out there, a barbecue thermometer opens in a new tab is a nice tool to help maintain consistent temperatures.
Next, drain your wood chips and distribute evenly over top of the hot coals if using a charcoal grill.
If you have a gas grill, wrap the wood chips in foil, poke holes in the foil packet, and place on top of the grill grate over a flame. Now you’re ready to smoke!
When it comes to recipes, the sky’s the limit. Homemade Bacon with Brown Sugar and Black Pepper opens in a new tab? Yes, please! Or, try this Homemade Smoked Salmon opens in a new tab recipe.
My personal favorite is one that’s sure to please everyone: Smoked Mashed Potatoes.
Start with your favorite mashed potato recipe – here’s a recipe for Classic Mashed Potatoes opens in a new tab. After you’ve boiled the potatoes, drain them and place in a steamer basket or vented foil pouch in your heated smoker for 30 to 40 minutes. This will infuse just the right amount smoky goodness into the potatoes. Return them to their original pot and continue with remaining steps of the recipe. You’ll never make mashed potatoes the same way again!
For a fun instructional video on turning your grill into a smoker, Alton Brown explains this process opens in a new tab nicely.
Do you have any favorite recipes or tips for smoking food at home? Join the conversation below.
Special thanks to my creative partners in crime and fellow Team Members at the Franklin store in San Francisco, Nate Chavez and Erin Mitchell, for the wonderful photography and graphic design.
