Homemade Meat Smokers

Meat Smokers
There are a number of various ways to cook food. These include boiling, baking, steaming, or frying. Smoking, however, is another peculiar way of cooking. Cooking food, using smoke has been practiced for many years. Initially, smoking was used to cook meat as it helped for preservation of meat. Though dehydration and infusing some useful properties of smoke into the meat, it could be preserved for a long period of time. These days, smoking has become popular method of cooking meat, as it adds delightful flavor of wood smoke to the food. Usually meat and fish are cooked using the smoking equipment. Meat smoker is a distinct instrument or device that is used to cook meat or any food, using the smoking technique. In a meat smoker, the meat is cooked slowly and at a low temperature (around 220 Fahrenheit), with some moisture content in the device and the smoke from wood surrounds the food. A smoke flavor of the wood gets induced into the meat, which gives the meat a unique and barbecue flavor. Barbecue grill and meat smoker are two different appliances used for cooking meat. Barbecue grills do produce heat to cook the meat, but they do not produce as much smoke as meat smokers do. However, a barbecue grill can be converted into a meat smoker by making some modifications. The source of heat in meat smoker can be gas, electricity or charcoal. Manufactured meat smokers are available, but you can build your own meat smokers.

Homemade Meat Smokers
Commercial meat smokers come in a wide variety of patterns with different shapes, sizes and the fuel used for cooking. Thus, if you think of buying one, you will have a number of options to choose from. Instead, try and build your own meat smoker that will fulfill your needs of cooking the meat and that too, at an economic price. The equipment required for homemade meat smoker are given below:

• Wood Chips
• Hot Plate
• Wood Chips
• Trashcan with Lid
• Food Grate (that fits in the Trashcan)
• Drilling Machine
• Skillet
• Meat Thermometer

Homemade Meat Smoker: Step #1
Meat smokers can be made out of anything and this includes cardboard, metal cans and many other things. We will be discussing how to make homemade meat smoker from a metal trash can. Arrange for a galvanized trashcan that is large enough to hold a hot plate inside. Drill a hole at the bottom of the trashcan to pass the power cord of the hot plate through it, later file the edges. Ensure that you use a metal drill bit while drilling the hole.

Homemade Meat Smoker: Step #2
Now, place the hot plate at the bottom of the trashcan and pass the power cord out of the hot plate through the hole you made in the previous step. Take a skillet made of cast iron and place the wood chips in it. Before placing the wood chips, soak them in water for about half an hour. You can cover the skillet with aluminum foil. Keep this skillet on the hot plate.

Homemade Meat Smoker: Step #3
Now, find a food grate that will fit in the trashcan. If you do not find a grater that fits properly in the trashcan, drill four holes evenly placed and at same height near the top of the trashcan. Pass two steel rods through these holes and place the food grate over these steel rods. Your homemade meat smoker is ready. Place the meat on the grate and cover the trashcan with its lid. Turn on the hot plate and ensure that you maintain a proper constant temperature in your homemade meat smoker by adjusting the hot plate. Insert a meat thermometer so that you can keep a watch on the temperature. You should maintain the temperature between 220-230 degree Fahrenheit in your meat smoker.

Homemade meat smokers are equally effective as manufactured meat smokers and building one is quite easy. If your friends and family members love the smoked meat recipes, you should consider making a homemade meat smoker.