The Costco Connection

By Hana Medina

SMOKING MEATS AND other foods may seem like a modern backyard barbecue craze, but it’s actually as ancient as it comes; cave-men would hang meats in caves near smoky fires as part of the preserving process. Today, a smoker is less of a survival tool and more of a sign that your backyard gathering is about to go up a notch.

Smoking (also referred to as “barbecuing” in some locales) uses indirect heat and smoke to cook and flavor foods, rather than the direct heat of a grill. With smoking, it’s all about low temperatures and long cooking times.

Smoking methods and smoking units abound (electric, gas, charcoal and hardwood are the main four), but no matter which method you use, you can follow a few basic rules to ensure your efforts result in flavorful meals, rather than dried-out disasters.

Before you begin

Learn your smoker. Regardless of the type of smoker you have, the basics are the same: Start the fire, have patience and let it work its magic. The kind of smoker you have will determine cooking time and whether and when you need to add more wood. Be sure to consult your unit’s manual for specific instructions.

Pick your wood. “I always look at those woods as the start of my recipe. This is where it begins,” Ted Reader, Costco member, chef, cookbook author and TV personality, tells The Connection from his home in Toronto. Your wood of choice will impart a unique flavor to your foods (see “Woodsmoke pairings”).

Note the weather. Costco member Bill
Gillespie, cookbook author and pitmaster of
the award-winning Smokin’ Hoggz barbecue
competition team in Abington, Massachusetts,
advises, “The colder it is outside, the more
fuel [your smoker is] going to use to maintain
that temperature.”

Preparing and smoking food

Layer your flavors and keep the meat moist. The key to tender smoked meat is keeping it moist throughout the cooking process. Brine, marinate and inject cuts with flavorful liquids. Layering on dry rubs, and spraying on a liquid, such as apple juice, while cooking, will add loads of flavor.

Reader recommends brining whole chickens, turkeys and lean pork; since they’re naturally lean meats, the salty solution helps them to better retain moisture. Brining is not necessary for pork shoulder, beef or lamb; instead, Reader says, look for high-quality cuts with a lot of marbling—the natural fat content helps to keep the meat moist throughout cooking. Marinades, injections and spritzers are also good options with these cuts.

Marinades and/or seasonings are the only
things seafood needs to shine. And Gillespie
says you don’t need to pile on a lot of season-
ings for smaller cuts of meat. “I want to be
able to taste the meat, not just the seasoning,”
he explains.

Smoking is not just for meat. Reader says that fruits, such as pears, and stone fruits, such as cherries, fare well, but be careful not to oversmoke them.

It’s also important to keep vegetables moist. Reader advises blanching a whole cauliflower before putting it in the smoker, and cooking hard vegetables, such as potatoes, nearly all the way through beforehand.

There are also many recipes for smoked pizza and even smoked desserts. Don’t be afraid to get creative; Reader says he has even smoked water, which he freezes to make smoked-ice martinis.

A rookie mistake

Keep a lid on it. Don’t keep opening the lid of the smoker to check on your meal. Have patience, and ensure you’re maintaining a consistent temperature by investing in a good digital thermometer.

Gillespie says, “They say if you’re looking, you ain’t cooking!”

Post-meal tips

Take notes. Gillespie and Reader both recommend writing down your methods in a notebook in order to duplicate a successful recipe or avoid repeating mistakes.

Have fun. “And make sure your beer is cold,” says Reader. “If you can [have fun] and try a little bit harder every time you do it, you will enjoy smoking foods. And really, it’s simple. It’s a great way to impress your friends and family.” C