If you like your meat smoked, then you need to invest in your own personal smoker to perfect your own recipes and get delicious smoked meat any time of the year for a fraction of the price charged at restaurants. Forget BBQ, Here’s Why You Should be Smoking Your Meats Instead!

Electric smokers like Bradley’s tend to be easier to use and have a much smaller learning curve, and are also safer than traditional smokers. Electric smokers are more conducive to smoking meat year-round. In comparison, charcoal smokers that are made from thin metal are unable to hold the same amount of heat during cold months.

This is where the fun part comes in. When it comes to what to smoke, the possibilities are just endless! While meat, including chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and fish are obvious for smoking, it’s easy to get creative with your smoker.

Vegetables, eggs, and even desserts like brownies and ice cream can make your smoker much more versatile and useful all year round.

If your mouth is already watering, then take a look at our reasons as to why you should be smoking your meat instead of taking out that BBQ.

The Irresistible Smoky Flavor

While a grill works fine, all meat enthusiasts agree that a smoker produces better meat. The flavor is stronger because a smoker can capture, hold and circulate the smoke more efficiently.

You will get more flavor and do less work with a true smoker.

If you are smoking once a month or would like to but you also think that turning your grill into a smoker is too much hassle, then you are ready to get a smoker. Also, if you want your meat to level up from good to great, then you are ready to get a smoker!

Meat More Succulent and Tender

How long? How hot?

Ideal smoking is low and slow. Keeping low temperatures will make your meat more succulent and tender, while giving the smoke time to absorb.

How long you smoke for depends on the product. With meat one must reach safe internal temperatures.

As well as considering whether you are smoking chicken or beef, you have to take into account the end product. For instance, if you are smoking a whole chicken breast, then smoke it until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Then, remove it from the smoker immediately.

If you want to smoke pulled chicken, then you should smoke at a lower temperature for longer, even passed what is considered the safe internal temperature.

Each recipe you use will give you a guide for smoking times and temperatures, Eventually, you will get the hang of proper times and temperatures.

No Heat?

Sometimes no heat is the best temperature. When smoking raw bacon, dry cured sausages or cheese, you don’t want to cook the product (or melt it!). So in these cases you want to keep your smoker on low, or set up the Bradley Cold Smoke Adapter. Check out some of our tips on cold smoking when you’re ready to branch out.

Foil!

With ribs and brisket it is sometimes recommend to cover the meat in foil halfway through the smoking period to tenderize the meat and warm it internally. Then finish it uncovered to develop a crust like exterior.

Pro Tip: Basting with a “mop sauce” is a great way to add flavour to a dish that will be smoking for a long period of time.

Experiment Often

You can experiment with a smoker often and create your own repertoire of recipes and creations.

With a bit of knowledge and experience under your belt of how the process works, you should experiment with new flavours and recipes.

Not everything will work, though. Smoked oranges…not a success. But for some recipes like smoked ice cream, it can be done deliciously!

So there you have it, these are the reasons why you should Forget BBQ, Here’s Why You Should be Smoking Your Meats Instead!

Remember to check out our blog for more delicious smoking tips and tricks.

Want to know the Bradley line of smoker better? Check out the video below:

You’ll be all the wise and smoker-savvy for it. Happy Smoking!