There are probably few small towns in the South that don’t hold claim to a great (or semi-great) barbecue joint (in Temple, it’s Jones Barbecue). You’ll be driving down the road and a breeze will come through your open window, carrying with it the tantalizing aroma of perfectly smoked meat. Man, you could have just eaten dinner at your Granny’s and your mouth will STILL water! The cool thing is you can get that aroma and flavor with your own smoker in your own yard.

This is not really a recipe but more of a how-to guide. I know people who have high tech, thousand dollar smokers and I know others who have a barrel cut in half and welded on a frame that their Uncle Frank put together. The truth is, you can get great results from whatever you have if you follow a few simple rules. I actually use a CharGriller barrel charcoal grill as a smoker and it works fine with a few little changes.

Smoking meat is simple enough, just don’t get in a hurry. Remember, the primary rule is “low and slow”. That meat is going to love a constant temperature of around 170° until your internal temperature reaches about 165°.

This is how I go about it. First, you need a throwaway deep-sided pan that sits in your firebox easily to hold your fire together and allow for a longer, more controlled burn. A disposable aluminum pan works just fine.

Put several 1” sticks of water soaked oak in the bottom of the pan. Shape a healthy-sized pyramid of charcoal on top of your wet oak. Add your charcoal fuel and allow to soak in for 10-15 minutes before you light. You don’t want a large fire, on the contrary, you want it well lit but your goal is a small fire that will burn for hours. Your grill is now a smoker!

When the flame dies down, shut the lid and start watching your grill thermometer. When you get up to temp, place your meat as far away as possible from the direct heat and close the lid. The oak on the bottom of the pan will dry quickly and begin to be a major fuel source within 45 minutes or so.

Your vents are your best tool for maintaining the proper heat level. If the temperature gets too high, close your vents a little. If it goes a little low, open them up a bit.

I keep a handful of nut or fruit tree twigs soaked in water close by to add your preferred smoky taste – pecan, apple, mesquite, etc. Allow to smoke until you reach the internal temp you desire. More charcoal may be needed as you go but that’s on a case by case basis.

When your meat is done remove from heat and allow to rest 15 minutes minimum to seal in juices before slicing. That’s it! Play with the wood chips to get the smoky taste you like. You can try any type of meat and/or veggies to see how the different varieties of wood accent the flavor. Look at it this way – you’ll eat a lot of good barbecue while you’re fine tuning…a win-win for everybody!