The modern barbecue smoker has changed the way we cook meat forever. One of the major points of dissention within the barbecue enthusiast ranks involves the potentially noxious toxins released by burned wood and charcoal. The barbecue smoker has solved this problem by providing the option of using gas to cook the meat while a smoke box contains the wood’s embers and releases smoke to add flavor. This means you can avoid infusing your meat with much of the toxins—but still inject it with the rich flavors of hickory, maple, or even mesquite.
The smoke boxes contained on modern barbecue smokers can take a variety of shapes. The newest generation of these machines have rotary smoke boxes designed to maximize the effectiveness of the small wood chips. This means your barbecue smoker is now portable and highly efficient at flavoring your favorite white meats, red meats, or sea food.
Although in many ways technology has maximized meat cooking techniques, the typical barbecue smoker has been notoriously difficult to clean in the past. This is no longer true, however, of many next-generation barbecues—most of these have been designed with their maintenance in mind. This means that in many cases a simple hose-off will do the job; now that is true convenience.
Make sure your barbecue smoker is the appropriate size for its intended usage. Many will be tempted to purchase the largest machine available—this may hamper its portability, however, and it is very possible that you will never make use of the added cooking space.
Once you have purchased the barbecue smoker of your dreams, it is time to determine which type of wood gives meat your favorite flavor. You will soon be on your way to tasting the perfect piece of meat—home-cooked to perfection and full of smoky flavor.