How to smoke meat naturally

How to Smoke Meat Naturally

How to smoke meat naturally is very easy if you were know-how. Smoking meats are one of the traditional ways to preserve foods without compromising taste. The meat is infused with smokey goodness! People like this method because it creates a woodsy and smoky rich taste that is incorporated within the meat.  If you don’t know the proper way of how to smoke meats, you can learn here the different ways of naturally smoking meats.

The Concept of Smoking Meats

As it was mentioned before, smoking meats is a traditional way to preserve the foods long before the inventions of chemicals and refrigerators. There are different kinds of smokers out there. Electric smoker, for a starter, is one of the most common ways to smoke meat. It is flexible and it has its own temperature setting. Propane smokers are similar to the electric type but it uses a gas-fueled flame.

The most popular, and also liked method, is the charcoal smoker. It is believed that the charcoal will add a tasty flavor to the mix. Wood smoke is believed to deliver the purest flavor. But it takes a rather complex method and attention. Moreover, if you are using different kinds of woods, the result will be different too. We only use real charcoal, no chemicals, natural wood chips and never, ever lighter fluid.

The proper way to smoke meat

One of the biggest concerns about smoking properly and correctly is about flipping. Do you flip meat when smoking? The real answer is no. In fact, if you are flipping the meats, you are making a rookie and beginner mistake.

You see, when you smoke the meat, it cooks indirectly. There is no such thing about one side is being burnt or getting hotter than another side – if you close the lid. Smoking is different from cooking or frying. You just leave the meat there, close the lid, check the temperature, and the process will go just smoothly and perfectly.

Our charcoal smoker is rather small and with this smoker, we sometimes do have to flip the meat, but only once. With the big electric smoker we used in the past, we did not have to flip the meats.

How long does it take to smoke meat?

How do you know that the meat is completely cooked and ready? If you have smoked the meat for at least 2 hours (the general thumb is around 3 hours), then you can be sure that is well and thoroughly cooked.

However, if you want to be absolutely sure, use the meat thermometer. That’s why having one will be a good investment on your part. The inside part of the meat should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit which is set to kill all the bacteria.

A word of advice, though. If you are smoking beef or pork, having a pink inside is pretty common. Your meat is cooked well but the pink hue is the smoking process side effect.

When you take the meat out before the actual temperature, it will continue to cook as it cools. Therefore, for chicken, for example, I usually take it off at 155 to 160 degrees. If I will consume the chicken that day, I will ensure it is the 165, but most meats get frozen and cooked again,  so it can be less than the optimal temperature for that.

The health risk of smoking meat

Is smoked meat healthy? Although smoking meats is tasty and pleasing to your palate, it isn’t advised for everyday consumption. There are some possible health risks that are often associated with the meat smoking process.

First of all, smoked meats tend to have a higher level of sodium because of the added rubs. These rubs add the tastiness of the flavor and it also forms the nice crust. But because of the salt as the main rubbing ingredients, the sodium level is pretty high. If you already have enough sodium consumption and you add one from consuming the smoked meats, imagine how high your sodium level. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues. Besides heart risks, you may also suffer from diabetes type 2.

Moreover, the cooking process is believed to increase the formation of carcinogens, the chemicals responsible for cancer. When you smoke meats, the fat will likely drip to the flame, resulting in PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) formation within the meat.

According to some, PAH can lead to higher risks of prostate cancers, colorectal cancer, and also pancreatic cancer. Although more research is needed to prove this claim, you need to be careful about consuming the smoked meats if not cooked naturally. Like I stated before, using natural charcoal, no lighter fluid and natural wood for smoke, I personally do not see a risk with smoked meats since we do not consume them every day.

Basic tips for smoking meats

Here are some of the most basic smoking meat tips. First of all, slow and low is the best way to make sure that your meat will be super tasty and tender. The temperature should be between 200 degrees and 230 degrees Fahrenheit. The slow and low method will make sure that the meat still packs the important nutrients while making it stay succulent.

First, don’t rush things. When you use the slow and low method, you actually allow the tough tissue to dissolve into the tender meat. At the same time, the smoke is allowed to absorb well. It’s a Murphy’s Law thing, when we are done smoking, the coals seem the best ever and the heat is perfect!

Second, there is no need to over smoke food. If you think that smoking it for a longer time will produce a tastier outcome, you are hugely mistaken. When you are over smoking poultry, the result can be hard and tough. It is basically inedible. Just follow the regular smoking period and you should be fine.

Smoking meat with an electric smoker

Although using the traditional way (woods and grille) is considered the best way to smoke the meat, it is also possible to use modern technology, such as an electric smoker. However, if you want to get the best result, there are some tips and tricks when smoking meat in an electric smoker.

The first one is to remove the chip tray. The chip tray is basically useless because you have to refill it several times during the entire smoking process. Often times, the result is far from being satisfactory. If you want to have a more enjoyable and satisfactory result, leave the tray out. Or, we changed out the small tray with a larger pan that we were able to fill just once during the smoking process.  We had an electric one for years, and hands down, we prefer the charcoal smoker over the electric one by far.

How to smoke meat without a smoker

What if you don’t have a smoker? No need to worry; you can learn about how to smoke without a smoker. Simply use the grill and the wood chips to create a tasty result. The other methods are the same – smoke it low and slow. Make sure that you keep it closed during the smoking.

You can also use the oven if you don’t like the grille method or own a grille.  But, if using the oven method, ensure to keep the lid tight. We have used a turkey roaster and that worked in a pinch. Ensure the vent holes are closed at all times if using the oven method.

Here’s another idea: why not combine both? Yes, you can use the grill and then transfer the meat to a pan and put it into the oven. If you do it right and you pay attention to the proper method, the result will be amazing.

Is smoking meat hard?

So, smoking does take patience and time, but it doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Be sure to include smoking meats into your culinary experience. One day a month, (or every 6 weeks or so) we smoke all day. We smoke chicken breast with bone-in, steaks, stew meat, tuna, salmon, turkey sausage, natural hotdogs, and vegetables. We then cut up into one meal portions and freeze it all.

Bonus tidbits

Start with meat that has come to room temperature anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes on the counter. And be sure to make sure that it’s covered or wrapped tightly so the meat does not begin to dry out. This is the time that we introduce our marinades and rubs.  Since we buy our meat first thing in the morning before we smoke we are not able to add the rub or marinade from the night before which really does not make a difference for us.

We opted for a grille screen that we cut to fit the smoker for the tuna, cubed meats, and veggies. It’s so inexpensive, that if you didn’t want to wash it, you can recycle it at your recycling center under the aluminum bin.

The Farmer’s Almanac has an interesting read on preserving meats, that can be read PRESERVING MEATS BY SALTING AND BRINING.

Chip soaking & meat covers

We like to soak our wood chips in very warm or even hot water. We use a glass bowl. The time we soak the chips is at least an hour up to several hours. Drain well right before using on the grill.

When covering or wrapping our meats, we never allow aluminum foil to touch our food. Using parchment paper then the foil ensures this does not happen. This is our preference since we are not the biggest fans of foil for a few reasons.

Saving Money

Buying meat early in the morning at Sams Club, you’ll be able to score marked down meats from the day before.  The last meat hull that we bought from Sam’s club, our savings was over eight dollars which practically gave us steak for free.

Don’t forget about making your own dry rubs. You can find my post on using drying herbs 101 Drying herbs 101. A great side dish to compliment smoked meat is our Corn chow-chow, you can find that Corn Chow Chow Relish.

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Look for an eBook to follow this after all the meats are used up in the freezer, documenting the meals we made with one-day of smoking.

Do you smoke meats, if so, what do you smoke and how often do you smoke? We’d love to hear your comments and would appreciate it more if you’d signed up on our email list!