The past two years have changed our relationship with food and going out to get it. A recent survey found that 7 out of 10 Americans have declared that they want to keep cooking more at home, rather than going out to eat.
We’re here to tell you that committing to full-time home cooking means one thing: it’s time to upgrade your equipment. One tool you’ll want to have in your own backyard is an electric smoker.
Using an electric smoker isn’t as intuitive as you might think. If you want to smoke meat like a pitmaster, you’re going to need to learn like one, first.
Read on for our top tips to start using an electric smoker like a true pitmaster so that your home cooking can truly rival the experts.
Start With the Right Electric Smoker
The benefits of an electric smoker are obvious. They’re home-chef friendly and you won’t have to chop up a ton of wood to use them, but they do rely on real wood chips–rather than pellets. This is going to result in smoked meat that tastes a lot closer to the meat produced by a true pitmaster.
Make sure that you’re buying a high-quality electric smoker. Do your research to find out what fits your needs and your budget without sacrificing end results.
Pre-Season Before Using an Electric Smoker
When you first get your electric smoker, you’re going to want to pre-season it. This can seem like a waste of time but realistically, this is the only way to get rid of the gross residue leftover from the manufacturing process. Trust us when we say that you don’t want to eat meat that tastes like petroleum.
Don’t Over-Smoke Your Food
It’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that more smoke equals more rich flavor. The truth is that when you over-smoke your meat, it’s going to taste, well, inedible.
Different meats have different ideal temperatures and smoke points. For example, chicken isn’t something you want to cook low and slow. Instead, cook it at a higher temperature (something like 275) for about an hour and a half, checking the internal temperature often to make sure that it’s done.
Stop Soaking Your Wood Chips
Another common mistake people make when learning how to use an electric smoker is soaking their wood chips. Don’t do this. Throw them on dry.
People see the white “smoke” coming off of wet wood chips and think they’re getting the effect they want. This is actually steam, not smoke. What you want is to see blue smoke, which you’ll get from dry wood chips.
Use These Electric Smoker Tips for Restaurant-Worthy Results
We don’t blame you for wanting to take excellent food into your own hands. Use these tips when using an electric smoker to start smoking meat like a true pitmaster.
Want to kick back and relax while you wait for dinner to come together in your electric smoker? Take a look around to learn about the latest in gaming, entertainment, and more.
