A Beginners Guide to Electric Food Smokers

If you’ve ever had smoked meats, then you probably know how flavorful they can be. Smoking is actually an age-old tradition that used to be done to safely preserve meat. Although we now have modern refrigeration and freezing available, smoking adds a great deal to the flavor of a good meat. Electric smokers make the process much easier today. If you’re interested in trying smoking on your own, use this guide to get started.

Choose a Smoker

There are a huge number of electric smokers on the market today, so do some research before purchasing one. Sites like Electric Smoker Center can give you some guidelines and expertise in this area. However, you’ll want to consider the size, price, ease of use, durability, and brand to make your choice. Decide how much meat you’re going to be smoking and how often. These factors will help you find the best option for your needs.

Prepare the Smoker

Before you get started, make sure that the smoker is in a safe place. It can’t be in a house or garage, so make sure that it’s in a well-ventilated area and on a flat surface. A concrete slab is a good place if available.

Before adding the meat, you’ll add water to the water pan and wood chips. Some people don’t use the water pan to smoke their meat and this is an area of personal preference. It does help keep temperatures stable though and may be a good idea when you’re just starting. Add wood chips or chunks of your favorite type of wood, as this will affect the flavor of the meat.

Start the Smoker

Turn on the electric smoker to the recommended cooking temperature without the meat. After the smoker has been preheated, check to make sure that there is adequate smoke. You may need to wait a little longer. It’s a good idea to wait until the wood chips start to ash and you begin to see coals.

Add the Meat

After you’ve gone through these steps, open the smoker doors and place the meat on the doors inside. Do this as quickly as possible to retain heat. Now that you’ve gone through these steps, all you have to do is wait for the meat to finish cooking. This time will vary depending on the amount of meat, types of meat, and your smoker itself. You should monitor the temperature and condition of the meat throughout the cooking process.

Once the meat is done, take it out and allow to cool slightly before enjoying. You can also store smoked meats until you’re ready to serve them. Most people smoke larger batches at one time for efficiency so that they can space out their smoking times.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve got the basic directions for smoking meats, you’re ready to get started. When you get a smoker, make sure to read the user manual carefully, as there may be some more specific directions to follow. These electric smokers are easy to use and will help you make delicious smoked meats at home easily.

Do you like smoked meat? 

Disclaimer: This is a guest post.

Nonstick 10.25 Inch Fry Pan Review

I just love new pans. Recently I got a Nonstick 10.25 Inch Fry Pan to review.

I made a Hamburger Casserole from scratch. The boys loved it!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup
• 1 can of tomato soup, or for a more southwestern flavor you can use 1 can of red enchilada sauce
• 1 can of corn for a more southwestern flavor *optional
• 1 can of green chilies for a more southwestern flavor *optional
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
• Cheddar Cheese, grated enough to cover the casserole 
• Chopped green onions to garnish *optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions.

Cook the meat until it isn't pink, drain, stir in chili powder, salt and pepper, and set aside.

Cook the onions until they are soft.

Spray a 9X13 pan. Add hamburger, noodles, soups, and optional items if you choose to. Stir well.

Cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

Grate cheese over the mixture. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve. We added chopped green onions for a garnish.

Yummy-O!

About the Pan:

The pan is made for pros. It's a 10.25" fry pan with a flared rim for drip-free pouring.

I love this: It has a thick 4.5mm warp-resistant bottom that evenly distributes heat from all heat sources (induction, radiant, ceramic, halogen & gas). We had a fairly new pan before that warped really fast. This pan replaced that one!

The SecureSnap handle can be taken off to put the pan in the fridge, sink, cupboard, oven, dishwasher, or other tight spaces. I never wash mine in the dishwasher, but it says that you can. The handle detaches by pulling the release button and tilting up at 30 degree angle.

It's non-stick. Of course you want to use some oil, but so far I haven't had anything stick to it.

It can withstand high heat. It can go in the oven up to 400 degrees! The handle needs to come off if you put it in the oven.

It's easy to clean so far. Like I said it can go in the dishwasher. I don't know if I'll do this. I tend to have 1 sink full of dishes I like to hand wash just to keep them working well for longer.

Cost is $49.99 on sale for $29.99.

Do you have a favorite pan to use?

Disclaimer: I received this pan for a discount in exchange for an honest review.