Smoking Fish and Meats

Are you craving smoked meat or smoked fish? If so, you may have no idea how to get the taste you crave. You may be unsure if you desire to spend the extra cash on buying a smoker or if you are able to get good results with your already owned grill.


If so do not be happy to know that both charcoal grills and gas grills can actually smoked meat. In other words, it is not necessary to purchase a meat smoker, unless of course you would you like to. However you must know that the size, style, and shape of the burners on your grill will depend on whether it can remain at a consistent 225°, which is necessary to smoking.


If you do choose to buy a meat smoker, they are available in many different sizes, styles and price ranges. Depending on what your needs are it may be possible for you to make use of a small gas grill, but if you do a great deal of smoking it may be necessary for you to purchase a large trailer mounted pit smoker. You can decide if the purchase is going to be worth the reward!


Another good choice is vertical water smokers. You will find a water pan between the heat source and the food in order to help regulate the temperature thus keeping it in the area of 212 degrees. As far as vertical water smokers, you are able to choose between an electric, propane or charcoal smoker.


Another cool thing about water smokers? Some can even double as grills – talk about getting the most bang for your buck!


With fish, smoking can be achieved either hot or cold. You can use pretty much any type of smoker for hot, however if you wish to cold smoke you would need to buy a smoker specifically for that. The difference is that with a hot smoker, cooking is achieved at a temperature of around 212-225 degrees Fahrenheit. With cold smoking, the temperature stays around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.


For example, salmon is cured in a sugar and salt solution before being smoked, and the whole process can take up to three weeks. This is a personal preference, and depends on what level of flavor you wish to have.


You are able to find a smoker that will fit any budget. They can be found at garage sales for pennies on the dollar, or you can buy a top of the line brand new one from a store for thousands of dollars.


Obviously, you get what you pay for, but like anything, you can find deals if you spend the time to look. First decide what your needs are, and then do some research. If you are brand new to the smoking world, you can also find many great cookbooks or even recipes online to help get you started on your adventure!


About the Author:
Peter Weston is an avid BBQ fan, and a writer for Best of the West charcoal, smoking chunks and bbq flavor sprays. He enjoys fishing, camping and softball, and he especially enjoys outdoor grilling with natural charcoal, avoiding propane grills whenever possible.