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1. Brush all interior surfaces including grills and grates with vegetable cooking oil.
2. Build a small fire on the fire grate, being sure not to lay coals against the walls.
3. Close door. (Position butterfly damper and smokestack damper approximately at one quarter open.) This burn
should be sustained for at least two hours, the longer the better. Then, begin increasing temperature by opening the
butterfly damper and smokestack damper half-way and adding more charcoal. Your American Gourmet Smoker
is now ready for use.
Rust can appear on the inside of your smoker. Maintaining a light coat of vegetable oil on interior surfaces will aid in the
protection of your unit. Exterior surfaces of smoker may need occasional touch up. We recommend the use of a
commercially available black high temperature spray paint. NEVER PAINT THE INTERIOR OF THE UNIT !
GRILLING
Wood is recommended, however charcoal or a combination of both may be used as the fuel source for grilling, with the
fuel source placed and ignited on the fire grate. Do not build too large of a fire. We recommend starting a fire with no
more than 2 pounds of charcoal (approximately 20 briquettes). After allowing the fire to burn down, place the cooking grates
in the smoker. Failure to read and follow instructions for lighting charcoal may result in serious personal injury and/or property
damage.
SMOKING AND SLOW COOKING
If using the American Gourmet Smoker as a smoker or slow cooker, remove the cooking grill from the firebox and
build your fire on top of the fire grate in the firebox. Either charcoal or wood may be used, but wood is the recommended
fuel for it’s rate of burn and the flavor it imparts to the food being cooked. Most seasoned hardwoods are good for smoking
such as hickory, mesquite, pecan, oak, and many other fruit woods. The firebox will accommodate most split fireplace size
logs (16”). Bark should be avoided or burned off first as it contains a high acid content and imparts an acrid flavor.
After allowing the fire to burn down, close the doors and control the temperature and smoke with the dampers located on
the firebox and atop the smokestack. Smoke is contained within the chambers, which will reduce burn while imparting
more smoke flavor. Do not operate the Smoker with temperatures exceeding 450 degrees in the smoker chamber.
Place the food in the smoker chamber and monitor the temperature. Cooking and smoking are taking place using indirect
heat. There is no need to worry about a grease fire flare-up ruining the food. Do not place food within 6” of the opening
from the firebox into the smoker chamber. A general rule of thumb for cooking is about 1 hour per pound for smoking
large cuts of meat. Refer to a cook book for specific cuts of meats. Limit the number of times you open the smoker
chamber door as this will allow heat to escape and extend the cooking time.
flavors to your first foods.
the finish and season the interior steel. Failure to properly follow these steps may damage the finish and/or impart metallic
Before cooking with your American Gourmet Smoker, the following steps should be closely followed to both cure
Preparing and Using Your American Gourmet Smoker
Grilling with Wood Chips/Wood Chunks
For a more robust smoke flavor while using charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal, try adding wood chips or
several wood chunks to the fire. Wood chunks are available in a variety of natural flavors, and can be used
alone or in addition to charcoal. As a general rule, any hardwood that bears a fruit or nut is suitable for
cooking. However, different woods have very different tastes. Experiment with different woods to determine
your personal favorite, and always use well-seasoned wood. Green or fresh-cut wood can turn food black,
and tastes bitter.
Our Recommendations:
Chicken
- Alder, Apple, Hickory, Mesquite, Sassafras
Beef
- Hickory, Mesquite, Oak, Grapevines
Pork
- Fruitwoods, Hickory, Oak, Sassafras
Lamb
- Fruitwoods, Mesquite
Veal
- Fruitwoods, Grapevines
Seafood
- Alder, Mesquite, Sassafras, Grapevines
Vegetables
– Mesquite
USDA Recommended
Internal Cooking Temperatures
Ground Meat
Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb......................................160°F
Turkey, Chicken.................................................165°F
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb
Medium Rare.......................................................145°F
Medium................................................................160°F
Well Done............................................................170°F
Poultry
Chicken & Turkey, whole.....................................165°F
Poultry Parts.......................................................165°F
Duck & Goose....................................................165°F
Fresh Pork
Medium..............................................................160°F
Well Done..........................................................170°F
