With any type of live fire cooking, allow enough time to build a
fire and get the grill/smoker up to temperature.
Build a fire using either charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal, or
wood chunks. Briquettes offer a very good source of heat, and
are readily available in the marketplace. Most briquettes are
manufactured using a combination of wood charcoal, coal
powder, and a processing binder. Lump charcoal is a premium
form of charcoal because it is made of only wood. Lump
charcoal burns hotter and longer than briquettes, and imparts
no chemical flavors to the food being cooked. For a more robust
smoke flavor using briquettes or lump charcoal, try adding
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.
Mild Flavor
Medium Flavor Heavy Flavor
Pecan
Hickory
Mesquite
Apple
White Oak
Blackjack Oak
Peach
Cherry
Red Oak
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.
Prior to cooking on your grill/smoker
, the following steps
should be taken to season the interior steel. This will seal the
inside surfaces with wood smoke and resin, helping to prevent
corrosion.
First
, brush all interior surfaces with vegetable oil.
Next
, build a small fire on the fire grate inside the firebox, being
sure not to lay coals against the walls. After the fire becomes
established, close both lids and position both dampers
approximately 1/4 open. Sustain this fire for at least 2 hours.
The unit is now ready for cooking!
Grilling
Position both fire grates in the smoker chamber. Build a fire on
top of the fire grates using either charcoal briquettes, lump
charcoal, or wood chunks. Keep the smoker chamber lid open,
and both dampers open, until the fire has established itself and
is ready for cooking. Spread out coals as required, insert
cooking grates, and start grilling. Remember, grilling is done
over the top of the fire. Use the dampers to regulate the fire and
heat. Open the dampers to increase temperature; close
dampers to decrease temperatures. The cooking chamber door
can remain open or closed. Refer to recipes for required
cooking times and temperatures.
Barbequing and Slow Smoking
Position both cooking grates in the smoker chamber. Position
one fire grate in the firebox. Build a fire on this fire grate using
either charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal, or wood chunks.
Keep the firebox lid open, and both dampers open until the fire
is established. Then, close the firebox lid (both lids should now
be closed) and you will begin to see smoke flow from the
smokestack. Adjust both dampers until the desired smoker
chamber temperature is achieved. Open the dampers to
increase temperature; close the dampers to decrease
temperatures. This process of adjusting the temperature can
take several minutes. Once the proper setting is obtained, only
occasional attention is required. Now, place the food in the
smoker chamber. Remember, this is indirect cooking, so the fire
is in the firebox, and the food is placed in the smoker chamber.
Keep both lids closed while cooking to prevent unnecessary
loss of heat and smoke. Refer to recipes for required cooking
times and temperatures. Add charcoal or wood chunks as
necessary to maintain the fire.
Maintenance
When finished cooking, and the unit has adequately cooled,
clean out all remaining ashes. Ashes collect moisture, which
can lead to premature rusting and decay. Periodically coating
the interior surfaces with vegetable oil will aid in the protection
of your unit. Also, occasional touch up of the exterior paint will
be required. Black, high-temperature spray paint is
recommended. Never paint the interior of the unit.
