How to Hack Your Grill Into a Smoker

Ugg awoke just before dawn.

After a successful hunt the previous day, the tribe had far more meat than it could consume in one day.

So they left several of the wild boars hanging above the dying embers of the fire and fell asleep, full and happy.

But this morning Ugg was hungry.

He could smell the cooked pork, which was slow roasting all night long, and couldn’t help himself.

He took a bite out of the loin and his mouth filled with a delicious smokey taste like he had never tasted before.

As he continued to chow down, the others slowly woke up and wandered over. One by one they started filling their maws with the most delicious smoked pork they had ever eaten.

Smoke plays a powerful role in the mythology of “snout to tail” eating. It preserves, and makes everything so much more delicious.

And as long as you have a grill, you can do it too.

The Ancient Art of Smoking

For our distant ancestors, smoking food was an inevitable by-product of cooking.

Since they lacked ovens fueled by gas or electricity, they had to do all their cooking over the campfire.

And since they couldn’t run down to the five-and-dime to pick up charcoal briquettes, they would have cooked over the smoke of hardwood.

Over time, they might have actually favored cooking over smoke. It would have kept the insects away. It would have kept longer. And, of course, it would have been tastier.

Effectively applied, smoke would play a huge role in the development of classic food preparations, such as smoked salmon and barbecued ribs, that are still with us today.

But don’t think you need some fancy smoke shack in your backyard. Smoking is accessible to anyone with a grill.

Why Bother Smoking Today?

But why bother bringing this skill into the modern household?

Isn’t it enough to expect that people stock their kitchen with the basics and learn how to cook a few good meals? Why add some finicky technique into the mix?

First, as guys, we are genetically predisposed to cooking large hunks of meat over smoke and fire. (Citation needed, but you know this is true.)

Second, the taste that smoke, judiciously applied, will bring to various dishes, will convince you that learning how to smoke brings a lot of flavor to the party.

And third, despite what you may believe, smoking isn’t that difficult. Provided you have a few basic pieces of kitchen equipment and a grill, you can smoke food without ponying up for a standalone smoker.

How Smoking Works (and What It Does)

Smoke acts as an antimicrobial agent. So when it works its magic on your meat it helps to preserve it at the same time that it turns it all delicious-like.

However, it’s important to note that, unlike salt, smoke doesn’t penetrate food very far, so it isn’t a great preservative all by itself.

But since smoking also tends to dry out the meat, the draining of any liquid can be a help to remove this microbe-loving solution.

How to Hack Your Grill Into a Smoker

Today you can buy dedicated smokers.

They’re easy to run, and easy to keep at a constant temp. But if you have any space (or money) concerns, then you’ll be happy to hear that you can turn any grill into a smoker with a few simple hacks.

First, since you want a specific temperature, you’ll want a probe thermometer with two temperature probes: one for the meat, and one for the grill.

The Maverick ET732 has its flaws, but it’s still the best tool on the market for this task.

Next, you’ll want some wood to produce the smoke.

Since many woods out there are either treated with nasty chemicals or give off funky smoke, I’d suggest you stay with products that are specifically suited for smoking.

Also, aim for chunks rather than chips.

The latter are more common, but they incinerate too quickly. Best to use larger pieces for the slow burn they give you.

And while mesquite and hickory are the easiest types of wood to find, many people find the taste they impart a little too strong. Might be best to try out some fruit woods such as apple or cherry instead.

(You can find a good selection of different wood chunks for grilling right here.)

Lastly, you’ll need a shallow pan or two to hold water in.

This increases the air moisture during smoking, and helps to regulate the temperature, both keys to successful smoking.

From here, things will change a bit based on your grill, but here’s the jist of it:

1. Start your grill and bring it up to about 225°F (105°C).
2. Position the water pan on the grate above the heat and put the food on the opposite side of the grill for indirect heating. (Replenish water periodically to make up for evaporation.)
3. Put some wood on the fire and cover the grill. Smoke for about an hour, replenishing wood as needed.

Depending on what you are cooking, things will change from there, but these three steps remain the same for all smoking.

The Backyard Pitmaster

As a part of the Whole Hog Project, I will be hacking my Weber grill into a smoker for making pulled pork, ribs, bacon, and smoked ham hocks.

If you would like to learn how to make those preparations, and you have a grill, then I’d highly recommend you learn to make a smoker of your own.

As you can see, smoking is a simple process that can easily be achieved at home as long as you remember to:

1. Keep the cooking temperature around 225°F (105°C)
2. Have pans of liquid in the smoker.
3. Add chunks of wood for the first hour of cooking (but not much longer).