The kettle grill, otherwise known as the Weber kettle grill, is one of the most popular products in its class. The kettle-shaped pan has been specifically designed to distribute heat evenly. This even distribution makes it perfect for grilling. The Weber kettle grill also has other features that make it the most ideal grilling product in the market. Most notable of these is the handy lid that can help stop any flare-ups whenever oils drip on to the hot coals. But there is also a little known use for the Weber kettle grill. And that is as a smoker.
If you have a Weber kettle grill and you want to use it as a smoker, then follow these instructions:
The first thing you need to do is to brine the meat you plan to smoke. For pork, you should use one part salt and two parts sugar dissolved in about 16 parts water. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the brining solution. You can adjust it based on your preference. In fact, you can even add your favorite herbs and spices into the solution. Allow the meat to soak in the brining solution for a minimum of three hours. But for best results, allow it to soak overnight.
Get your wood chips and soak it in water. There are some very nice woods that you can use for smoking but the most popular are apple and hickory. Soaking the wood chips is a crucial step in the smoking process because the moisture that the wood absorbs will prevent it from immediately drying up and burning. Also, don’t use saw dust or any so-called wood alternatives. Make sure to drain the wood chips before you use it in the grill.
Remove the meat from the brining solution and rub it with the spices you want to use. Make sure that the spices you use will compliment any sauces you’ll use for the cooked meat. This is an optional step. There are some people who don’t do this anymore if they’ve already put the spices into the brining solution.
You should now prepare the water pans for the grill. Get a small grill and place it on the kettle-shaped pan. Make sure this grill is just the right size to cover the bottom of the pan. Now get two disposable tins and put it on the grill. Fill the tins halfway with water. These tins will be used in catching drippings and also help provide moisture as it evaporates. Put these water-filled tins on one side of your grill. Make sure the other side is free for the charcoal.
Now prepare the charcoal. Prepare and fire up the charcoals on the other side of the grill, next to the tins. When the charcoal is glowing hot, place the soaked wood chips on it. Now cover the whole pan with a larger grill, which should be large enough to put your prepared meat on. It would be a good idea to get a grill that has handle so you can easily lift it up and provide you with easier access to the coals if it needs to be tended.
Smoke the meat! Make sure the meat is placed on top of the water-filled tins and not the charcoal. The indirect heat of the charcoal and the smoke produced by the wood chips are what you need. You can actually use the charcoal side to grill vegetables like corn and potatoes so you’ll have vegetable sidings for your dinner when you serve your smoked meat. Watch the temperature of the grill. Make sure it is between 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature rises above this range, open the vents and add more wood chips and coals. If it goes lower than the range then add more wood chips but keep the vent closed. Make sure to rotate the meat every hour to make sure that it cooks evenly in the indirect heat. You can baste the meat with barbecue sauce if you want.
In case you’ve used up all of your charcoal and the meat’s still not cooked through, put it in the oven and cook it at 225 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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