Lump charcoal is just one of several ways to produce the heat you need to do typical meat smoking.  It isn't intended to be the main source of smoke flavouring although it does add it's own characteristics to the overall flavour of the meat you are smoking.  As a fuel source, it is effective, relatively cheap, and depending on where you live, relatively available.

What is Lump Charcoal?

Essentially lump charcoal is the end result of very slowly burning wood in a very low oxygen environment.  Depending on the method used to produce the charcoal, it can take several weeks for the process to complete.  During this process, most of the moisture, and impurities in the wood are burnt off, and what is left behind is a very light, high quality carbon.  This means that there are very few chemicals released during the burn.

Advantages of Lump Charcoal

• Lump charcoal burns very evenly
• it produces very little soot/smoke,
• it produces very little ash. 
• Lump charcoal responds well to adjustments in oxygen levels while it burns.  Add or remove oxygen and the fire will adjust fairly quickly.

Disadvantages of Lump Charcoal

• it burns hotter and faster than briquettes
• it isn't available everywhere

Using lump charcoal

Using lump charcoal isn't all that different from briquettes, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• be sure to use a firepit with a grate for the ash to fall through
• Use a chimney to light the lump charcoal (Do NOT use lighter fluids - they tend to soak into the charcoal end release bad flavours into your smoked meat).
• put lit charcoal into the firepit and add in another layer of lump charcoal around/over them
• monitor the temperature of your smoker, and add more lump charcoal as needed to maintain your proper smoking temperatures

NOTE:  If you haven't used one, you really need to try this charcoal chimney , it works a treat to get your smoker to full burn in 15-20 minutes.

Happy smoking…

Eric

I got an email the other day asking about meat smoking times.  Actually it was a little odd in that the email only said:

Hi,

How long should I smoke meat?

Thanks.

Well this is a question to love and hate.  Love becuase it is so simple - "Long enough to get the results you're looking for".  Hate, because clearly the person didn't take the time to think about their question first.

Meat smoking times really depend on what you are trying to accomplish with the smoking process.  Proper meat smoking times vary from 5 minutes to 5 days depending on what you are smoking, and for what reasons.

You can infuse meat with smokey flavour in just a few minutes on a grill - I do this often with steaks that take 10 minutes to cook.  Smoked ribs for eating today can take 4-8 hours, a full brisket or pork shoulder can take 10-16 hours, sausages and hams that you are smoking for a curing effect (preserve the meat) can take several days.

There are three basic levels of meat smoking times - and these are VERY general, and again they will all vary depending on the cut of meat, amount of heat and smoke among other things.

1. Long enough to just add flavour to the meat - the meat still needs to be cooked perhaps on a grill, in the oven etc.
2. Long enough to cook the meat and add flavour - the meat smoking time is long enough to also cook the meat.  This is a typical 'low and slow' cook and smoke process
3. Long enough to preserve the meat and add flavour - this is a very long process that actually changes the chemistry of the meat and preserves the meat against spoilage.

Most people at home fall into the #1 or #2 group above.  You will also need to develop your own prefered level of smokiness which will also influence the overal meat smoking times.  The most important thing is to be sure your food is properly cooked before you eat it.  The safest way to do this is to use a proper meat thermometer to make sure that the meat you are smoking has reached a good internal temperature.  What are the temperatures?  I'll put them in a post in the next couple of days.

Cheers,

Eric

Beef Ribs….ahhhh the juicy, smokey goodness….

The other day I did a dual smoke of about 3 kg pork ribs and 4 kg of beef ribs.  These are slightly different to deal with, but everything worked out in the end….tender, fall off the bone ribs…Yum!

Of course it all started off with a decent rub for the beef ribs.  Here is roughly what I used.  I say roughly, because spices have different intensities depending on their age.

• 1/3 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1 tsp corriander seed
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• 1/2 a chipoltle pepper (dried, not in oil)
• 4-6 black pepper corms
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon & Allspice

Put the cumin, corriander, celery seeds, and chipotle peppers and pepper corns, into a grinder and grind them into a coarse powder  (like fresh cracked pepper).  Then add in the paprika and garlic powder, salt, and other ingredients.  Pulse with the grinder again to mix all together.  With the meat patted dry, sprinkle the rib rub onto the beef ribs and then rub it in.  Be sure to properly coat all sides of the beef ribs with the rub.  Cover them up and let the rub penetrate into the ribs.

To smoke the beef ribs, you can stick to a simple 3, 2, 1 schedule.  3 hours on the smoker, 2 hours wrapped in foil still cooking on the smoker, and a final hour on the smoker at the end to set the flavours.  All of this should be done in the 250 Farenheit range.  Be sure to save all the juices that cook out in the foil and use them as a base for an amazing dipping sauce.

Cheers,

Eric