Smoking a steak is a popular alternative to a BBQ grill for backyard-cooked meals. One popular way to do just that is with the Brinkman Electric Smoker. It's a smoker and a grill powered by electricity – and definitely gets the job done. It's cheaper to operate than a propane smoker and heats up faster than one fueled by charcoal. Best of all, you don't have to be a whiz at engineering to figure out how to use this gourmet electric smoker.
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Your gourmet electric smoker looks like a large, deep metal container about the size of a small barrel. The bottom segment is the base, which looks like a large cooking pan, and the lava rock pan that wedges inside it. When placed on the ground, this section of the smoker comes up to your ankles. The upper segment is the body, which is a fat metal tube with a door on the front. This fits on top of the base and raises the height of the smoker up to your knees. The water pan sits on top of the smoker base, with the cooking rack on the top of the water pan. A lid fits on top.
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The smoker is powered by electricity, but the current is used to heat lava rocks in the base section and the flavoring wood you put on them. Lava rocks heat the wood chips and the water pan in the smoker body. The wood chips impart a smokey taste and smell to the meat or other food items placed on the cooking rack, while the marinade or flavored water also adds taste.
Get ready for smoking by setting up your Brinkmann Electric Smoker. First, remove the lid and body from the base. Be sure the base, including the lava rock pan and heating element inside, is positioned on a hard, solid surface. The lava rocks should cover the heating element. Place a few chunks of flavored wood on the rocks but not touching the heating element. Remember that the entire smoker is going to heat up so keep it away from flammables and also kids and pets.
AdvertisementDon't plug it in yet. Put the smoker body on the base and the water pan in the smoker body on the lower support racks. Then, fill it with marinade or water with flavorings to an inch of the top. Put the cooking rack just above the water pan, then arrange the food to be smoked on it. Next, plug it in and check the water level every couple of hours to keep it full. Use a meat thermometer to know when meat is done. It will take two to three hours.
This gourmet electric smoker can also be used as a grill. It's even easier. All you have to do to grill on the Brinkman Electric Smoker is to remove the lid and the body from the base. Put the grill on the base, your food on the grill and the lid on the top. Plug it in and keep checking on it regularly until it is done.
