BrisketBrisket on a Charcoal Grill Using the Snake Method
You do not need a dedicated smoker. A 22 inch kettle and a snake of unlit briquettes will hold 120°C (250°F) for ten hours, which is all a brisket has ever asked for.
Short ribSmoked Beef Short Ribs
Brisket flavour on a bone, and considerably harder to ruin. Plate short ribs are the single most impressive thing you can put on a charcoal cooker.
RibsBaby Back Ribs on a Charcoal Kettle
The cook that teaches you fire management, because five hours at 135°C (275°F) on a kettle is entirely achievable and entirely on you.
ShoulderCharcoal Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder
The most forgiving long cook in barbecue. A pork shoulder has so much fat and connective tissue that it tolerates almost every mistake you can make, which is why it should be your first project cook.
Pork bellyPork Belly Burnt Ends
Cubes of pork belly smoked until the fat renders, then braised in butter and sugar until they glaze. Barbecue's answer to a confection.
ShoulderCuban Lechon Asado
Pork shoulder marinated in mojo, which is sour orange, a great deal of garlic and oregano. Citrus and pork over charcoal, and very little else.
Whole birdSmoked Turkey Crown
The best thing that can happen to a turkey is a charcoal fire and a brine. Smoked over apple wood, the meat stays juicy and the skin turns mahogany, and your oven stays free.
Short ribSmoked Beef Cheeks
The hardest-working muscle on the animal becomes the most tender thing on the plate. Beef cheeks are pure collagen, and low slow smoke turns them to silk.
Hours at 105°C (225°F) to 150°C (300°F) with wood on the coals. Collagen melts into gelatin, fat renders, and a bark forms on the outside. This is barbecue proper rather than grilling.
You do not need a dedicated smoker for any of it. The snake method in a kettle or the Minion method in a bullet holds temperature for eight to twelve hours by keeping most of the charcoal unlit and letting a small fire creep through it.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisket on a Charcoal Grill Using the Snake Method | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 10 to 14 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Smoked Beef Short Ribs | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 7 to 9 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Baby Back Ribs on a Charcoal Kettle | Low and slow smoking | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 5 hr | 90°C (198°F) |
| Charcoal Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 10 to 12 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Pork Belly Burnt Ends | Low and slow smoking | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 4 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Cuban Lechon Asado | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 8 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Smoked Turkey Crown | Low and slow smoking | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 3 hr | 70°C (160°F) |
| Smoked Beef Cheeks | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 6 hr | 95°C (205°F) |
Techniques used
Low and slow smoking. Hours at 105°C (225°F) to 150°C (300°F) with wood on the coals. Collagen melts, bark forms.
Cookers these suit
Bullet smokers. Drum smokers. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Offset smokers.