How To Use The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker

Weber's Smokey Mountain Cooker is ideal for succulent, tasty pulled pork

The Smokey Mountain Cooker is for people who love tender, succulent flavoursome meat without having to constantly keep checking, turning and moving it around the grill. It is ideal for large pieces of meat or fish and for cheaper cuts. The smoker comes in 3 sizes; 37cm (14”), 47cm (18”) and 57cm (22”) so there is one for the smallest BBQ chef to the most ambitious party giver. It has a porcelain-enamelled bowl and lid with built-in thermometer and two plated steel cooking grates.

It is ideal for pulled pork, beef brisket, whole salmon, turkey, chicken, duck, pork ribs, shoulder, hams and belly. The result is melt-in-the-mouth, succulent food with the most sublime taste. You can enhance the smokey taste with subtle flavour from a range of wood chunks; choose from apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite available from Weber.

The charcoal briquettes go into the bottom along with a few of your chosen flavoured wood chunks. Always make sure you use good quality briquettes as cheaper brands often contain a lot of filler and won’t necessarily burn long enough to smoke your food without constantly refilling. As a guide a full load of briquettes can last up to 16 hours at a temperature of 105C (220F); but this will depend upon the quality of briquettes used and the size of the cooker. If you are coming to the end of the smoke you may have to open the vents a little rather than adding more fuel. Place your meat on the top rack and a tray of water on the lower grate; always use boiling water as putting in cold water will lower the temperature, which will not come back up until the water is hot. Inserting a tray of water ensures that the meat retains its moisture.

The smoker holds a constant temperature, so you can relax and leave the food to smoke without constantly checking to make sure that it is still alight and performing correctly.

For perfect pulled pork apply a generous rub to your chosen cut, make sure that it has a good fat content as this is where all the moisture and flavour lie. Try the Rufus Teague spicy Meat Rub to add a touch of heat. Really work the rub into the flesh then wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight. Take out of the fridge a couple of hours before you start cooking to allow the meat fibres to relax.

Fill the briquette holder almost full with unlit briquettes; light 15 – 20 in a chimney starter and place on top of the unlit coals along with 4 – 6 of your chosen flavoured wood chunks. Fill a tray with boiling water and place on the bottom grate; place the pork on the top grate. Maintain the temperature at 100 – 120C (212 – 248F). Once the core temperature of the pork has reached 95C (203F) then it is ready to come out and be pulled apart. The long cooking time enables the break-down of the fibres and the complete rendering of the fat, leaving you with succulent, tasty meat.

If you are serious about your barbecuing and regularly cook for large numbers then conquering the Smokey Mountain will add a whole new dimension to your culinary experience.