Smoker’s Only Club
The Smoker's Only Club is the part of McLearen Kitchen for smoking and grilling: pits, thermometers, woods, techniques, pairings and our own sauces. Here is its reference, as the app has it, and the club collection of top-rated recipes on other sites.
In the app
- Open it from the Cook tab's fire button, the door above the crest on the side rail, or Recipes › ⋮ › Smoker's Only Club.
- The Smoke room keeps these pages, “My smoker”, the cook journal and the collection, each a tap away.
Pits and grills
Pellet grill — Hardwood pellets · 165–500°F
How it holds its heat: An auger feeds pellets into a fire pot, and a fan and a controller add fuel and air to hold the temperature you set. Wind and cold make it work harder and burn more pellets.
What the planner should expect: Holds its setting within a few degrees, so the planner’s times hold. The smoke is lighter than from wood or charcoal, and most of it comes in the first hours at a low setting.
Tips:
- Keep pellets dry: damp pellets swell and jam the auger.
- Empty the ash from the fire pot before a long cook.
- A pellet tube or a lower setting for the first hours adds smoke.
Well-known models:
- Traeger Pro 575: 165–500°F, 18 lb hopper, Wi-Fi controller.
- Pit Boss: Many models 180–500°F, with a flame broiler for searing over the fire.
- Recteq Flagship 1600: 180–700°F.
- Camp Chef Woodwind: Pellet grill with an adjustable smoke setting.
Gravity-fed charcoal smoker — Lump charcoal or briquettes, wood chunks for smoke · 225–700°F
How it holds its heat: Charcoal in a tall hopper burns down into a firebox, and a digital fan feeds it air to hold the temperature you set: a pellet grill’s ease with charcoal’s flavor.
What the planner should expect: Fan-held like a pellet grill, so the planner’s times hold. It climbs to searing heat quickly when you want to finish over the fire.
Tips:
- Fill the hopper before a long cook and keep its lid shut.
- Put wood chunks among the charcoal for more smoke.
- Briquettes burn longer and steadier than lump for long cooks.
Well-known models:
- Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800: 225–700°F; the hopper holds about 10 lb of lump or 16 lb of briquettes.
Electric smoker — Electricity, with wood chips for smoke · 100–275°F
How it holds its heat: A heating element and a thermostat hold the temperature; wood chips smoulder in a tray over the element. An insulated cabinet barely notices the weather.
What the planner should expect: Steady and easy, so the times hold — but most will not run hot, the bark stays soft and the smoke is light. Finish ribs or brisket hotter, or on a grill, for a firmer bark.
Tips:
- Add a few chips often rather than a full tray at once: cleaner smoke.
- Preheat with the vent open to dry the cabinet.
- Good for fish and sausage at low temperatures; cheese only with a cold-smoke attachment on a cool day.
Well-known models:
- Masterbuilt Digital Electric: Cabinet smoker with a side loader for wood chips.
Kamado — Lump charcoal, wood chunks for smoke · 225–750°F
How it holds its heat: Thick ceramic walls (insulated steel on some) and a tight lid hold heat for many hours on one load of lump charcoal. The bottom vent and the top cap set the temperature.
What the planner should expect: Steady enough to follow the planner closely. It keeps moisture in, so bark sets later and you may wrap less. It is slow to come down if it overshoots, so creep up on the temperature.
Tips:
- For a low cook light only a few spots and close the vents early.
- Use the heat deflector for indirect cooking.
- At high heat open the lid a little first, then all the way.
Well-known models:
- Big Green Egg: Ceramic; lump charcoal; its dome gauge reads to 750°F.
- Kamado Joe: Ceramic kamado.
- Char-Griller Akorn: Insulated steel: lighter, and quicker to answer its vents than ceramic.
Vertical water smoker — Charcoal, wood chunks for smoke · 225–300°F
How it holds its heat: A charcoal ring below, a water pan between the fire and the meat: the pan soaks up swings and keeps the air moist. The bottom vents set the temperature; the top stays open. A load of unlit charcoal lit by a few hot coals (the Minion method) runs for many hours.
What the planner should expect: The water pan keeps it near 225–250°F, where the planner’s low-and-slow times fit. A long stall is normal in the damp heat.
Tips:
- Fill the pan with hot water so it doesn’t cool the fire.
- Close the bottom vents a little at a time and give it 15 minutes to settle.
Well-known models:
- Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker: The classic bullet smoker, in 14-, 18- and 22-inch sizes.
Drum smoker — Charcoal, wood chunks for smoke · 250–325°F
How it holds its heat: A charcoal basket at the bottom of a steel drum, the meat hanging or on a grate above; a small intake and a tight lid hold the fire. Drippings on the coals add their own smoke.
What the planner should expect: Runs hot — most settle at 275–310°F — so cuts finish sooner than the planner’s 225–250°F times (as a rough rule, a quarter to a third sooner). Go by the thermometer.
Tips:
- Set the intake for your altitude, then leave it alone and keep the lid on.
- Hang pieces of a size so they finish together.
Well-known models:
- Pit Barrel Cooker: Meat hangs on hooks from two bars; it settles at about 275–310°F, and a basket of briquettes lit the Minion way lasts 8 to 12 hours.
- Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS): Home-built from an unlined steel drum that never held chemicals; burn out any liner or paint before cooking in it.
Offset smoker — Wood splits, on a bed of charcoal to start · 200–350°F
How it holds its heat: Heat and smoke come from a wood fire in a firebox beside the cook chamber. It holds by fire management: a split every 30 to 60 minutes, the intake mostly open, the stack wide open. Each new split brings a swing.
What the planner should expect: The planner’s times, if you keep it in its band. The end near the firebox runs hotter: turn big cuts halfway.
Tips:
- Burn a clean fire: thin blue smoke, not thick white.
- Warm the next split on top of the firebox so it catches at once.
- Cook with the stack open; run the fire with the intake.
Well-known models:
- Oklahoma Joe’s Highland: Steel offset smoker with a firebox at the side.
Charcoal kettle — Charcoal, wood chunks for smoke · 225–600°F
How it holds its heat: Charcoal to one side (two zones) or a snake of briquettes around the edge; the bottom vent sets the fire, and the lid vent, turned over the meat, draws the smoke across it.
What the planner should expect: With a snake it holds 225–275°F for hours and the planner’s times fit; a two-zone fire runs hotter and quicker. Add fuel on long cooks.
Tips:
- For a snake, lay two rows of briquettes against the wall, wood chunks on top, and light one end.
- Turn the lid vent over the meat so the smoke crosses it.
Well-known models:
- Weber Original Kettle: The 22-inch classic.
- Slow ’N Sear: A charcoal basket for a kettle: a steady indirect zone with a water reservoir.
Gas grill — Propane or natural gas, a smoker box or pellet tube for smoke · 225–550°F
How it holds its heat: Burners held at a setting: light one or two low and cook over the others with the lid shut; a smoker box or pellet tube over a lit burner adds smoke.
What the planner should expect: The burners hold steady, so the times fit; the smoke is thin, so expect a lighter smoke ring and less bark.
Tips:
- Smoke on the burner farthest from the meat, lid closed.
- Finish over direct heat for more crust.
Coal pit — Hardwood burned down to coals · 200–300°F
How it holds its heat: Hardwood burns down to coals in a burn barrel and is shoveled under the meat in a block or in-ground pit; the heat holds as long as you keep feeding coals.
What the planner should expect: For whole animals and big batches the planner’s per-pound times are only a rough guide: feed the coals steadily and go by the thermometer.
Tips:
- Keep a burn barrel going beside the pit for fresh coals.
- Check a whole hog in the shoulders and the hams, the thickest parts.
Wireless thermometers
- Govee H5198 — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. McLearen Kitchen reads its Bluetooth broadcasts: no pairing code and no Govee account. Over Wi-Fi it talks only to Govee’s own app.
- Inkbird IBT-4XS — Bluetooth, up to 150 ft. McLearen Kitchen speaks its Bluetooth protocol (Inkbird’s iBBQ), so it should pair, but it has not yet been tried with a real one. The probes read to 482°F for long, 572°F for a short while; the battery is rechargeable.
- MEATER Plus — Bluetooth, with a range booster in its dock. One probe, two sensors: the meat to 212°F and the air around it to 527°F. No wire through the lid. Read in the MEATER app.
- ThermoWorks Signals — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With the Billows fan it holds the pit’s temperature on a charcoal smoker. Read in the ThermoWorks app.
- FireBoard 2 Drive — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Drives a blower fan (sold separately) to hold the pit’s temperature. Read in the FireBoard app.
- ThermoPro TP25 — Bluetooth, up to 500 ft. Read in the ThermoPro app.
- Weber Connect — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Weber’s smart grilling hub and probes, read in the Weber app.
- Instant-read thermometer — In your hand. A probe left in the pit can sit in a seam of fat: check in two or three places with an instant-read thermometer before you pull.
Woods
Mesquite — Strong · Bold, earthy and sharp; burns hot and fast.
Suits: Beef — steaks and brisket — and quick, hot cooks.
Caution: Too much turns bitter on a long cook: use a little, or blend it with oak.
Hickory — Strong · Strong, savory, bacon-like.
Suits: Pork shoulder, ribs, bacon and ham; beef too.
Caution: Strong enough to overpower poultry and fish; go easy for long cooks.
Walnut — Strong · Heavy and slightly bitter.
Suits: Game and red meat, blended with a milder wood.
Caution: Rarely burned alone: mix it with fruitwood or oak.
Oak — Medium · Clean, medium smoke; the backbone of Texas barbecue (post oak).
Suits: Brisket and beef, and almost anything; burns long and even.
Pecan — Medium · Nutty and sweet; a gentler cousin of hickory.
Suits: Pork, poultry, brisket.
Maple — Mild · Mild and sweet.
Suits: Poultry, pork, ham, cheese and vegetables.
Cherry — Mild · Mild, fruity and a little tart; gives a deep mahogany color.
Suits: Poultry, pork and ribs; with hickory or oak for beef.
Apple — Mild · Mild, sweet and fruity; builds slowly.
Suits: Pork, poultry and ham.
Caution: Slow to flavor: give it the whole cook.
Peach — Mild · Light, sweet and fruity.
Suits: Pork and poultry.
Pear — Mild · Light, sweet and delicate.
Suits: Poultry and pork.
Orange and lemon — Mild · Light and bright, with a citrus note.
Suits: Fish, seafood and poultry.
Olive — Mild · Mild, a little like mesquite but lighter.
Suits: Poultry, lamb and fish.
Alder — Mild · Delicate and slightly sweet; the classic of the Pacific Northwest.
Suits: Salmon and other fish, poultry.
The forms wood comes in
- Logs and splits — The fuel itself in an offset or a pit: seasoned, dry hardwood, split to the size of the firebox. A split every 30 to 60 minutes. Burned in: Offset smoker, Coal pit.
- Chunks — Fist-sized pieces among the charcoal: they smoulder for an hour or more. Three or four for a long cook. Burned in: Kamado, Vertical water smoker, Drum smoker, Charcoal kettle, Gravity-fed charcoal smoker.
- Chips — Small pieces that catch fast and burn out quickly: a few at a time in an electric smoker’s tray or a gas grill’s smoker box. Burned in: Electric smoker, Gas grill, Charcoal kettle.
- Pellets — Compressed sawdust: the fuel of a pellet grill, or smoke in a pellet tube on any grill. Food-grade smoking pellets only — never heating pellets. Burned in: Pellet grill, Gas grill.
- Sawdust — Smoulders slowly in a maze or a cold-smoke generator with almost no heat: for cheese, nuts and cured salmon, below about 90°F. Burned in: Electric smoker, Charcoal kettle.
Never on the fire
- Softwoods — pine, spruce, fir, cedar: their resin gives a harsh, sooty smoke. (A soaked cedar plank under a fish is a different thing: a plank, not fuel.)
- Treated, painted, stained or glued wood: pressure-treated lumber, plywood, MDF, old furniture.
- Pallets and scrap whose past you don’t know.
- Moldy, rotten or wet wood.
- Poisonous plants such as oleander and yew, and firewood with poison-ivy vines on it: the smoke is dangerous to breathe.
- Lighter fluid on the coals once food is on: light with a chimney.
Techniques
Low and slow — The pit held at 225–250°F for hours, so the tough connective tissue in a big cut melts into gelatin while the smoke builds the bark.
Suits: Brisket, pork shoulder, chuck roast, beef and pork ribs, lamb shoulder.
How:
- Bring the pit to 225–250°F and wait until the smoke runs thin and blue, not thick and white.
- Meat on, the fat side toward the heat.
- Keep the lid shut: every look costs heat and time.
- Go by the internal temperature and by feel — the probe slides in like butter — not by the clock.
Caution: The stall: somewhere around 150–170°F inside, the temperature can sit still for hours. Leave spare time, or wrap (the Texas crutch).
Hot and fast — The pit at 275–325°F. At 275°F a cook takes about two thirds of the time it takes at 225°F, and poultry skin crisps instead of turning rubbery.
Suits: Brisket and shoulders on a schedule, ribs, whole chickens, turkey and chicken pieces.
How:
- Run the pit at 275–300°F, or 300–325°F for poultry.
- Wrap at the stall: it protects the bark from scorching and keeps the cut moist.
- Same pull temperature as low and slow, but start checking for tenderness sooner.
Caution: Less room for error: the time between done and dry is shorter, and the thin end of a brisket can overcook.
Reverse sear — Cook gently first, sear last: smoke or cook over indirect heat to just under the finished temperature, then give it a hard sear for the crust.
Suits: Thick steaks (1½ inches, 4 cm, or more), tri-tip, picanha, prime rib, thick pork chops.
How:
- Cook over indirect heat at 225–275°F until 10–15°F under the temperature you want.
- Take it off while the fire gets as hot as it will go — 500°F and up.
- Sear a minute or two a side, until the crust is deep brown.
- Little rest is needed: it rested while the fire came up.
Caution: A thin cut overshoots: pull it earlier, or sear it from raw instead.
Cold smoking — Smoke kept under 90°F: flavour without cooking.
Suits: Cheese, nuts, salt, butter — and only fish or meat that has been cured first (lox, bacon, country ham).
How:
- Use a smoke tube or maze of pellets or dust in an unlit pit, or a separate smoke generator.
- Keep the chamber under 90°F: a cool day helps, and so does a pan of ice.
- Cheese takes 2–4 hours; then wrap it and let it mellow in the fridge for a day or two.
Caution: Raw meat and fish sit in the danger zone (40–140°F) the whole time. Never cold-smoke them uncured: follow a tested curing recipe with the right curing salt, measured exactly. Above 90°F cheese sweats and melts.
Two-zone fire — Coals or burners on one side and none on the other: a hot side to sear over and a cool side to cook through with the lid down.
Suits: Most cooks on a kettle or a gas grill: chicken pieces, sausages, roasts, a reverse sear.
How:
- Bank the lit coals on one half, or light the burners on one side only.
- Cook on the cool side with the lid on, the top vent over the meat to draw the smoke across it.
- Finish or sear over the hot side.
Caution: A flare-up: move the meat to the cool side until it dies down.
The snake — A curved row of briquettes around the edge of a kettle, lit at one end, that burns slowly round for 6–8 hours at 225–275°F.
Suits: Long cooks on a kettle grill: ribs, pork shoulder, even a small brisket.
How:
- Lay two rows of briquettes side by side, with a third row on top, around half to two thirds of the kettle’s edge.
- Set wood chunks on top of it every few inches.
- Light 8–10 briquettes in a chimney and pour them at one end.
- A water pan in the middle; the bottom vent nearly closed, the top vent open over the meat.
Caution: Wind makes it burn faster. A longer snake runs longer; a wider one runs hotter.
The Minion method — A full basket of unlit charcoal with a few lit coals poured on top: the fire spreads down slowly and holds a steady low heat for hours. Named for Jim Minion, who made it known.
Suits: Water smokers, drums, kamados and kettles on long cooks.
How:
- Fill the charcoal ring or basket with unlit charcoal, with wood chunks mixed in.
- Pour 10–20 lit coals on top, or into a hollow in the middle.
- Start with the bottom vent open and close it down as the pit nears its temperature: it is easier to bring a pit up than down.
Caution: Charcoal smokes harshly as it catches: let the smoke run clean before the meat goes on.
The Texas crutch (wrapping) — Wrapping in butcher paper or foil at the stall, to push through it and keep the moisture in. The stall comes from evaporation cooling the surface; a wrap stops it.
Suits: Brisket, pork shoulder, chuck roast, beef ribs, and ribs (the 3-2-1 method wraps for the middle two hours).
How:
- Wait until the bark is set — it does not smear when touched — usually at 160–170°F inside.
- Wrap tightly: butcher paper keeps more bark, foil is faster and softer. A splash of liquid if you like.
- Back on the pit until it is probe tender. The smoke plan’s “Watch for the stall” line marks when.
Caution: Foil steams the bark soft: a few minutes unwrapped on the pit firms it again.
Spritzing and mopping — A light mist (cider vinegar, apple juice, water or beer) or a thin mop sauce every 45–60 minutes once the bark has set, to keep the surface from drying out and help the smoke cling.
Suits: Brisket, shoulders and ribs, mostly on drier pits: offsets, kettles, pellet grills.
How:
- Wait an hour or two, until the rub has set.
- Mist lightly — enough to dampen, not to wash the rub off.
- Open the lid for as short a time as you can.
Caution: Every opening loses heat and adds time. A kamado or a water smoker holds its moisture and seldom needs it.
Injecting — A brine or marinade pushed deep into a thick cut with a meat injector, seasoning and moistening it from the inside.
Suits: Brisket, pork shoulder, chuck roast, turkey, whole chickens.
How:
- Inject on a grid an inch or two (3–5 cm) apart, with the grain, pressing slowly as you draw the needle out.
- Simple injections: beef stock with a little salt for brisket; apple juice, salt and sugar for pork; melted butter with salt for turkey.
- Inject from an hour to a night ahead; wipe off what runs out before the rub goes on.
Caution: The needle can carry what is on the surface into the middle: cook injected meat to at least the USDA minimum all the way through, never rare. Go easy on salt in the rub.
Dry brining — Salting ahead, uncovered in the fridge: the salt draws out juice, dissolves in it and is drawn back in, seasoning deep and drying the surface for a better crust or crisper skin.
Suits: Poultry (crisp skin), prime rib, steaks, tri-tip, pork loin and chops.
How:
- Use about 1% of the meat’s weight in salt — roughly ¾ teaspoon of table salt per pound (450 g).
- Sprinkle it evenly and set the meat on a rack, uncovered, in the fridge.
- At least an hour for steaks; overnight for roasts and birds; up to two days for a turkey.
Caution: Cut back the salt in the rub, and skip it on cured or brined meat.
Pairings
Brisket and beef ribs — Rendered fat and a peppery bark want malt, dark fruit and enough body to stand up to the smoke.
Beer: A brown ale, a porter, or a crisp Texas-style lager to cut the fat.
Whiskey: A high-rye bourbon, neat or with a single ice cube.
Wine: Zinfandel, Syrah or Malbec: ripe fruit and pepper for the bark.
The Club’s drinks: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Ranch Water
The cigar after: A medium-full to full maduro or habano.
Without alcohol: Iced tea with lemon, or a sharp non-alcoholic ginger beer.
Pulled pork — Sweet pork and a sharp vinegar sauce want acidity, with a little sweetness behind it.
Beer: An amber ale, a pale ale, or a crisp pilsner against the vinegar.
Whiskey: A wheated bourbon, softer and rounder.
Wine: An off-dry Riesling or a juicy Grenache.
The Club’s drinks: Whiskey Sour, Mint Julep, Whiskey Smash
The cigar after: A mild to medium Connecticut or Cameroon.
Without alcohol: Sweet tea, or a sparkling lemonade.
Pork ribs and burnt ends — A sticky glaze and caramelised rub meet caramel, vanilla and baking spice.
Beer: A brown ale or a Vienna lager; a hazy IPA with a spicy rub.
Whiskey: A classic bourbon, its sweetness matching the glaze.
Wine: Zinfandel, or a fruity Grenache rosé.
The Club’s drinks: Old Fashioned, Boulevardier, Whiskey Smash
The cigar after: A medium Corojo, habano or Sumatra.
Without alcohol: Cola, root beer or iced tea.
Chicken and turkey — Lighter meat, crisp skin and white sauce want lighter, brighter drinks.
Beer: A wheat beer, a saison or a light lager.
Whiskey: A smooth Irish whiskey or a wheated bourbon.
Wine: A lightly oaked Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir or a dry rosé.
The Club’s drinks: Whiskey Sour, Mint Julep, Paper Plane
The cigar after: A mild Connecticut.
Without alcohol: Lemonade, or an Arnold Palmer.
Sausages and hot links — Salt, spice and fat are what lager was made for; rye answers the pepper.
Beer: A German-style lager, a Märzen or a pilsner.
Whiskey: A spicy rye whiskey.
Wine: A Riesling, or a peppery Syrah with hot links.
The Club’s drinks: Manhattan, Sazerac, Negroni, Michelada
The cigar after: A medium Sumatra or Corojo.
Without alcohol: A non-alcoholic ginger beer.
Steaks, tri-tip, picanha and prime rib — The seared crust and the marbling call for tannin and roast.
Beer: A stout or a robust porter.
Whiskey: A rich bourbon, or a sherry-cask Scotch.
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec or Tempranillo.
The Club’s drinks: Manhattan, Rob Roy, Boulevardier
The cigar after: A full maduro or habano, after the meal.
Without alcohol: A black cherry soda, or tonic water with a twist of orange.
Lamb — Lamb’s richness and herbs meet earthy, spiced reds and a touch of peat.
Beer: A Belgian dubbel or a brown ale.
Whiskey: A smoky Islay Scotch, in a small pour.
Wine: Syrah, Rioja or a Côtes du Rhône.
The Club’s drinks: Penicillin, Rob Roy
The cigar after: A medium-full habano or Corojo, or a medium Cameroon.
Without alcohol: Pomegranate juice topped with sparkling water.
Salmon and fish — Delicate fish and gentle smoke: keep the glass light and bright.
Beer: A pilsner, a Kölsch or a witbier.
Whiskey: A light Speyside Scotch or an Irish whiskey.
Wine: Pinot Noir with salmon; Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis with white fish.
The Club’s drinks: Whiskey Sour, Penicillin
The cigar after: A mild Connecticut, well after the fish.
Without alcohol: Sparkling water with lemon or grapefruit.
Burgers, chops and the weeknight grill — Char, salt and a quick sear: easy-going drinks that refresh between bites.
Beer: An American pale ale or a crisp lager.
Whiskey: A bourbon highball with soda and lemon.
Wine: Zinfandel, or a chilled Beaujolais.
The Club’s drinks: Old Fashioned, Negroni, Arnold Palmer
The cigar after: A medium Sumatra or Cameroon.
Without alcohol: Cola or root beer over ice.
Sauces and rubs
Our own regional barbecue sauces and rubs, printed in full on the Sauces page.