Smoking Times and Temperature Chart
July 8, 2018
How long should I smoke belly bacon or whole pork? How long should I smoke a lamb shank or shoulder? What temperature is safe when cooking poultry? How long should I smoke a Whole Duck or Quail or Pheasant? How about lobster tails? We get inundated with questions like this all the time. There is no perfect single answer because we all use different equipment, cook at different altitudes and of course each cut of meat is different. You know we always say “Cook to TEMP not TIME“. Yet people always want to know “How long does it take to smoke X?” Lucky for us, guest griller Jack Thompson over at BroBBQ has shared with us a really great smoking times and temperature chart infographic that sure makes a fantastically handy reference!
We were sure you might find it handy as well. Enjoy 🙂
Jack Thompson:
Smoking (meat and fish and veggies) is another type of cooking involving mainly the process of cooking the food by exposing it to smoke from a burning material, most of the time wood. It can be done in two basic ways, which happens to be Hot Smoking and Cold Smoking. The former is done in temperatures between 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degrees Fahrenheit while the latter is done in temperature less than 100 degrees.
For smoking to be done well, you should have the right supplies and equipment. It could potentially be anything from a hole in the ground to a drum smoker or box smoker and can range from each type of food it can hold.
It is a general advice that to get the best smoker, you should use only hardwood. These are typically in the form of Oak, Hickory among others. Some smokers can also use pellets, charcoal, and propane. Now without any further ado, let’s take a look at the different types of meat you can smoke and what are the smoking times and temperatures.
Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart was provided to us by the good folks at BroBBQ
How weather affects the smoking time and temperature?
Smoking done outdoor can have some effects onto the meat. In some cases even if the temperature is set at the desired level, the meat temperature may not rise at all due to the temperature difference of inside and outside.
Most smokers are tested inside when manufactured. A tip to counter it to some extent is to keep a cover or lid to go along with it. Although some temperature might still be saved, it is better than nothing, you don’t want to smoke your meat inside for a birthday party or event.
How to measure the temperature?
To check the temperature, you should probably have to buy a good digital meat thermometer. The meat thermometer checks the internal temperature of the meat so that to know if it’s cooked or not. It also helps greatly to see if your smoked meat is done or not as without it, you would be left guessing and might ingest overcooked or undercooked meat which might be harmful to your health.
Here you can see the steps needed to check your meat temperature once it’s done.
What to do if the food is overcooked or undercooked?
Now the most common problem people have is that they are new to smoking and end up overcooking the meat. Then they fret that it’s wasted and can’t do anything about it. You can though! What you will have to do is to put it back in the smoker and start reheating it back slowly at a lower temperature, this will allow the meat to tenderize again. This can probably only be done once, so do not mess up this time too.
Otherwise, if you cannot do that, you can always shred the meat and use it in traditional dishes or even use it as a base for another dish.
For undercooked meat, make sure you shred it in small places and cook it on double the temperature. Do not eat before you’ve smoked it again since it can be harmful to your health.
Once you’ve found the steps you need to cook your type of food. Then follow the steps and Bon Appétit!
Author Bio: Jack Thompson is the creator of BroBBQ, a sited dedicated solely to all things BBQ. We were once told: “Whatever you do in life, do it slow and steady like when you barbecue your beef cuts, because the best BBQ is slow cooked.”
Thank You!
We appreciate Jack for sharing his Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart with us.
We are also VERY thankful you stopped by Tailgate Master to check out our always free tailgating tips & tricks! We are very humbled and proud have the best tailgaters and super-fans on the interwebtubez who are constantly stopping in and sharing wisdom. Thank you!
Oh… and as long as you are here, you might also enjoy the following related topics:
How to Grill the Perfect Steak | Tailgating Checklist | Smoker Recipes | More Tailgating Tips
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