Smoking food is a craft. A specialty. A balance between expertise and patience to reach the ultimate tender, charred bark on the outside, flavourful meat. Smoking can however be a bit daunting if you’ve never tried it before. Read our intro to smoking blog for all you need to know about smoking for beginners.
For those ready to dare, to experiment, and try something new, we’ve put together our top 10 smoker recipes.
1. Smoked ostrich and charred beetroot salad
Fresh, delicate, and healthy summer lunch. This recipe was created by An Earthen Life who quoted “I wish I could share with you the delicious smells that are coming out of the Megamaster Delta smoker today. We used old wine oak barrel wood chips and you can actually smell the wine aroma coming through the cracks in the Delta.”
Get the recipe here.
2. Rosemary smoked chicken
There are many controversial opinions on if you should braai chicken or not. Smoking it however everyone has consensus about. Chicken becomes juicier and plumper when smoked, with delicious crispy golden skin. We used our Heritage Series Classic 570 charcoal braai with the indirect method of smoking.
Get the recipe here.
3. Smoked beef ribs with coffee rub
Coffee and beef are a bit of a strange combination, but not when used together in a smoker. Aside from amplifying flavour, coffee grounds also help to tenderise meat, making your meat softer and locking in moisture.
Get the recipe here.
4. Smoked beef sirloin
The question is, should you braai steak on very high heat, or smoke it for longer? The answer is both methods bring character to your steak. Smoking it for a few hours will make the meat more tender because the smoke will break down the collagen (a tough muscle tissue protein) in it. Try out our smoked beef sirloin and put the theory to the test.
Get the recipe here.
5. Smoked fish
Braaiing seafood is a quick cook to keep them tender. Smoking fish is the same concept versus smoking red meat or poultry which can take hours. Smoked fish will absorb the smokey flavour in as little as 10 minutes.
Get the recipe here.
6. Smoked brisket
We made this smoked brisket in our Coalsmith Series Alpha Grill & Smoker using its offset smoker. It’s almost a full day of smoking but trust us when we say your guests will keep raving about it till your next get-together!
Get the recipe here.
7. Pulled pork nachos
For the best pulled pork nachos that you will ever taste! Made on our Coalsmith Series Delta Grill & Smoker for us exclusively by An Earthen Life. She said “The recipe was so much fun to make and was even more fun to eat. You need a nice fatty piece of pork to work with so that it doesn’t get dry with the long cooking time.”
Get the recipe here.
8. Smoked mini chicken pot pies
A new braai dinner idea, that’s different from chops, boerewors or chicken sosaties. Our smoked chicken pot pies are delicious, easy to make and is that hearty meal you need on a cold, dark, loadshedding winter’s night.
Get the recipe here.
9. Jan Braai’s olive oil smoked steak salad
The beauty of combining smoke-roasting and braai, is that you can sear a steak on high heat and get the flavour of smoke in the meat. The trick? Add soaked wood chips on ready coals, add the meat and close the lid. Jan Braai tested this out and created this delicious recipe on our Coalsmith Series Charlie Grill & Smoker.
Get the recipe here.
10. Luyanda Mafanya’s smoked cola short ribs
Beef short rib is a cut that needs a long time to cook slowly. Smoking it will break down the muscle fibers resulting in a ‘fall-off-the-bone’ level tender piece. Created exclusively for us by a private chef and food blogger Luyanda Mafanya on our Coalsmith Series Delta Grill & Smoker.
Get the recipe here.