Rules for Smoking
What are the main items I need to smoke meats?
Classic Pork, Beef, Fish and Poultry Smoking Recipes
Download Tips and Recipes

Rules for smoking:
Types of wood to use for smoke:

• Always use a hardwood that has been seasoned for at least 6 months.
• What type of hardwood should you use?  We recommend using Pecan, Hickory or White Oak.  Apple, Alder and Mesquite also work well.
• Can I use Oak pallets? NO, because pallet wood is dried out before it is used for making pallets. You need the natural moisture in wood to create flavor in your smoker.
• Can I use Pine, Cedar or any other wood that smells good? NO, never use any resin woods.
• Do I need to soak my wood chips before I put them in the smoker? It is not necessary because hard woods have natural moisture in the wood that will release in the smoker as it heats up. In a gas smoker, soaking the wood chips may prolong the life of the wood chips but it will also take longer to produce smoke so we will leave that decision up to you.  Do not soak your wood chips when using your Smoke Hollow electric smoker.

What are the main items I need to smoke meats?

• Internal meat thermometer.
  • An internal meat thermometer is a must to cook large pieces of meat to make sure it is done internally.
    • Cooked Ham-140 degrees
    • Ham, Beef-Med, Ground Beef- 160 degrees
    • Veal, Lamb, Pork, Beef-Well done – 170 degrees
    • Poultry- 180 degrees
• Good tongs or meat hook.
  • Use a heavy-duty set of tongs to rotate meat in the smoker because in some cases you may be smoking a very large cut of meat.  I prefer a meat hook for ease of use and it does not knock any rub or sauce off of the meat.
• Good oven mitts.
  • Heavy-duty mitts will assist you in moving hot smoker racks and large pieces of meats and assist in adding water and wood chips.
• Aluminum foil.
  • When the outside color of your meat product is at your desired color or look to suit your taste, wrap meat product in aluminum foil to keep any more wood resins from turning your meat any darker. Also it will saturate fats from your meat product.

Pork Recipes
Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Take outside wrapper off of meat and wash thoroughly in cold water.  Place tenderloin on a paper towel to soak up excess water.  Rub your favorite pork rub on the loin (we recommend Head Country Pork seasoning).  Preheat smokers to 225 degrees and place loin in the center of the smoker.  Cook until internal meat temperature reaches 165 degrees. Take out of smoker and let stand on the cutting platter until meat reaches 170 degrees serving temperature.  Slice like bread in ¼”  pieces and it will melt in your mouth.

Pork Ribs- Baby Backs or Spare Ribs
Take ribs out of wrapper and drain all liquid off of the ribs and then wash in cold water.  Place on cutting board and cut away any excess fat or skin from the bottom of ribs.  Turn ribs with bone side up and peel the membrane from the back of the bone until all is gone.  Rub your favorite pork rub on both sides of the ribs (we recommend Head Country Pork seasoning).  Preheat smoker until it reaches 225 degrees and place rib bone side down in smoker.  After one hour, turn the rib over with bone side up and cook for one hour. After 2 1/2 hours, depending on the color of the rib you like,   pour a one inch wide strip of your favorite BBQ sauce down the length of the rib and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place back in smoker and check every 15 to 20 minutes to see if the rib bones separate by using your finger to pull them apart.  If they pull apart with ease your ribs are done.  Take out of smoker and let stand on serving platter until cool enough to eat.  Total cooking time should not be more than 3 1/2 hours total.

Beef Recipes
Smoked Beef Brisket
Select a 6 to 8 lb. packer trimmed brisket that has a little marble to it but not too much.  Feel free to trim as much fat as desired.  Use your favorite beef rub (we recommend using Head Country All-Purpose rub) and rub it on liberally.  Heat the smoker to 225 degrees and place the brisket in the smoker for 3 hours.  Place brisket in an aluminum foil pan and pour approximately 8oz. of Allegro over the brisket.  Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and continue cooking until internal meat temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees.  Take pan out of the smoker and let brisket stand.  Remove brisket from pan and cut ¼” slices against the grain.  Use juice from pan to poor over sliced meat or for dipping.

Prime Rib
Select a 6 to 8 lb prime rib (we like the bone on).  Rub the prime rib with your favorite beef rub (we recommend using Head Country All-Purpose rub).  Pre-heat the smoker to 225 degrees and place the prime rib in the smoker. After 3 hours, place the prime rib in aluminum foil pan and cover with aluminum foil. When internal meat temperature reaches 145 degrees take out of smoker and let stand until your desired doneness is reached.  Medium rare is 155 to 160 degrees.  While standing, the temperature of the meat will rise internally up to 10 degrees.  Slice prime rib to desired thickness and serve with juice from the pan in which it was cooked.

Fish
Smoked Halibut
Select a nice fresh ¾” thick filet.  Wash filet thoroughly in cold water and lay on paper towel until water is not visible.  Melt a whole stick of butter in the microwave and sprinkle a liberal amount of Dill weed in the melted butter.  Lay filets on aluminum foil and fold a lip around edges to contain the butter.  With a basting brush, brush melted butter and dill weed mixture on both sides of the fish filet.  Preheat smoker to 225 degrees and place fish in the smoker.  Check the filets every 15 minutes for visible moist look on filets.  Brush with butter and dill weed mix when needed.  Fish should start to flake in about 45 minutes.  When fish flakes very easy take out of smoker and serve.

Poultry
Smoked Chicken
Chicken breasts and thighs are my favorite.  Take chicken parts out of package and wash thoroughly and place on paper towel to dry.  Sprinkle Head Country Original rub on both sides of chicken parts.  Preheat smoker to 225 degrees and place chicken parts in smoker. After ½ hour turn chicken over.  With your internal temperature gauge, check internal temperature by pushing temperature probe into the meat nearest the bone.  When temperature reaches 180 degrees chicken is done.  You may brush your favorite BBQ sauce on the chicken during the last 15 minutes of your cooking process to spice it up.

Smoked Turkey
Select a 12 to 15 lb. turkey for best results in a smoker.  Take the turkey out of the package and remove all internal parts and packaging.  Wash turkey thoroughly and place it on paper towel to dry.  Rub olive oil inside and out on the turkey and apply Head Country Original Rub inside body cavity and on the outside skin.  Preheat smoker to 225 degrees and place turkey in smoker.  You may baste with butter for more moisture,  if you like.  When turkey skin reaches your desired color, remove turkey from smoker, place in aluminum foil pan and cover with aluminum foil tightly.  Place covered pan in smoker and continue cooking at 225 degrees.  Check internal meat temperature, where the thigh meets the side of the turkey, every half hour for doneness.  Turkey should take around 45 minutes per lb to reach 180 degrees serving temperature.