BUNNINGS September 2019

54
Fix it
Backyard entertaining
Smoke signals
Fall in love at first
bite with homesmoked
culinary
creations, fresh
from your very
own smoker
Smoking might be
dubbed the new
on-trend cooking
method, but it has
actually been popular since
prehistoric times. Luckily for
culinary novices, it’s as easy as
firing up the barbecue – all you
need is the right equipment.
The big smoke
The process involves placing
meat or other ingredients in a
purpose-designed smoker oven
or barbecue, where they are
exposed to aromatic smoke.
This comes from woodchips
that are brought to smouldering
point using briquettes, a gas
flame or an electric element.
“The unique thing about
smoking food is that it provides
aromas and flavours that you
can’t get from other forms of
cooking,” says Matt Hoffmann,
Bunnings barbecue buyer. “For
the best results, cook slowly
over low, indirect heat with
wood smoke.” Having your
own smoker also lets you
experiment with interesting
foods, like smoked cheese.
Smouldering looks
Traditional smokers use
hardwood charcoal or
briquettes as the heat source.
Purists argue that this provides
the most distinctive smoky
flavour; the downside is that
charcoal takes more effort to
ignite and maintain at a stable
temperature. Gas-flame models
offer immediate ignition and
easier heat adjustment, but
obviously need to be connected
to a gas bottle, which can make
them cumbersome to move.
Smokers with electric
elements are easy to use and
allow accurate heat control.
They do need to be connected
to mains power, so might not
be the best option if you want
to take your smoker on a
camping trip, for example.
Some models, such as the
Smoking might have been
around since the Stone Age,
but a 21st-century smoker
makes the process easier!
PRO TIP
To prevent the food
drying out, as well
as to control the
temperature, a bowl
of water is kept inside
the smoker while it’s
working its magic
bunnings.com.au | bunnings | bunningsau