Learn how to set up your gas grill for great low and slow cooking with smoking.
Setting up your gas grill for smoking.
Some of today’s gas grills come equipped with a metal smoker box that sits on top of a dedicated burner. Just turn on the burner and add as many damp wood chips as you like. You can control how quickly they smoke by turning the knob of the burner higher or lower. Some of the boxes have a separate compartment for water, which will provide a steaming effect on the food, too.
If your gas grill doesn’t have a dedicated smoker box, you can purchase a heavy-gauge stainless steel smoker box to sit right on top of your cooking grate. The metal will conduct the heat of your grill to the soaked wood chips you pile inside the box. The holes in the lid will direct the fragrant smoke over your food. When the wood chips have burned out, you can simply open the lid and add more, if you like.
You can also make your own smoker box. Here’s how: Place drained wood chips in a foil pan, cover with aluminum foil, and poke holes in the foil to allow the smoke to escape. Place the pan directly on the bars over an unlit burner or two, preferably in a back corner. Put the cooking grates in place. Turn on the grill, with all the burners on high, and close the lid. When smoke appears, begin cooking your food, adjusting the temperature of the grill as needed. You can’t add more chips to the pan, but at least it’s a start.
How to cook once you've got your chips smoking.
To smoke on a gas grill, place your soaked and drained wood chips in a disposable aluminum pan. Before you light the grill, remove the grate and place the pan of wood chips in the upper left corner of the grill, directly on the heat source, and replace the grate. Preheat the grill, closed, with all the burners on high for about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the area where you plan on placing your meat so that it remains away from the heat source then close the lid so that you're using the smoke to cook, Expect the meat to cook for a few to several hours, depending on the weight of the cut. You'll know it's ready when the meat pulls apart easily and pulls away from the bone. Remember this is a slow process, its the heat from the smoke that cooks the meat.