Behold barbecue and smoking enthusiasts, for this article contains the ultimate smoking recipes that are simple to put together with an impression that will last a lifetime.
The standard tips behind a good smoke will apply throughout, so be sure to follow the basic techniques of using wood chips, wood chunks or barbecue pallets, to go low and slow when smoking, avoid overdoing the smoke, white smoke is good smoke, and ensure that there is sufficient airflow for a good smoke.
Without further ado, it’s time to dive into the 5 smoking recipes that will surely impress Dad this Father’s Day.
1. Bacon Explosion
Let’s start the list with bacon. After all, who doesn’t love bacon? A unique piece that is perfect for springtime, this recipe is absolutely stunning and only takes 3 hours to smoke with two ingredients – sausage and bacon waved together, one that will surely impress Dad.
All you need is half a kilo of bacon and half a kilo of Italian sausage, along with any additional toppings you’d like such as cheese, more bacon, hot sauce, and more. For the seasoning, choose a rub that you like and a BBQ sauce too.
Good wood chips to use for this recipe include apple and cherry. Set the grill temperature to approximately 205 degrees Celsius to 220 degrees Celsius.
Begin by weaving the bacon making a 5×5 and leaving some extra bacon pieces to fix any breaks in the weave if necessary. Once done, simply spirnkel some rub on it and put the sausage in the bacon weave. Press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon to create a patty with the same thickness all the way through. Sprinkle more rub on the sausage for a final touch of flavour.
Once done, the next step is entirely up to you and you may choose to throw in some cheese, hot sauce, or anything else you’d like. Now it’s time to roll this masterpiece and use toothpicks to hold down any loose ends to keep it together. Sprinkle more rub on the outside of the roll and put it in the smoker on indirect heat until the internal meat temperature is around 75 degrees Celsius to ensure thoroughly cooked.
Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes into the smoking, baste the roll with your favourite sauce and finish the smoke with another 30 minutes. Once done, enjoy!
2. Chinese BBQ Pork
If you have an inkling for Chinese recipes, this Chinese BBQ pork will certainly delight.
You’ll need 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 cube of red fermented tofu, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped, 4 slices of ginger roughly chopped, 1 and a half teaspoons of Chinese five spice powder, 2 tablespoons of Chinese rice cooking wine, half a teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of Korean pepper flakes if you like some extra spice, 1kg to 1.5kg of pork shoulder, and 2 tablespoons of honey and leftover marinade for the glaze.
Cut the pork shoulder into long strips approximately 3 inches thick. Combine all of the ingredients except for 2 tablespoons of honey, and including the meat, into a ziplock bag and marinade it overnight.
Once done, let the meat sit at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
Add the marinade into a small pot and remove the chunks of garlic and ginger while adding 2 tablespoons of honey and mix well. Cook the glaze on a low heat stove for 5 minutes until it starts to boil, then set aside for later.
Heat up the smoker to 162 degrees Celsius, and smoke the meat for 30 minutes on indirect heat. Make sure that the meat reaches an internal temperature of 62 degrees Celsius to ensure fully cooked through. Once it has reached the internal temperature, glaze the meats four to five times, flipping the meat every minute to prevent burning.
Allow the BBQ pork to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and enjoy!
3. Applewood Smoked Chicken
Explode Dad’s tastebuds with this spectacular melt in your mouth Applewood Smoked Chicken. It’s juicy and tender, filled with wonderful flavours that is simply irresistible.
For the rub, you’ll need dark brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Mix all together to create the rub.
You’ll need to prepare the chicken by removing the innards and rinsing it inside out and drying it with a paper towel. Slice the chicken in half down the breast, breaking the sternum and splitting the chicken to butterfly it.
Sprinkle the rub all over the chicken and press it in really well to enhance the flavour. Marinade your chicken overnight in the fridge.
Now it’s time to prep your smoker. Wood chunks work well with chicken and soaking them in water before smoking will help more smoke rise and smoke for longer. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Celsius before placing the chicken in.
Smoke the chicken for around 4 to 5 hours at a steady 225 degrees Celsius. Always check the internal temperature (aim is to be around 165 degrees Celsius for chicken) for thorough cooking at around the 4 hour mark. Slow and steady works wonders here, and the result will be a mouthwatering piece of chicken for everyone.
4. Smoked Brisket
Juicy and tender with explosive flavour, the smoked brisket is a classic that Dad will definitely appreciate this Father’s Day.
Ingredients for this masterpiece include a 7kg brisket, the baste will need a cup of beer, quarter cup of apple cider vinegar, quarter cup beef stock, 5 tablespoons of melted butter; for the brisket rub you’ll need 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of onion powder, 2 tablespoons of paprika, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
Set the smoker to preheat at a temperature of 110 degrees Celsius for around 10 minutes. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chilli powder, pepper, and kosher salt in a bowl and use to season the brisket on all sides. Place the brisket fat side down on the grill grate. Cool it for around 3 to 4 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 70 degrees Celsius and remove it from the grill when it reaches that temp.
Double wrap the meat in aluminium foil and add the beef broth to the packet. Return the brisket to the smoker and cook until it hits an internal temperature of around 96 degrees Celsius, which is roughly another 3 hours more.
Once done, remove from smoker, unwrap the foil and let it sit for 15 minutes to cool. Slice against the grain, serve it up and enjoy.
5. Smoked Lobster Tails
If you’re looking for something different, why not try smoking lobster tails? Only requiring 3 ingredients, grab yourself 4 to 6 lobster tails, a quarter cup of butter and 4 cloves of garlic for this recipe.
Preheat the smoker to 205 degrees Celsius. Open the lobster tails with some heavy duty kitchen scissors and release the meat from inside the shell by running a butter knife on the inside of the shell between the shell and the meat.
Melt the butter with garlic cloves on the stove in medium heat and drizzle it over the lobster meat inside the opener shell. Place the lobster tails inside the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature hits a nice 55 to 60 degrees Celsius.
Once done, remove from heat and rest for a few minutes before using a fork to lift the meat out of the shell. Serve with extra garlic butter for an exquisite dining experience with Dad this Father’s Day.
