Food Smoker Tips / Recipes

Using the ProQ to Roast

To roast your food on a ProQ BBQ you will need the base one or both cooking chambers (dependent on how many people you want to feed), the water pan and the lid. Start the charcoal in the charcoal basket until the charcoal has no more "black bits" visible. Whilst you are waiting for the charcoal to burn down, you can prepare your cooking chamber. Fill the water pan with water. For extra flavour you can add beer, wine or some herbs of your choice. Some people think that the water pan has no effect on the end results, but I always use one - it will catch the dripping which can be use to make a tasty gravy. If you don't want to use water, fill the pan with clean sand, as you still need to have a buffer between the food and the fire. Place the food on the grill, just above the water pan and once the charcoal is ready, place the cooking chamber onto the base unit. Place the lid onto the cooking chamber, sit back and enjoy the party. A medium size chicken should take about 3 hours, but it's always best to use a probe thermometer to be sure it's done.

Using the ProQ as Smoker

To smoke your food on a ProQ smoker set up the unit as if you are going to roast, the only difference is that you will be adding some wood chips, chunks, pellets or dust to create smoke. The amount and type of wood added will determine the amount will determine the smokey flavour, as each variety of wood, imparts a different taste to the food. Experiment by mixing different wood types together. The smoking wood is usually added at the begining of the cooking process, and if a very slight smokey taste is what you're after, just a handful of chips, should do the trick. Add more chips if you want a stronger flavour. Smoking is easier than barbecueing as once setup you need only check the fire every 30 minutes or so. It is a good idea to have lit charcoal ready in case you need to add more.

Using the ProQ as a Grill

To grill your food on a ProQ BBQ you will need the base unit, charcoal basket and one of the grills. Start the charcoal in the charcoal basket until the charcoal has no more "black bits" visible.
Place the grill on the brackets just inside the lip of the base - you are now readt to cook. Use the lid if the flare ups get out of hand or keep the lid on if you want to use it like a Weber "Kettle".

Common problems with Food Smoking

Not enough heat in the food smoker?

Not enough heat can sometimes be good as food smoking is a long slow process which requires less heat. However if your food smoker is not performing please take to following tips into consideration:

- Use charcoal briquettes as they are more consistent in there make up and will burn hotter for longer periods of time. Even better try coconut shell briquettes, probably the best fuel to use on a smoker as it burns hotter than normal briquettes and is a totally natural product being made from a by product of the coconut industry.

- Make sure you adjust the air vents correctly. Knowing the best settings is a matter of trial and error and depends on a number of conditions:- outside temperature, how full your smoker is, outside air pressure, type of fuel etc. The basic rule is on a still day vents should be half open - on a breezy day should be around a quarter closed.

- In winter and on cooler days find a protected spot. Build your fire using as many briquettes as possible (at least to the top of the fire basket). Use a charcoal starter to replenish the charcoal.

- When water smoking it is a good idea to use hot water as the water temperature affects the overall internal temperature.