Start Here: Your Step by Step Path to Smoking Meat with Confidence
If you are new to smoking meat, this page will walk you through the right order to learn things so you avoid frustration and get great results faster.
Before you begin, grab your free guide below so you have it handy as you work through these steps.
Step 1: Learn How Temperature Control Works
Before you worry about recipes, wood flavor, or rubs, you must understand heat control. Consistent temperature is the foundation of great barbecue.
Step 2: Understand Smoke and Wood Selection
Now that you understand heat, learn how wood affects flavor and how to produce clean smoke.
Step 3: Master One Meat Completely
Instead of trying everything at once, focus on one meat and learn it deeply. Brisket is challenging but extremely rewarding. This guide walks you from selection to slicing.
Step 4: Learn How to Tell When Meat Is Done
Cooking by time leads to frustration. Cooking by internal temperature and tenderness leads to confidence.
What To Do After These Four Steps
Once you have completed the four guides above, you are no longer guessing. You understand:
- How to control heat
- How smoke creates flavor
- How to approach a serious cook
- How to know when food is actually finished
From here, explore the full learning library.
Prefer to Start With an Easy First Cook?
If brisket feels intimidating, start with pork shoulder while applying the same principles from the four guides above.
