The Lazy—however Sensible—Solution to Smoke Meat on a Charcoal Grill

In case you love the thought of low-and-slow barbecue however do not personal a devoted smoker, you’ve got in all probability run into a standard drawback: Making an attempt to smoke meat on a regular charcoal grill is a ache. The temperature fluctuates wildly, the smoke ranges are inconsistent, and you need to tinker always, lifting the lid, adjusting the vents, and fussing with the hearth to maintain issues within the appropriate zone—for hours. It is not my thought of a enjoyable yard cooking venture.

The excellent news? There’s a greater method. Utilizing one of many smartest charcoal strategies on the market—the charcoal snake methodology—you may remodel a fundamental kettle grill (like the usual 22-inch Weber) right into a surprisingly efficient, hands-off smoker that holds a gradual temperature for hours, with nearly no effort.

Also referred to as the “C-ring” or “fuse” methodology, the snake setup has lengthy been in style amongst barbecue fans. I first encountered it by Morgan Bolling, barbecue professional and govt editor at Prepare dinner’s Nation journal. Since then, I’ve used it numerous instances once I developed recipes for cookbooks at America’s Check Kitchen, and I proceed to make use of it at the moment as a result of it really works, particularly for large, daring, slow-cooked cuts like brisket, pork shoulder, or complete chickens.

How the Charcoal Snake Works

The setup is easy, however ingenious. Begin by lining the within fringe of your charcoal grill with two barely overlapping rows of briquettes, forming a semicircle across the perimeter. Then stack a second layer on prime. Nestle chunks of wooden for smoking at intervals alongside the row—these will ignite steadily because the charcoal burns. The size of the snake and the variety of briquettes you utilize depend upon the entire prepare dinner time required in your recipe:

• For brisket (8 to 9 hours of smoke): Construct the snake about six-eighths of the best way across the grill, utilizing a two-briquette-wide, two-briquette-high configuration. You may additionally want to increase the cooking time by including extra coals to the ring as soon as the brisket hits 180°F.
• For pork butt (6 to 7 hours): Lengthen the snake about two-thirds of the best way across the grill. Plan for roughly 60 briquettes per layer.
• For ribs (4 to five hours): A half-ring snake across the grill perimeter is sufficient, utilizing about 40 briquettes per layer.

To start out the prepare dinner, first mild a chimney starter stuffed a 3rd of the best way with charcoal briquettes (about 2 quarts of coals whole). Piling the briquettes on one facet of the chimney helps to get them burning. As soon as lit, pour the new coals on one finish of the “snake” to ignite it. The briquettes burn slowly, with the hearth steadily spreading alongside the size of the ring whereas sustaining a comparatively low, constant warmth (often within the 250–350°F vary) for six hours or extra, without having to carry the lid or refuel each hour. The spaced-out wooden chunks ignite as the hearth crawls ahead, delivering a sluggish, regular stream of smoke as your meat cooks gently above.

Why It is So Efficient

The snake methodology’s brilliance lies in its capacity to keep up the specified cooking temperature and degree of smoke persistently and effectively, requiring minimal tending. As soon as it is arrange, you may confidently stroll away for hours. 

You may solely have to intervene in particular instances—like when smoking a big minimize akin to brisket, which must be wrapped partway by cooking. At that time, you could have to refresh the charcoal to increase the prepare dinner time.

The snake setup tends to run a bit hotter than some smoking purists would possibly favor, peaking nearer to 325°F than the traditional 225–250°F smoker vary. However after testing side-by-side with historically smoked briskets, I can let you know: the distinction is negligible. The ultimate outcome nonetheless delivers all of the smoky depth, strong bark texture, and tenderness you need, with the bonus of a shorter cooking time.

Preserve It Regular With a Water Pan

To assist regulate temperature and cut back any spikes, I like to recommend putting a big disposable aluminum pan stuffed with water within the heart of the grill, instantly under your meat. This straightforward step acts like a thermal stabilizer: The water absorbs extra warmth, helps easy out fluctuations, and even catches dripping fats to forestall flare-ups. Consider it like a baking stone in your oven—solely wetter, and extra scrumptious.

What to Prepare dinner With the Snake Technique

The snake methodology is right for any recipe that advantages from sluggish, light warmth and smoke. Attempt it with:

Texas-Fashion Brisket: Our information walks you thru the method step-by-step, utilizing this very approach.

Smoked Pork Shoulder or Pulled Pork: The low warmth retains the meat juicy whereas constructing unimaginable bark.

Spatchcocked or Complete Hen: Mild smoking retains the hen moist, with a fantastically crisp pores and skin.

Smoked Ribs: Child backs or spare ribs work nice right here; simply plan for five to six hours of whole cooking time.

A Be aware on Alternate options

If the snake methodology feels too finicky or time-consuming to arrange (although it solely takes about 10 to fifteen minutes), contemplate making an attempt Joshua Bousel’s charcoal grill smoking methodology, which is less complicated and would not require stacking or counting briquettes. The trade-off? You may want to watch the hearth extra intently and refuel extra typically.

Both method, you do not want a flowery rig or skilled pitmaster setup to make glorious barbecue at residence. With the appropriate methodology, you may let your grill do the heavy lifting.