Most household kitchens are stocked with the basics, but many outdoor cooks try to make-do without purchasing the extra equipment needed to do the job. Though it’s possible to cook outdoors using indoor items, it’s certainly harder to cook without the right gear, and the indoor items often end up ruined when forced to do double duty.
The first thing to consider if cooking outdoors whether over a campfire, on a grill, or in a smoker is good gloves. Kitchen hot mitts and towels do not offer the protection needed, and most end up in the rag bag if forced to do outdoor duty. Lodge sells a wonderful pair of outdoor cooking gloves for around $20. Welding gloves also work well for cooking outdoors. One good hand burn will drive home this point, so consider avoiding the pain and buying decent gloves for outdoors.
Other items to put on the outdoor smoking list include:
1. Thermometer – It’s really hard to guess on temperatures. It’s possible to pick up this skill, but it’s likely that you’ll scorch a lot of meat in the process.
2. Real Charcoal or Wood Chunks – Charcoal briquettes are less expensive, but they include lots of impurities and burn out much faster. Smokers are efficient when it comes to fuel, so buy better quality and know that you’ll use less and do much less refreshing.
3. Specialty Smoker Cooker Items – If you cook lots of ribs, then look at the rib rack to add to the smoker. This sets the meat sideways and allows for many more ribs than those put flat or rolled and held tight by various means. There are also devices for setting chickens upright rather than sideways. This frees up space and also tends to produce tastier chicken.