Welcome to the World of the Smoker, Charychs!!!

I'm giddy with anticipation. I just ordered a gift for my favorite cousins, Erik and Melissa Charych. It's a smoker and two different kinds of wood chunks. Thinking about it is making my mouth water.

Although I attempted to get the most complete smoker set for my darling Charychs, there are some things missing. Here's what gives:

1. Go buy a bag of charcoal.
1. We use Kingsford "The Original" Charcoal Briquets. You can use store brand, or get into the fancier types, but I would suggest starting with good old Kingsford.
2. Do not get the stuff that is quick lighting. Your food will taste like lighter fluid.
2. Buy some lighter fluid if you don't have any.
3. Buy a meat of some sort.
1. They're all relatively easy.
2. If you want instant gratification, make wings. Buy a bag of frozen buffalo wings, dump your favorite wing seasoning in the bag, shake it, dump the bag contents on the smoker once it's ready, and then wait 2 hours. Done.
3. A chuck roast or a pork loin is also easy, I have recipes and instructions (I think) for each.
4. Make sure you have the rub ingredients on hand, or a rub from the store.
5. Assemble the smoker
6. Choose one of the wood chunks that came with the smoker (we included the two we use the most, hickory and mesquite), fill a big bowl (I use my biggest cake batter bowl) with water, and put 4-6 big chunks and some bits in the bowl. Do this before you start the fire.
7. Build a fire in the bottom, following the instructions on the bag of charcoal.
8. Once the fire is nice and hot, consider adding beer or juice or something to the bowl above the fire bowl.
9. Put the meat on the rack (or racks, if you're going big)
10. Use tongs to add a wood chunk to the top of the charcoal through the little door.
11. Put the lid on, wait.
12. When smoke stops billowing or wisping or licking the smoker, add another wood chunk.
13. Add another charcoal briquet or two if you have concerns that the temperature is not hot enough, but I think it should be fine.
14. Remove meat from smoker, let it rest, and then chow down!!!

See?!? It's sooooo easy. If you're not sure still, call the Levins for a consult. If you're still not sure, ask around. I guarantee you will find out that you know lots of people that are smoker pros, and you will never have a shortage of random tips, vague suggestions, and better ways to do it.

Happy birthday, happy Chanukah, happy cousin!!!