When it comes to smoking meat you have a lot of options to put on your pit. While I believe most cuts of meat will benefit from time spent on a smoker it is important to realize what the act of smoking brings to the party. Some cuts are large, tough and loaded with connective tissue. Smoking these cuts for 6-12 hours while the meat breaks down and surrenders to tenderness is an art. Other cuts are small and tender and just need an hour on the pit to get kissed by the smoke and develop a great flavor profile.
As long as you understand which type of meat you are working with (big and tough or small and tender) then you can work the magic of a smoker on just about anything. Here is a list of my favorites along with notes to get you started enjoying these classics.
The Ten Best Meats to Smoke
- Pork Butts
- Pork Picnic Shoulder
- Pork Ribs
- Pork Chops
- Chuck Roast
- Brisket
- Beef Ribs
- Tri-Tips
- Chicken Quarters
- Turkey Breasts
Pork Butts
The pork butt comes from the UPPER side of shoulder on a hog and will weigh between five and ten pounds. Butts are often sold at a discount as a twin back making this is one of the cheapest cuts you will find.
There is a shoulder bone that runs through the butt and if possible you want to get a butt that is “bone in”. The bone acts as the perfect thermometer that tells you exactly when the butt is ready by sliding out with a gentle twist. It’s not a big deal if the butt has had the bone removed but it just works better with the bone in.
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 205F
Pork Picnic Shoulder
While a pork butt comes from the UPPER shoulder of a hog and has the shoulder bone, the “picnic shoulder” comes from the LOWER side of the shoulder and has the elbow joint.
You can tell the picnic cut from the butt pretty easy as it is not as squared up as a butt and is often sold with a layer of skin still attached.
While you cook this cut in a similar manner as a butt there are a few things to keep in mind. I always remove the skin on a picnic shoulder to let the smoke and spices penetrate the meat. Also, there is not as much fat and connective tissue on this cut as on a butt and so it helps to inject this guy with some salt, sugar and apple juice.
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 205F
Pork Ribs
Once you figure out the mysteries of smoking pork ribs your life will never be the same. There is just something magical about dem bones!!
There are two basic types of pork ribs; baby backs and spares. The baby backs are small, meaty and come from the loin section of the hog. The spares are larger, more flavorful and come from the belly of the hog. A whole slab off spare ribs contains a breastbone and a LOT of cartilage which makes cooking them a slow process. You can trim up the spares to a more manageable cut by turning them into St Louis style ribs.
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Apple, Cherry, Maple
- Target Internal Temperature: Difficult to measure. Done when a toothpick slides through the meat.
Pork Chops
I love smoking pork chops because they are quick and easy! Unlike butts, shoulders and ribs, pork chops do not have a lot of connective tissue that needs to be broken down. You can get some great flavor on chops and be ready to eat in just about an hour!
When you smoke a pork chop you need to take it to an internal temperature of 145F.
When you smoke chops you want to use a thick cut chop that is at least an inch thick. Thinner chops run a greater chance of drying out and getting overcooked. If your pork chops are thin then stick to Hot and Fast grilling.
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Apple, Cherry, Maple
- Target Internal Temperature: 145F
Chuck Roast
I am hiding this one in the middle because most casual readers will be skimming and miss this next sentence. A chuck roast might be the best thing you could ever stick on your smoker!
The secret of a smoked chuck roast is that you get the beauty and complexity of a brisket without the 10-12 hour wait time. There is a lot to be said for the “Smaller is Better” approach of a chuck roast. The amount of marbling and connective tissue is a chuck roast makes it ideal for slow cooking. Think of this as a pot roast that has been taken to the next level.
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 205F
Beef Brisket
Brisket is the Big Daddy of smoked meat. Taking a tough 15 pound packer brisket down to a plate of tender flat and succulent burnt ends is the ultimate objective of every true barbecue pitmaster.
I am not going to kid you..learning how to smoke a brisket takes work. If you are willing to put in the time I created the Brisket Boot Camp to guide you though the process.
A full packer brisket will take yo most of the day to cook but it will be time well spent.
- Cook Time: 10-14 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 205F
Beef Ribs
Beef ribs are hard to find but worth the hunt! There are several cuts of beef sold as beef ribs but the ones you are looking for are from the chuck plate. These beauties have the nickname of “Brisket on a Stick”. Smoking beef ribs is as simple as applying salt and pepper and letting them slow smoke for 5-6 hours. You can mop or spritz these if you like but I prefer to just let the fire work its magic.
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 205F
Tri Tip
I am throwing this in here as a testament to the beauty of all things related to smoked steaks. the Tri Tip is a portion of the sirloin and unlike most of the cuts in this list is a lean and tender piece of meat. You are only going to smoke a Tri Tip for about an hour and then sear it off over direct heat. You are only using smoke for flavor on this guy.
Tri Tips can be hard to find but you can smoke any steak that is at least an inch thick. An additional benefit of smoking thick cut steaks is that it is easy to take it to the exact internal temperature that you like.
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Oak, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan
- Target Internal Temperature: 135F
Chicken Quarters
Smoked chicken is delicious but will also drive you crazy. When you commit to smoking a chicken you should accept the fact that the skin is going to turn out like inedible shoe leather. There are tricks you can pull off to get the skin into the edible region but the skin will never be as good as when fried or grilled.
I like to brine the chicken quarters for a few hours and then smoke them until they just about fall apart in the joint. A smoked chicken will often have a pink smoke ring on the surface which can make some guests think that the chicken is under cooked. I avoid that problem by tossing the meat with just enough sauce to provide a light coat of uniform color.
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Apple, Maple
- Target Internal Temperature: 180F
Turkey Breast
I prefer smoking turkey breasts over the entire bird. You can out a little flavored butter under the skin and in about two hours have a lightly smoked and extremely moist piece of meat on your hands.
I like using a mild wood such as apple or maple with turkey. Just like chicken, the skin on a smoked turkey breast will look pretty but wont be worth eating.
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Preferred Smoke Wood: Apple, Maple
- Target Internal Temperature: 160F
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