Smoking Pot

Yup, I said it. Smoking pot. That's what we do.

Now, not in the same context that our home's previous owners smoked pot (and grew it as well), instead we are referring to literally a smoking flower pot.

Brandon, the ever mechanical fellow he is, saw a tutorial online here about a BBQ smoker made from a terracotta pot and decided he just had to make one.

I laughed when he first said it, but he was serious. So, after he repeatedly tried to steal my pots off the front porch, for Valentine's Day I gave him a new terracotta pot
(the one in his hands) filled with cookies and treats. Needless to say, he was pretty pleased.

To make the pot:

1.) He purchased a large, unglazed terracotta flower pot with a diameter of about 18 inches.

2.) For the top he used a shorter pot that was just as wide to form a tight seal.


3.) Inside the pot contains a hot plate used to heat the wood chips with the cord running out the base of the pot. It is recommended to buy an inexpensive one because food will drip onto it. Brandon recommends a Walgreen's hot plate because it has an open element and it is easy to take apart for set-up.

4.) Place the soaked wood chips on the hot plate inside a metal pie pan (preferably disposable).



5.) Then, fit a wire BBQ rack inside the pot to hold the meat a few inches from the rim of the base pot.


6.) Slip a thermometer into the top hole of the lid, making sure it covers the entire opening.


7.) As extra safety precautions, place the pot on bricks to allow for more airflow and use an extension cord to keep the pot far away from anything flammable. Also, never leave the
smoker unattended!!!


Tonight he was making beef jerky using thinly sliced steak cured with seasoning salts and teriyaki... after smoking it for about an hour at 200 degrees and it was good to go!
--Note: the hot plate should remain constant between 200-225F throughout the smoking!

Not too bad for around $30-$40 for the entire project!

Mmmmmm jerky.... Jester's favorite!

A special thanks to ehow.com for providing the information on how to start this project.
Just to be on the safe side, be sure to check out all their safety tips here!