I never thought of myself as a smoker – but I suppose that I am. Not in the sense of a manly man that rides up on his horse with a cigarette in his mouth, but a backyard dude with a brew in hand who smokes food on his barbecue. With that said, let’s get smoking!

As with any smoking process, first is the barbecue set up. That is easily done – simply refer to my post Smoking Set-Up On The Barbecue.

When I smoke salmon, I like to make a simple soy sauce and brown sugar glaze. Just mix a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar into a cup of soy sauce. Stir it well and then taste. It should taste a bit sweet, so add more sugar if needed. You can also dice up some fresh ginger and add to the glaze for added flavor.

I usually make the glaze while the wood chips are soaking.

In addition to brushing the glaze on the fish when it’s smoking, I also let it marinate in the glaze (about 30 minutes) prior to putting it on the grill.

Now that the prep work is done and the coals are ready, it’s time to put the salmon on the grill. If the fish has skin, put that side down on the grill. No need to turn the fish over while cooking. Each time you add a coal or wood chips, brush some glaze onto the fish.

I usually use about 10 to 15 coals when smoking salmon, but you will have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you. I smoke the fillet approximately 1.5 to 2.0 hours. When done, it looks like this.

I prefer the salmon to be a bit moist, but if you like it dryer, just keep smoking it.

Smoked salmon is very easy to prepare and can be eaten as is or added to other dishes. It’s wonderful in salads and pasta.

Believe me, there is nothing better than adding smoked salmon to an omelette in the morning. A great way to start your day!

I’ve had a Weber grill for many years, and love the product. However, one does create a lot of smoke, especially when starting up the coals. Not ideal to be negatively adding to the air quality on hot days.

So, I invested in a propane Nexgrill barbecue (which I also love), and began using that exclusively. Now, what to do with the Weber?

I decided to dedicate it as a “smoker only” barbecue and use on cooler days. I’ll show you my set up process, and how to start the coals with almost no smoke.

Here is my twelve year-old Weber – still looks brand new.

You’ll need some wood chips (grocery or hardware stores sell them). I like hickory, but there are other wood chips. It really depends on the smokey flavor that you want your food to absorb.

Pour about two large hand fulls of the wood chips into a bowl of water, and let soak for half an hour.

I use a charcoal metal chimney and an electric starter.

I position about 6 charcoal briquettes in the metal chimney, making sure that at least 3 or 4 of them touch the metal element of the electric starter. Follow your starter’s instructions for proper use and safety when using. Almost no smoke or ash is produced in this process!

The ignited charcoal can now be transferred to your barbecue. Put the hot coals on the back side as shown. All of them touching so they all get nice and hot. Fill a tin pan or tray with water and place it on the opposite side of the coals. Open the lower air vents about half way.

Now place the upper grill on the barbecue. Position your food (tofu in the example) over the tin with water in it. Add just a few wood chips to the top of the coals. They will begin smoking quickly.

Put the cover on the grill with the top vent fully open and the vent positioned over the tin with water – Very Important!. The wood chip smoke will be drawn over the food and out the top vent.

When you see the light smoke no longer coming out the top vent, it’s time to take the lid off and add more chips and possibly a coal or two. It does not take much.

Time to smoke depends on what you are cooking and how much smoke you like. I let the tofu go for about 1.5 hours.

Not only does it smell great while cooking, but it really adds a new flavor to your food! Experiment and have fun.