In the event you love the thought of low-and-slow barbecue however do not personal a devoted smoker, you’ve got in all probability run into a typical drawback: Attempting to smoke meat on an ordinary charcoal grill is a ache. The temperature fluctuates wildly, the smoke ranges are inconsistent, and you must tinker consistently, lifting the lid, adjusting the vents, and fussing with the hearth to maintain issues within the appropriate zone—for hours. It is not my concept of a enjoyable yard cooking challenge.

The excellent news? There’s a greater manner. Utilizing one of many smartest charcoal methods on the market—the charcoal snake methodology—you may rework a fundamental kettle grill (like the usual 22-inch Weber) right into a surprisingly efficient, hands-off smoker that holds a gentle temperature for hours, with virtually no effort.

Also called the “C-ring” or “fuse” methodology, the snake setup has lengthy been standard amongst barbecue fanatics. I first encountered it by means of Morgan Bolling, barbecue knowledgeable and government editor at Cook dinner’s Nation journal. Since then, I’ve used it numerous instances once I developed recipes for cookbooks at America’s Check Kitchen, and I proceed to make use of it at present as a result of it really works, particularly for giant, daring, slow-cooked cuts like brisket, pork shoulder, or complete chickens.

How the Charcoal Snake Works

The setup is easy, however ingenious. Begin by lining the within fringe of your charcoal grill with two barely overlapping rows of briquettes, forming a semicircle across the perimeter. Then stack a second layer on prime. Nestle chunks of wooden for smoking at intervals alongside the row—these will ignite progressively because the charcoal burns. The size of the snake and the variety of briquettes you utilize depend upon the whole prepare dinner time required on your recipe:

• For brisket (8 to 9 hours of smoke): Construct the snake about six-eighths of the way in which across the grill, utilizing a two-briquette-wide, two-briquette-high configuration. You may additionally want to increase the cooking time by including extra coals to the ring as soon as the brisket hits 180°F.
• For pork butt (6 to 7 hours): Lengthen the snake about two-thirds of the way in which across the grill. Plan for roughly 60 briquettes per layer.
• For ribs (4 to five hours): A half-ring snake across the grill perimeter is sufficient, utilizing about 40 briquettes per layer.

To start out the prepare dinner, first mild a chimney starter stuffed a 3rd of the way in which with charcoal briquettes (about 2 quarts of coals complete). Piling the briquettes on one facet of the chimney helps to get them burning. As soon as lit, pour the new coals on one finish of the “snake” to ignite it. The briquettes burn slowly, with the hearth progressively spreading alongside the size of the ring whereas sustaining a comparatively low, constant warmth (often within the 250–350°F vary) for six hours or extra, while not having to raise the lid or refuel each hour. The spaced-out wooden chunks ignite as the hearth crawls ahead, delivering a sluggish, regular stream of smoke as your meat cooks gently above.

Why It is So Efficient

The snake methodology’s brilliance lies in its potential to keep up the specified cooking temperature and degree of smoke persistently and effectively, requiring minimal tending. As soon as it is arrange, you may confidently stroll away for hours. 

You may solely must intervene in particular circumstances—like when smoking a big reduce akin to brisket, which must be wrapped partway by means of cooking. At that time, you might must refresh the charcoal to increase the prepare dinner time.

The snake setup tends to run a bit hotter than some smoking purists would possibly choose, peaking nearer to 325°F than the basic 225–250°F smoker vary. However after testing side-by-side with historically smoked briskets, I can inform you: the distinction is negligible. The ultimate end result nonetheless delivers all of the smoky depth, strong bark texture, and tenderness you need, with the bonus of a shorter cooking time.

Hold It Regular With a Water Pan

To assist regulate temperature and scale back any spikes, I like to recommend putting a big disposable aluminum pan crammed with water within the middle of the grill, immediately beneath your meat. This straightforward step acts like a thermal stabilizer: The water absorbs extra warmth, helps clean out fluctuations, and even catches dripping fats to stop flare-ups. Consider it like a baking stone in your oven—solely wetter, and extra scrumptious.

What to Cook dinner With the Snake Methodology

The snake methodology is right for any recipe that advantages from sluggish, mild warmth and smoke. Strive it with:

Texas-Model Brisket: Our information walks you thru the method step-by-step, utilizing this very approach.

Smoked Pork Shoulder or Pulled Pork: The low warmth retains the meat juicy whereas constructing unbelievable bark.

Spatchcocked or Complete Rooster: Mild smoking retains the fowl moist, with a superbly crisp pores and skin.

Smoked Ribs: Child backs or spare ribs work nice right here; simply plan for five to six hours of complete cooking time.

A Notice on Alternate options

If the snake methodology feels too finicky or time-consuming to arrange (although it solely takes about 10 to fifteen minutes), take into account attempting Joshua Bousel’s charcoal grill smoking methodology, which is easier and would not require stacking or counting briquettes. The trade-off? You may want to watch the hearth extra intently and refuel extra usually.

Both manner, you do not want a flowery rig or skilled pitmaster setup to make wonderful barbecue at residence. With the correct methodology, you may let your grill do the heavy lifting.