Andrea got me a water smoker for christmas this year. The cooking principle is a narrow cylinder with an electric heating element or charcoal bin at the bottom, topped by a container to hold water, with one or more layers of cooking grates above that. You can use various kinds of hardwood at the bottom heating portion of the device to achieve that wonderful smoked flavor.
Our first foray in to smoking foods was to do some inch-thick pork chops, which we cooked to 170 degrees F according to our instant read thermometer, but the meat seemd a tad over-done.
Today, we’re trying BBQ ribs with a nicely spicy glaze. Advice I’ve seen indicates to smoke for 5 or 6 hours, but I wonder if the heat on ours is a bit too high, because it seems to be pretty well-done after only 4 hours. I can’t wait to taste these, but I hope I haven’t over-cooked them!