Smoked pulled chicken.

Today we will be smoking some chicken.  Smoking is different than grilling as we will be using low heat for a long time instead of high heat for a short time.  Also as the name implies we will be using smoke.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts, bone in or out.  Get a package that DOES NOT say enhanced.  All enhanced does is add more cost to the meat.  Basically salt and water.  You do not want that.  For all meat that you smoke get a non-enhanced meat.
• garlic flakes
• salt/pepper
• hickory wood

How to set up the Weber kettle for smoking:

1. You do not need a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker to smoke.  A regular kettle will work just fine.
2. Ideally find some firebricks.  If they are unavailable you can use old red bricks.  Where I am at I cannot source either so I am using brick pavers.  These are used for a heat sink, they smooth out the temperature.  Fit the bricks so they are to one side of the grill as shown in the picture below.  You do not need to form the bricks like I did with a hammer and chisel.
3. To start the smoker fill the smaller cavity with about a chimneys worth of charcoal.  Place 2 hunks of wood in as well.  In your charcoal chimney light about 6-8 bricks.  When these are red hot add to the top center of the charcoal pile.  This is sometimes referred to as the 'Minion method' of lighting a smoker.  
4. After charcoal has been added put a drip pan in the larger section of the kettle.  You can add water to the pan if you wish but I do not.  Add the grate and place a thermometer on the grate.  These are inexpensive and a great tool, mine cost about $6.
5. Close the bottom vent leaving about 1/16" open.  The lid vent needs to be wide open.  You regulate the heat with the bottom vent.  Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes to heat up.  You want the temp to be about 225° max.  Opening the lid to look at the food excessively will raise the temp.  Those are the basics with a 18-22.5" Weber kettle.

Directions for the smoke:

1. Take chicken from package, wash it then pat it dry.  Season both sides with garlic flakes, salt then pepper.
2. When the smoker has come up to temp put the chicken on.  Check the temp about every half hour.  If it gets too hot close the bottom vents a bit more.
3. After about 45-60 minutes check the chicken with a probe.  Stick your probe in the thickest part of the breast from the side.  You will want to pull them around 165°.  Check them about every half hour.  BBQ can't be timed it is done when it is done.  If you cook them too hot they will dry out, you want it juicy.
4. When they are done put them in a dish covered with aluminum foil for around 10 minutes.  This is a good time to throw some veggies or other side on the grill.
5. Now is the time to shred the chicken.  Take two forks and use one to hold the chicken then with the other scrape it across the chicken.   This is not an exact science, pieces will be irregular shapes and that is fine.
6. Mix some of your favorite BBQ sauce into the chicken or serve it on the side.  I used Pappy's Moonshine Madness which is very, very hot.  That is why you don't see a lot of it in my picture.
7. Serve on a toasted bun or just a pile on a plate. Absolutely no silverware, BBQ is meant to be eaten with your hands if you want to do it right.

When smoking the meat it really only absorbs the smoke flavor in the first part of the smoke.  You do not need the smoker producing smoke like a choo choo train the whole time.