Skip to content

Topic

Cooks

Brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken and cold smoking, with UK cuts.

Cook plans for the meat a British butcher actually sells, with UK cut names, rough timings that work back from dinner and a calculator built into each guide. Pork shoulder is the forgiving first cook; brisket is the one everyone wants to master; turkey and gammon earn the smoker its place at Christmas.

Start herePulled pork smoking timeThe friendliest first cook: cheap, forgiving and very hard to ruin.

Illustration of smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs on a wooden board. — AI-generated illustration. Not a photo of a real product, cook or place.

Calculators for this topic

Smoking time planner

Work back from serving time to a start window, with a cook range and rest time for UK cuts.

Meat per person calculator

How much raw meat to buy for a BBQ, from guest numbers, appetite and how much a cut shrinks on the smoker.

Brine calculator

Grams of salt and sugar for a wet, equilibrium or dry brine, from the weight of your meat and the strength your recipe asks for.

Guides

CooksCornerstone

BBQ party planner

Plan a smoked BBQ for a crowd: one big cook and one quick one, how much meat to buy, a timeline back from serving, safe hot-holding and a rain plan.

CooksCornerstone

Brisket smoking time

How long brisket takes on a smoker, per kg, with the stall, wrapping and resting built in, so you can work back from dinner time.

CooksCornerstone

Pulled pork smoking time

How long a UK pork shoulder takes on a smoker, per kg, with the stall, pulling temperature, holding and a plan that works back from dinner.

CooksCornerstone

Smoked ribs, UK style

Spare ribs or loin ribs, what to ask a UK butcher for, how to use 3-2-1 as a loose guide, and the bend test that tells you ribs are ready.

CooksCornerstone

UK vs US BBQ cuts

Translate American BBQ recipes into British butcher cuts: packer brisket, Boston butt, baby backs, short ribs and more, with a UK to US cut table.

Christmas smoking plan

A three-day Christmas plan for the smoker: turkey and gammon timings, fridge space, a step-by-step timeline and how much fuel to have in for cold weather.

Cold smoking at home

How cold smoking works, smoke generators, the best months in the UK, and the food-safety rules that matter. Start with cheese; treat fish and meat with care.

Hot-smoked salmon

How to hot smoke salmon at home: how it differs from cold-smoked, dry cure or brine, forming a pellicle, and the gentle heat that keeps it moist.

Smoked beef short ribs

How to smoke beef short ribs in the UK: what Jacob's ladder is, plate vs chuck ribs, what to ask your butcher, temperatures and the probe-tender finish.

Smoked cheese

How to cold smoke cheese at home in the UK: which hard cheeses suit, why cool weather matters, keeping it from melting and resting it in the fridge.

Chicken thighs and drumsticks

How to smoke chicken thighs and drumsticks with crisp skin: why they're the most forgiving cook for beginners, dry brining, the right smoker temperature, timings and when they're done.

Smoked chicken wings

How to smoke chicken wings with crisp skin: dry brining, a smoke then hot finish, checking they're safely cooked and how many wings to buy for a party.

Smoked duck

How to smoke a whole duck or duck legs: dry brining, rendering the fat, getting the skin crisp, and what to do with all that duck fat.

Smoked gammon and ham

How to smoke a gammon joint in the UK: why gammon is already cured, soaking, smoking and glazing, and why it's the perfect Boxing Day cook.

Smoked lamb shoulder

How to smoke a lamb shoulder for pulled lamb: choosing British lamb or hogget, seasoning, the woods that suit it, temperatures and when it's ready.

Smoked mackerel and trout

How to hot smoke mackerel and rainbow trout, whole or as fillets: a quick brine, forming a pellicle, mild British woods and serving ideas.

Smoked pheasant

How to smoke pheasant, partridge and wood pigeon: brining, barding with bacon, the right temperature for lean birds, and what to do with the tough legs.

Pork belly burnt ends

How to smoke pork belly burnt ends: what to ask the butcher for, rind on or off, cube size, smoke, braise and glaze, with rough timings.

Smoked pulled beef

How to smoke pulled beef in the UK: chuck, feather blade or brisket, what to ask the butcher for, smoker temperature, the stall and when it's ready to pull.

Rolled brisket joint

How to smoke the tied, rolled brisket joint sold in UK supermarkets: smoke it, then braise it in a covered tray until it's tender enough to slice thick or pull.

Smoked edible gifts

Make smoked sea salt, smoked nuts, smoked chilli flakes and smoked cheese as homemade Christmas presents: one smoker session, how to jar and label them, and how long they keep.

Smoked sausages

How to smoke sausages on a smoker: British bangers vs cured sausages, why skins split, the low temperature then sear method, and when they're done.

Smoked Christmas turkey

How to smoke a turkey for Christmas in the UK: crown vs whole bird, brining, cooking in cold weather, and freeing up the oven for everything else.

Smoked vegetables and halloumi

What to smoke for vegetarian guests: halloumi, whole cauliflower, aubergine, peppers, mushrooms and onions, plus how to keep it all away from the meat juices.

Smoked venison

How to smoke venison without drying it out: which cut to buy, a short smoke for haunch and loin, a long braise-and-smoke for shoulder, and which wood suits game.

Smoked whole chicken

How to smoke a whole chicken in the UK: spatchcocking, dry brining, the higher temperature that stops rubbery skin, and checking it's safely cooked.