Regular Grilling with the Char-Broil.

• 1). Raise the lid on the larger of the two barrel chambers on the grill and remove the cooking grates inside by lifting them straight off.
  
  
• 2). Pour three to four pounds of charcoal from a bag into a pile inside the main barrel on the lower grate, douse the charcoal with lighter fluid and ignite.
  
  
• 3). Rake the coals into a single layer when they turn white, then set the cooking grate on the grill and wait three to four minutes for the grill to get hot. Scrub the cooking grate with a grill brush to remove grease and burnt food from the last cookout.
  
  
• 4). Set food directly on the cooking grate and grill according to the recipe. For example, steaks about one inch thick should be grilled five minutes on each side for medium rare. Rotate the steaks 90 degrees on the grill after two minutes of cooking to produce attractive cross-marks on the meat. Use tongs to turn over the steaks because a fork will pierce the meat and allow juices to escape--this dries out the steak.
  
  

Preparing the Smoker on the Char-Broil

• 1). Raise the lid on the smoking chamber, which is the smaller of the two fireboxes on the Char-Broil, then pour approximately four pounds of charcoal into the chamber, douse with lighter fluid and ignite.
  
  
• 2). Soak three to four cups of wood chips in water while the coals are burning down. Select wood chips to complement the flavor of the food that will be smoked, such as hickory chips for pork and beef or mesquite for poultry. Cedar chips are popular for smoking salmon and other fish.
  
  
• 3). Set up the main chamber on the Char-Broil for smoking the food by raising the lid and scrubbing the cooking grates with a grill brush. Rub a light coat of olive oil on the cooking grate with paper towels until the grate glistens. This keeps food from sticking.
  
  
• 4). Season the food to be smoked with spices and sauces or marinades, as desired. For thick cuts of meat such as beef brisket or pork shoulder, many outdoor chefs use a mixture of dry spices rubbed all over the surface of the meat to help lock in juices. Spice combinations are virtually limitless and depend on individual preference.
  
  
• 5). Drain half the wood chips and add them to the fire when the coals turn white in the smoker chamber. Close the lid on the smoker chamber and adjust the lower vents to promote air and smoke circulation.
  
  

Slow-Cooking Food with the Smoker

• 1). Place the food on the oiled cooking grate and close the lid. Adjust the vents on the top of the main cooking chamber to circulate smoke over the food.
  
  
• 2). Raise the lid once an hour to baste the smoking food, if desired, and rotate thick cuts of meat using hot mitts and tongs. Close the lid as quickly as possible to minimize heat loss, which adds to smoking time.
  
  
• 3). Check the fire box once an hour and add a few charcoal briquettes as necessary to keep the fire going. Additional drained wood chips may also be added to produce more smoke.
  
  
• 4). Check the food with a meat thermometer as the cooking time comes to an end. As a rule, plan to smoke food for 20 minutes per pound. Beef and pork are done when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoke poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.