Early man probably just dangled meat over a fire to preserve it, but today smoking is needlessly complicated. The modern process is full of jargon and gear and often discourages some would-be meat-smokers from trying at all.

But there is another way. In fact, I’d recommend trying it with this bare-bones equipment before spending a fortune on a smoker. You won’t win any barbecue competitions with this beginners’ method, but it’s more than sufficient to produce delicious homemade bacon and charcuterie with locally raised meat.

What you’ll need

Charcoal grill: A charcoal grill is an adequate vessel for smoking. Large grills with two grates are best because the meat can be placed further away from the heat source, but you should experiment with a small grill if that’s what you have. If your grill doesn’t have a built-in thermometer, you can place a meat thermometer in the hole in the top.

Wood: Consider using fallen wood from your yard or neighborhood. It’s environmentally responsible and free. Try hardwoods like oak, pecan, and  mesquite, but don’t use resinous woods like pine or cedar because they impart an unpleasantly strong flavor. Premade wood chips are also convenient if you have a small grill.

Metal pans: You’ll need a metal baking pan or disposable tray to hold water. The water moderates the fire’s temperature by absorbing some of the fire’s heat, and creates steam that prevents the meat from drying out.

Meat thermometer: It’s crucial that you periodically gauge the temperature of the meat while it’s smoking. Poultry and pork should reach at least 160 degrees F while beef should reach about 150 degrees F. If the meat greatly exceeds those temperatures it will probably dry out.

Getting started

Smoking is like a seesaw. It doesn’t require much hands-on attention; it’s a fine balance between maintaining the heat at low certain temperature without extinguishing it. Focus on getting as much smoke flavor on the meat without cooking it too aggressively. It doesn’t require your full attention, but you’ll want to do this at a time when you’re planning to hang around the house for a few hours.

1. Pile the wood in a designated area of the grill. If you have one grate, place the metal pan next to the wood. If you have two grates, place the metal pan above the wood on the closest grate, but on the opposite side. Fill it with water.

2. Ignite the wood to start a fire. Wait 30 minutes or so for it to die down to a temperature under 275 degrees F.

3. Place the meat on the grate above the pan of water. Close the grill cover and start smoking!

4. Check the heat every 30 minutes or so, but don’t worry about maintaining an even temperature. If the heat soars above 275 degrees, try to cool down the fire by adjusting the vents and restricting oxygen flow to the fire without extinguishing it. You can also try sprinkling some water on the fire.

Homemade smoked bacon. Click for recipe.

5. Every hour or so, poke a thermometer into the center of the meat and read the temperature. Remove it from the smoker when it reaches its desired temperature. This should take about two to four hours for bacon and four to six hours for pastrami.

A word about nitrites: It’s not mandatory, but I use pink salt, or sodium nitrite, as a precaution against botulism poisoning when smoking meat at low temperatures. Although rare, the bacteria spores that produce the botulism toxin can reproduce in this environment.

Even some of the most adventurous home cooks hesitate to make their own charcuterie — meats processed for preservation in the European tradition. (Bacon, pâté, pancetta, salami, sausages, and prosciutto are all good examples.)

I was no different; before I started learning the craft, thanks in part to a food blogging challenge called Charcutepalooza, I thought charcuterie involved boiling pig heads for hours and hanging moldy salamis in my home.

It all started because I wanted make locally sourced bacon and sausages — the kind that are available in Texas, but not always easy to find. Then, thanks to Slow Food Austin, I visited a local family farm that raises livestock on large, open pastures and bought ingredients like pork belly from them in bulk at a discount.

Not that finding local sources for the meat cuts and offal I needed was easy. Small farmers in Texas are limited to a handful of slaughterhouses, and these operations don’t always have the resources to save tripe, caul fat, and other obscure parts prized by chefs and foodies. I had to get creative. I found cuts like liver and beef tongue by arriving early at the farmers market or ordering in advance. For wild venison, I ended up ordering from Broken Arrow Ranch, a unique purveyor that (legally) sells “field harvested” wild game by bringing along a licensed meat inspector on hunting excursions.

The best part about making charcuterie is almost nothing gets wasted. I transformed trimmings from sausage-making into rillettes or country pâté. I also poached and pureed my way to a chicken galantine — a deboned bird filled with an inlay of chicken breasts and pâté — that could have fed at least eight people.

Interested in trying it? I recommend starting with duck prosciutto, bacon, pancetta, pâté, or sausages. The resulting products are often just as good and less expensive than those sold in artisan markets.

Homemade Bacon
Adapted from Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.

3 pounds slab pork belly
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoons pink salt (sodium nitrite), optional
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
3 bay leaves, crumbled

1. Combine the sugar and salts in a bowl to make a dry cure. Rub it into all sides of the meat. Combine the herbs and spices in another bowl, and then press them into the pork belly as well.

2. Place the pork belly in a large Ziploc bag, and leave it in the fridge for about seven to 10 days, or until it is convenient to smoke it. Turn it about every other day and rub the salt and seasonings into the flesh.

3. After the time period has passed, rinse the dry cure off of the pork belly and pat it dry with paper towels. Smoke it until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.

4. Allow the bacon to cool to room temperature, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Green Chile Chicken Sausages

3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1 1/2 pounds pork belly, diced into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3/4 cup chopped, roasted mild green chiles like Poblano or Hatch
1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup olive oil
10 feet hog casings (optional)

1. Combine the chicken, pork belly, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and chiles. Refrigerate until ready to grind.

2. Using a meat grinder, thoroughly grind the mixture into a bowl.

3. With a sturdy wooden spoon, mix the ground meat until it is uniform in appearance. Add the tequila and oil and mix to distribute it evenly.

4. Form the sausage into patties or stuff it into casings and twist into 8-inch links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.