Pro tip: put a water pan in your smoker for better bark

I tried this on a whim last weekend after reading about it somewhere. Tossed a cheap aluminum pan filled with water under the grate in my offset smoker. The bark on my pork shoulder came out way darker and crunchier than usual. Anyone else mess around with water pans or am I late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.ivan13d ago

Is the bark really that much better or just placebo effect from all the hype?

the_spencer13d ago

Yo have you actually tried it yourself, or are you just going off what people say? I was super skeptical too, but last year I grabbed a bag on a whim and honestly the texture alone sold me. The bark had this perfect snap and crunch that store-bought chocolate just never has, no matter how much you pay for it. Plus the flavor was way deeper, like you could actually taste the cocoa more than just sugar. I'm not saying it's life-changing or anything, but for me the hype matched the experience once I gave it a real shot.