SmokinTex Pro 1500-C User manual

Pro Series Model 1500-C
Operating Manual

Pro Series Model 1500-C
SmokinTex introduces the Pro Series 1500-C
A large electric (all stainless) smoker at an affordable price.
The Pro Series 1500-C uses a dual 700 watt heating element system that gives you the flexibility of
using the full 1400 watts or just 700 watts, depending on the load.
With the optional “Deflector Plate” you can direct the drippings onto or away from the wood boxes to
reduce the amount of moisture in the smoker. It’s ideal for doing jerky, summer sausage, and other
foods you might prefer a little dryer.
The 1500-C has the ETL sanitation label which permits the use of the smoker for commercial
cooking.
●Easy to use. Put in wood and food, shut the door, and set the temperature.
●No attention needed while smoking/cooking.
●Thermostat for even temperature control.
●Low, slow, and even temperature is gentle to food.
●Smokes beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, lamb, sausage, game, vegetables, etc. Makes great jerky!
●Cold smoke with optional cold smoke plate. (Great for cheese, pasta, Salmon, etc.)
Specifications
Capacity:
90 lbs Heavy Cuts Per Load
Ribs 54 lbs per load
Cabinet Materials:
All stainless steel, inside and out
Electrical:
2- 700 watt heating elements. 1400 watts,
15 amp 120v, single phase
Shelves:
There are 9 shelf positions.
The smoker comes with
6- 18” x 18” heavy duty stainless steel shelves
Outside Dimensions:
21”x 23” x 41” high
Weight: 149 lbs boxed
Wheels: Heavy Duty Commercial Included

Dear SmokinTex Customer:
This manual has been compiled especially for SmokinTex Pro Series 1500-C users. Your
SmokinTex smoker will produce great barbecue and smoked foods. Use this manual to
familiarize yourself with your smoker and its operation. SmokinTex, LLC. assumes no
responsibility for results of careless and dangerous operation of SmokinTex smokers
or other products.
All warranties are null and void if the practices described in this Operator’s Manual are not
followed:
Read the following instructions before operating your smoker. The smoker isn’t a
complicated appliance, like any oven or smoker, the three ingredients required for success
are:
1. Know the appliance (read this manual).
2. Only smoke fresh, quality food products (don’t buy outdated meat).
3. Follow the time and temperatures of the recipe.
Important Safeguards
To avoid electrical shock, do not immerse cord, plugs, or any part of unit in water or other
liquid.
Do not leave hot oven unattended with door open.
Unplug when not in use and before cleaning. To disconnect, turn any controls to "OFF".
Remove plug from outlet. Allow to cool before putting on or taking off parts.
Do not expose to rain or sprinkler system.
Extreme caution must be used when moving your smoker while using due to hot grease
and food.
CAUTION - to ensure continued protection against risk of electric shock, connect to properly
grounded outlets only.
CAUTION - to reduce the risk of electric shock, keep extension cord connection dry and off the
ground.
Store smoker indoors unplugged when not in use –out of reach of children. Service should
be performed by an authorized service representative only.

SETTING UP
Check the contents of your smoker. You should have 2 side racks, 6 grills, 2 wood boxes, 4
wheels, a grease pan, starter wood, and instructions.
Choose a Location
Choose a dry, sheltered, well-ventilated location. Do not expose the smoker to rain or snow.
You can purchase an all-weather cover for your smoker by calling SmokinTex at 888-922-
1511 or order on our website-http://www.smokintex.com/index.html.
Electrical Power Connections
Your Pro Series smoker has a dual 700 watt heating system which uses 120V AC power.
Connect the smoker to the power supply by plugging the power cord into a standard, 3-prong,
120V receptacle that is protected by a breaker or fuse rated at 15-20 amperes. A long or
light-duty extension cord will reduce the efficiency of the heating element.
HOW TO USE YOUR PRO-SERIES SMOKER
The interior of your smoker needs to be seasoned prior to smoking your first load.
Remove all packaging materials from inside the smoker, including the shelves and side
racks. (Remove the cardboard protector around the thermostat probe)
Place 8 ounces of wood in the wood box on the left side, and close and latch the smoker
door (below shows a wood box with 8 ounces of hickory).
Never place more than 8 ounces of wood in the smoker.
Too much wood will cause the food to have a bitter
taste.
DO NOT use the smoker without the wood boxes in the
proper position. The wood box lids must be closed
completely.
Set temperature control knob to 215°F. with only the
700 watt
element on. Let the smoker smoke, empty, for a minimum of 4 hours. Do not open the door
during these 4 hours.
Use any hardwood in your smoker.The popularwoodsfor smoking are hickory, apple, cherry,
mesquite, pecan, alder, and maple. Most of these are available from SmokinTex. If you
purchase local wood at the supermarket, be sure the wood box lid closes and don't use more
than 8 ounces. There is no need to soak the wood. Use only dry wood. If you are smoking
meat and want the smoke ring effect add a few pieces of charcoal to the other wood box.
The nitrates from the charcoal will produce the red ring. For added flavor use herbs and
spices in the 2nd wood box.

Operating
There is 1 switch. Center Off. Up Both Heating Elements On. Down One Heating
Element On 2 (left side). There are 2 lights. 1. Power on light. 2 Heating Element on
light. The power on light tells you there is power to the smoker. The heating element
on switch tells you there is power to the heating element this light will go on and off
during the smoking/cooking cycle as the thermostat turns on and off the power to
the heating element or elements depending if you are using 1 or both elements.
If using indoors place within 8’ of an existing vent hood system, or provide outside
ventilation. If wood is being utilized in the smokebox the unit will produce smoke for
the first few hours of the cook cycle.
DO NOT leave the smoker uncovered during inclement weather. The smoker should
be covered and unplugged when not in use. Store inside.
Controls
Center Off
Switch Up
Both Elements On
1400 Watts
Switch Down
One Element On
700 Watts
Top Light On
AC Power On
Bottom Light On
One or Both Elements Heating

Line the bottom of the smoker with foil and punch a hole in the foil through the drain hole
(always be sure the drippings can drain out). A clogged drain could cause grease to
accumulate on the smoker floor, which could cause a fire.
Place the pan provided beneath the drain hole located on the smoker floor. This pan will
catch the meat drippings.
Cover the lid of the wood boxes with foil for easy cleaning. Discard the foil after each
cooking and replace with fresh foil. A double layer of foil makes for easy cleanup.
Place the properly loaded wood boxes in the smoker. Again, never cook in the smoker
without the wood boxes in position even if you are not using wood. Your smoker is an
excellent slow cooking and/or holding oven without wood!
The cooking capacity of your smoker is approximately 80 pounds, depending on the type of
meat you’re smoking. Do not overload your smoker. Keep meat 1/2" from the back and sides
of the oven walls. When the smoker is loaded, close and lock the door. Select 700 or 1400
watts. Turn the temperature control knob to the desired temperature. Heat up will take from
20 to 60 minutes, depending on the load and the starting temperature of the food you’re
cooking.
Do not preheat the smoker. As long as you use the time and temperature recommended in
any recipe you can use that recipe, but not over 250°F.
If a recipe calls for a higher temperature, increase the time. It is a good idea to use a
temperature probe thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the product you’re
cooking the first time. Temperature probe thermometers are available from SmokinTex.
Never leave the smoker unattended with the door open and the smoker on. When closing
down, always unplug your smoker. Be careful when emptying the wood boxes, they could
still be very hot. Also be careful with the ashes, they could still be very hot and cause a fire.
It is a good idea to remove the wood box from the oven and douse the contents with water.
NEVER put the hot ashes in your trash can.

Your SmokinTex smoker, like your oven, must be kept clean. Loose grease and scale
should be removed regularly to prevent build-up.
You never want to take the smoker back to a like new state. For best results, leave the
seasoning on the walls of the smoker. You can keep the shelves and side rails clean in your
dishwasher or by your dish washer whichever is the case.
Internal Temperature Chart
(all temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit)
Beef
Rare 120° Medium-rare 130° - 135° Medium –140° - 145° Well done 160°+
Lamb
Rare 135° Medium rare 140°- 145° Medium 160° Well done 165°+
Poultry
All poultry smoke cook to 170°- until juices run clear
Pork
Medium 160° Well done 170°
Which Wood to Use for What?
Alder: The hickory of the West Coast. Alder's delicate sweet flavor enriches all fish,
seafood, and meats.
Apple: Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that's mild enough for chicken or turkey. Great with all
pork.
Cherry:
Cherry produces a similar taste to apple - it produces a very mild and fruity flavor. Great with
chicken, turkey, and fish or flavoring ham.
Hickory:
In the southern barbecue belt, a lot of folks think this is the only wood to use. For everything.
Most BBQ places use nothing else. The strong, hearty taste is perfect for brisket, ribs, and
pork shoulder. Also great with any red meat or poultry.
Maple: Mildly smoky and sweet, maple goes well with poultry, ham, and vegetables. Try
with brisket.
Mesquite: The wood of Texas, it's great for grilling but not great for smoking. It burns very
hot and can make your food taste bitter. Get your smoker smoking really well, turn it off, and
put in a few steaks. Smoke for 10 minutes, then finish on a hot grill. Great flavor!

Oak: It's the most versatile of the hardwoods, blending well with a wide range of foods.
Gives a great flavor to brisket.
Pecan: Preferred wood by a lot of non-BBQ restaurants.
Pecan burns cooler and offers a subtle richness of character.
Often referred to as a mellow version of hickory.
Most of these woods can be purchased from SmokinTex here.
Recipes
Many of SmokinTex recipes are from Texas Bar B Que restaurant which was owned and
operated in Dallas during the 90's by SmokinTex folks. In fact, we may be the only smoker
company folks who have owned and operated a BBQ restaurant. SmokinTex website has a
great Recipes Section with smokin recipes from us and our great customers. Don't forget,
just use the time and temperature recommended by the recipe, not exceeding 250° F.
As you use your Pro Series Smoker you will come up with recipes you will want to share.
Send them to us and we will include them on our web site.
What Is Brisket?
Brisket is a beef cut taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs, behind the fore
shank. Fresh brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut that requires long, slowcooking to break
down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues to achieve tenderness. In Texas, the
whole brisket is known as "Texas BBQ." In other parts of the country, the long piece is cut
in half for marketing. You'll find it sold as a flat cut or a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but
the point cut has more flavor due to a bit of extra fat (called the deckle). Where BBQ isn't a
big thing, like the North East, they use brisket for things like corned beef and pastrami.
When picking out a brisket, you will want to choose a "Packer Trimmed Beef Brisket." Your
butcher will know. Pick one between 10 & 12 pounds. The fat protects and flavors the meat
during the long slow smoking /cooking process. It also prevents the meat from drying out
while the tenderizing process of breaking down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues
inside is taking place.
An 11 pound brisket will net you approximately 6-7 pounds of useable meat. If you’re
planning a BBQ or dinner party, plan on using 1/3 lb. of smoked brisket per person. That is if
you’re only serving brisket. If you’re also serving, say ribs and/or sausage, you would cut
back to 1/4 lb of brisket per person.

Now it’s smoking time. Load your wood box with 3 pieces of your favorite hardwood.
If you want a smoke ring on your brisket, add a few lumps of charcoal to your wood box. The
nitrates in the charcoal will give you the ring. Now you’re going to say, "They don't put charcoal
in an offset BBQ pit." You’re right, except after the first few hours of smoking in a pit, the wood
becomes charcoal and thus the smoke ring.
Now that you have smoke-cooked the briskets for 12 hours at 200ºF using no more than 8
ounces of your favorite hardwood not soaked
in water, it's time to clean and serve or freeze.
A good test to see if it's done is to press your
finger into the fattiest part of the meat. If it is
soft and your finger doesn't have a problem
penetrating, it's ready! After the brisket has
cooled down a little, it's time to clean it.
In Texas most of the BBQ joints clean the
brisket of all the fat. The brisket is in two
pieces separated by a layer of fat. Lay the
meat fat side up. Position your index finger on
the flat part of the brisket, now move your
finger under the fat layer and towards the back
of the brisket. You will be able to feel where the two pieces are joined and in fact you will be
able to separate the two with your hand part of the way. Then you will need a good knife to
finish the job. If you look along the side of the brisket, you will see where the two are joined.
After the deckle is separated from the flat part, clean both of fat by pulling it off with the knife
blade. (Both sides of the deckle.)
After they’re cleaned, put them back together the same way they came off and wrap in film or

vacuum-pack. Now you’re ready to serve or freeze. Keep warm, 150°F, if you’re going to
serve it.
Smoked Rib Tips
Cut off chine bone. Trim excess fat. Season with Tony Chachere’s “More Spice.”
Smoke-cook for 2 hours at 225°F using 2 ounces of hickory.
Smoked Baked Potatoes
Rub potatoes with olive oil, smoke at 250°F for 3
to 3 1/2 hours, or until tender.
Leftover smoked baked potatoes, peeled and
cubed, are great for: hash browns, potato salad,
mashed potatoes, potato soups, & chowders.
Try different woods. Hickory is great! So is cherry
and apple. You will love these potatoes.
A-H’s Twice- Cooked Potatoes:
The potatoes above were smoked with hickory,
then all the pulp was removed and mashed with
milk, butter, sour cream, and one egg. Seasoning added was: a pinch of white pepper, a
pinch of nutmeg, and fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Top with bacon crumbles.
You can hold this in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven later at 350°F for 40
minutes. This recipe is great for making in the morning and serving to company in the
evening.

Smoked Pork Ribs with Honey Marinade
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
5 tbs. honey
2 1/2 tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tbs. soy sauce
2 pounds pork spare ribs
Peel and crush garlic and mix with orange juice, honey, sugar, and soy sauce in a shallow
casserole dish or plastic freezer bag. Place spare ribs in sauce, cover, and leave to
marinate overnight, turning often. Smoke at 225°F for 3 - 4 hours with 4 ounces apple,
cherry, or maple wood.
Baby Back Ribs
Ribs are very sacred to the average BBQ enthusiast. Like BBQ sauce, everyone has their own
best recipe, and no one wants to hear of a different way of doing them. That is what makes BBQ
so great. Some boil them first, some don’t. Some use a wet sauce; some use a dry rub only. (Go
to Yahoo and type in “rib rub,” and you will get over 17,000 web site pages with rib rubs.) In
some parts of the country, ribs are BBQ. This is true in Kansas City. So after you smoke your
first several batches of ribs, come up with your own way of doing them and let us know. Below
we vacuum- packed the ribs with Tony Chachere’s Butter & Jalapeno Marinade and held
overnight. Great! Select good quality meat. Get to know your butcher.
Remove the silverskin.

Rub with your favorite rib rub.
Smoked Pork Sandwich Eastern North Carolina Style with
Tidewater Coleslaw
This is a fantastic BBQ, pulled-pork sandwich. In the South Eastern states this is to the
BBQer what brisket is to Texans, what tri-tip is to people on the West Coast, and what a
luau is to Hawaiians! The coleslaw is put directly on top of the pork, which is put directly on
the bun. Add a little sauce, and you have about the best eating there is!
2 (4 to 5-pound) boneless pork butts Rub
2 tbs. salt
2 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. brown sugar
2 tbs. cumin
2 tbs. chili power
2 tbs. cracked black pepper
1 tbs. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup paprika
In a bowl, combine the rub spices.
Mix well and rub the butts all over
with the rub. Smoke cook at 225°F
for 5 hours using 8 ounces of apple
or hickory wood. Wrap in foil and finish in your oven at 300°F for 2 1/2 hours. When it falls
apart, it’s ready. Pull or chop pork, mixing in the vinegar sauce. Stack on a bun and top with
the coleslaw. Add your favorite mustard or BBQ sauce, or just a little Tabasco.
Vinegar Sauce
1 Cup white vinegar
1 Cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
Dash of hot sauce

Tidewater Coleslaw
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs. celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
Small head green cabbage, finely
shredded 2 carrots, grated.
Blend first five ingredients well. Mix cabbage and carrots with slaw dressing.
We have found that the pre-cut bags of coleslaw are great as long as you can get the fine
grade. You want the cabbage and carrots finely-shredded.
The pork freezes well in plastic freezer bags and makes a great quick sandwich. Just heat in
the microwave or in boiling water if you’re using a food saver bag.
Turkey How-to:
Smoking is a fantastic method for cooking a turkey. Turkey is extremely mild, and smoking
gives it a rich, complex flavor in addition to producing moist, tender meat. Oven-roasted
turkey often runs into the problem of being dry and tough. This is caused by overcooking,
which is extremely easy to do when you're roasting a turkey. However, it's almost impossible
to overcook anything in your SmokinTex smoker because the temperature remains low and
the cooking is slow.
Which Wood to Use
The wood provides the smoke, and the smoke provides the flavor, so choose your wood with
care. You can use whatever variety of wood you like best. Any kind of fruit wood, such as
apple or cherry, complements turkey very well, but hickory, pecan, and maple will be equally
enticing. All the woods above are available through SmokinTex.
How to Pick the Turkey
We recommend that, if you wish to smoke a whole bird, you choose one that weighs no more
than about 18 pounds. Larger birds take too long to heat all the way through since the smoker
cooks at the low temperature of 225°F. If you choose a frozen turkey, it should be thoroughly
thawed before you begin.
Important Points
Food safety is of primary concern when smoking turkey. Turkey breasts, drumsticks, wings,
and whole turkeys are all suited for smoking, although for safety's sake, stick with whole
turkeys that weigh 18 pounds or less.
Thawing from the Experts
Turkey thawing hints from the National Turkey Federation: Turkeys can be thawed using one
of three methods, but the most fool-proof is in the refrigerator. The key to this method is to
plan ahead and allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird weight for thawing

in the refrigerator. This method is the safest and will result in the best finished product. Place
the bird, in the original wrapping, on a shallow baking dish in the refrigerator. The following
chart provides good guidelines for thawing times:
Refrigerator turkey
thawing time (40°F)
Turkey weight
Days to allow for thawing turkey
8 to 12 pounds
1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds
2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds
3 to 4 days
20 to 24 pounds
4 to 5 days
If you need to thaw the turkey more quickly, you may thaw the bird in COLD water, in the
original wrapping. The cold water must be changed every 30 minutes. Allow approximately 30
minutes per pound using this method.
COLD water turkey thawing time
Turkey weight
Hours to allow for thawing
8 to 12 pounds
4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds
6 to 8 hours
The third safe method for thawing a turkey is in the microwave. Follow the manufacturer’s
directions, and roast the turkey immediately after thawing. Make sure that you have
removed all the giblets and gizzards from the turkey, as well as the plastic pop-up
thermometer.
Bring on the Brine
Brining is not an essential part of smoking a turkey, but most people agree that soaking in a
brine gives their smoked meat maximum flavor and juiciness. Brine is a mixture of water and
salt, and usually sugar or honey as well. Many brine recipes also include a variety of spices.
A whole turkey can take up to 24 hours of brining, so plan ahead! After you remove your
turkey from the brine and are ready to smoke it, rinse it thoroughly in cool water to remove
excess salt, and then drain it and pat the bird dry with paper towels.
Rub It with Spice (You don’t rub it. Sprinkle it on.)
For evenly browned skin, rub the entire bird, in and out, with oil or butter. To add extra
flavor, you can also massage the turkey with a dry rub right before smoking. Keep in mind
that, if you have brined the turkey, you should not use any salt in the dry seasoning

mixture, or your turkey will taste far too salty to eat! Unfortunately, stuffing a smoked
turkey is not recommended. If you've got your heart set on stuffing, you can make it
separately in the oven.
You Can't Rush a Good Thing
Although smoking a turkey is pretty easy, it takes time. With your smoker running at 225° F,
the turkey will need about 50 minutes per pound to cook to perfection. So, a 12-pound bird
needs at least 10 hours, and even more if the smoker is at a lower temperature.
Give yourself plenty of time!
When the smoker is cleaned and ready
with foil on the floor, (don’t forget to put
your finger through the drain hole) place
the oiled and seasoned turkey directly
on the center rack breast-side up. Close
the smoker door, and set your
temperature. Avoid opening the smoker
too often because you will lose heat and
increase the cooking time. Using the "50
minutes per pound" rule, calculate how long the
turkey will take, and start checking the temperature at the end of this time. Insert the meat
thermometer deep into the thigh, being careful not to touch the bone or joints. When the
thermometer reads 180°F pull it out of the smoker, let it rest 15 minutes, and then serve.
Note: Your customers may think the turkey is raw if they've never encountered smoked
turkey before. The white meat has a pinkish hue although it is cooked all the way through.
Enjoy your smoker!
888-922-1511