THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 30, 1995 TAG: 9508010425
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JERRY CRONIN, SPECIAL TO SUNDAY FLAVOR
LENGTH: Long : 402 lines
MANY PEOPLE associate smoke-cooking with the fanatical barbecuer who tends a robot-like contraption beginning in the wee hours of the morning.
Given that daunting image, many of us shy away from smoking our own foods.
But the wonderful flavor of smoked meats, seafood, vegetables and more can be every cook's achievement, from the backyard barbecuer to the stovetop hobbyist.
You don't even need a grill, just a few main ingredients: a covered space; a controllable heat source; flavorings, such as marinades or rubs; and chips or chunks of hardwood to impart a smoky taste.
You'll find the chips in hardware and homes stores. They include oak, mesquite and hickory for a bold taste, and fruit woods and vines for lighter flavor.
Even your yard can be a source of smoke wood. I've used trim-
mings from my pecan, cherry and apple trees, for example.
The wood is usually soaked in water before cooking begins, so it burns more slowly and creates a moist, penetrating smoke.
Some purists will use a fire made solely of the flavoring wood. But because of the cost of some smoke woods - a 2-pound bag of mesquite or hickory chips is about $2 at one local homes warehouse - and a limited supply, other cooks build a bed of coals with wood or charcoal, and add pieces of smoke wood.
Avoid soft woods, such as pine, which give off a not-so-tasty resin.
Marinades and other techniques before cooking can enhance the taste of smoked foods. But first try smoke-cooking without such special preparations.
Beginners may want to toss a few chips on the coals while cooking burgers. Soon, you'll be tossing in a handful each time you grill.
Learn to pair woods to particular meals. For pheasant, chicken or light-flavored fish, consider the sweeter tastes of fruit woods such as cherry or apple. Stronger flavored foods, such as beef, pork or salmon, benefit from the assertiveness of hickory and mesquite.
Rubs, mops, marinades
If you choose, add flavor by using marinades or ``rubs'' and ``mops.''
A rub is a combination of dry herbs and spices massaged into the meat before it is cooked. Food is typically rubbed the night before it is cooked, allowing the flavor to penetrate. But less time is sufficient for thin cuts of meat.
A mop is a sauce that keeps the rubbed meat from drying while it is smoke-cooked. A mop can be anything from a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce diluted with vinegar to a rub that you've held aside and combined with beer.
Some cooks prefer to use a marinade, spices combined with oil, and sometimes vinegar or citrus. The food is placed in the liquid for an an hour or two, a day or overnight.
Preparing your grill
Smoke-cooking is done slowly over indirect heat for several hours at medium temperatures, or more quickly at higher temperatures (see box).
If you have a charcoal grill, begin by building a fire in a corner of the unit. If your grill surface has a hinge, set it up so it opens over the coals. This allows you to add charcoal or wood chips for longer-smoking recipes.
To further isolate the foods from direct heat, place a brick between the charcoal and cooking areas.
Under the portion of the grill where the food will sit, place a pan to hold water or other liquid, such as wine, and to catch drippings from the food.
When the coals are ready, spread them in the heated area and add your smoke wood.
Keep the food over the drip pan, and close the lid to contain the smoke and reach temperatures of about 250 degrees.
Because smoking tinges most foods pink, an instant-read meat can help you determine when the food is cooked.
If you have a gas grill, place the hardwood chips in a packet of aluminum foil, pricking a few holes in the top and placing the packet on your briquettes.
If your gas grill has two sides, light one side. Place your chip packet on the lighted side and your drip pan and food on the other.
Something to keep in mind: The slower the cooking, the stronger the flavor. If you want to hasten the process, shift the food to the hot side of the grill.
But resist the temptation to peek - you'll lose heat and some of the smoky flavor.
Indoor methods
If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still smoke small amounts of food on the stove in a lidded pan.
The only extra piece of gear you'll need is a rack or small grill surface to hold food over the chips. Try a small cooling rack for bread, set on top of pie weights.
Soak a few hardwood chips in your favorite liquor, such as Gran Marnier, amaretto or whiskey. Put the chips in the bottom of the pan and heat on high until they smoke. Be sure the ``grill'' isn't sitting on the chips, and place your meat or vegetables on it. Close the lid and drop the heat to medium.
You'll need about the same time you would need to bake the foods in a hot oven; experiment with your setup to see what works best.
One last tip: Cleanup is easier if you put aluminum foil in the bottom of your stovetop pan. Never use pans with Teflon-type coatings, which can burn - ruining both the pan and the food.
Now that barbecue season is in full swing, try smoking a few meals to add a twist to your everyday fare. Once you have added this technique to your repertoire, you and your family will be hooked.
MANY PEOPLE associate smoke-cooking with the fanatical barbecuer who tends a robot-like contraption beginning in the wee hours of the morning.
Given that daunting image, many of us shy away from smoking our own foods.
But the wonderful flavor of smoked meats, seafood, vegetables and more can be every cook's achievement, from the backyard barbecuer to the stovetop hobbyist.
You don't even need a grill, just a few main ingredients: a covered space; a controllable heat source; flavorings, such as marinades or rubs; and chips or chunks of hardwood to impart a smoky taste.
You'll find the chips in hardware and homes stores. They include oak, mesquite and hickory for a bold taste, and fruit woods and vines for lighter flavor.
Even your yard can be a source of smoke wood. I've used trim-
mings from my pecan, cherry and apple trees, for example.
Soak the wood in water before cooking, so it burns more slowly and creates a moist, penetrating smoke.
Purists use a fire made solely of the flavoring wood. But because of the cost of some smoke woods - a 2-pound bag of mesquite or hickory chips is about $2 at one local homes warehouse - and a limited supply, other cooks build a bed of coals with wood or charcoal, and add pieces of smoke wood.
Avoid soft woods, such as pine, which give off a not-so-tasty resin.
Marinades and other techniques before cooking can enhance the taste of smoked foods. But first try smoke-cooking without such special preparations.
Toss a few chips on the coals while cooking burgers. Soon, you'll be tossing in a handful each time you grill.
Learn to pair woods to particular meals. For pheasant, chicken or light-flavored fish, consider the sweeter tastes of fruit woods such as cherry or apple. Stronger flavored foods, such as beef, pork or salmon, benefit from the assertiveness of hickory and mesquite.
Rubs, mops, marinades
If you choose, add flavor by using marinades or ``rubs'' and ``mops.''
A rub is a combination of dry herbs and spices massaged into the meat before it is cooked. Food is typically rubbed the night before, allowing the flavor to penetrate. But less time is sufficient for thin cuts of meat.
A mop is a sauce that keeps the rubbed meat from drying while it is smoke-cooked. A mop can be anything from a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce diluted with vinegar to a rub that you've held aside and combined with beer.
Some cooks prefer to use a marinade, spices combined with oil, and sometimes vinegar or citrus. The food is placed in the liquid for an an hour or two, a day or overnight.
Preparing your grill
Smoke-cooking is done slowly over indirect heat for several hours at medium temperatures, or more quickly at higher temperatures (see box).
If you have a charcoal grill, begin by building a fire in a corner of the unit. If your grill surface has a hinge, set it up so it opens over the coals. This allows you to add charcoal or wood chips for longer-smoking recipes.
To further isolate the foods from direct heat, place a brick between the charcoal and cooking areas.
Under the portion of the grill where the food will sit, place a pan to hold water or other liquid, such as wine, and to catch drippings from the food.
When the coals are ready, spread them in the heated area and add your smoke wood.
Keep the food over the drip pan, and close the lid to contain the smoke and reach temperatures of about 250 degrees.
Because smoking tinges most foods pink, an instant-read meat can help you determine when the food is cooked.
If you have a gas grill, place the hardwood chips in a packet of aluminum foil, pricking a few holes in the top and placing the packet on your briquettes.
If your gas grill has two sides, light one side. Place your chip packet on the lighted side and your drip pan and food on the other.
Something to keep in mind: The slower the cooking, the stronger the flavor. If you want to hasten the process, shift the food to the hot side of the grill.
But resist the temptation to peek - you'll lose heat and some of the smoky flavor.
On the stovetop
If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still smoke small amounts of food on the stove in a lidded pan.
The only extra piece of gear you'll need is a rack or small grill surface to hold food over the chips. Try a small cooling rack for bread, set on top of pie weights.
Soak a few hardwood chips in your favorite liqueur, such as Gran Marnier or amaretto. Put the chips in the bottom of the pan and heat on high until they smoke. Be sure the ``grill'' isn't sitting on the chips, and place your meat or vegetables on it. Close the lid and drop the heat to medium.
You'll need about the same time you would need to bake the foods in a hot oven; experiment with your setup to see what works best.
One last tip: Cleanup is easier if you put aluminum foil in the bottom of your stovetop pan. Never use pans with Teflon-type coatings, which can burn - ruining both the pan and the food.
Now that barbecue season is in full swing, try smoking a few meals to add a twist to your everyday fare. Once you have added this technique to your repertoire, you and your family will be hooked.
MANY PEOPLE associate smoke-cooking with the fanatical barbecuer who tendsa robot-like contraption beginning in the wee hours of the morning.
Given that daunting image, many of us shy away from smoking our own foods.
But the wonderful flavor of smoked meats, seafood, vegetables and more can be every cook's achievement, from the backyard barbecuer to the stovetop hobbyist.
You don't even need a grill, just a few main ingredients: a covered space; a heat source you can regulate; flavorings, such as marinades or rubs; and chips or chunks of hardwood to impart a smoky taste.
You'll find the chips in hardware and homes stores. They include oak, mesquite and hickory for a bold taste, and fruit woods and vines for lighter flavor.
Even your yard can be a source of smoke wood. I've used trimmings from my pecan, cherry and apple trees, for example.
The wood is usually soaked in water before cooking begins, so it burns more slowly and creates a moist, penetrating smoke.
Some purists will use a fire made solely of the flavoring wood. But because of the cost of some smoke woods - a 2-pound bag of mesquite or hickory chips is about $2 at one local homes warehouse - and a limited supply, other cooks build a bed of coals with wood or charcoal, and add pieces of smoke wood.
Avoid soft woods, such as pine, which give off a not-so-tasty resin.
Marinades and other techniques before cooking can enhance the taste of smoked foods. But to truly taste the wood, first try smoke-cooking without such special preparations.
Beginners may want to toss a few chips on the coals while cooking burgers. Soon, you'll be tossing in a handful each time you prepare a meal.
Learn to pair woods to particular meals. For pheasant, chicken or light-flavored fish, for example, consider the sweeter tastes of fruit woods such as cherry or apple. Stronger flavored foods, such as beef, pork or salmon, benefit from the assertiveness of hickory and mesquite.
If you choose, add flavor by using marinades or ``rubs'' and ``mops.''
A rub is a combination of dry herbs and spices massaged into the meat before it is cooked. Food is typically rubbed the night before it is cooked, allowing the flavor to penetrate. But less time is sufficient for thin cuts of meat.
A mop is a sauce that keeps the rubbed meat from drying while it is smoke-cooked. A mop can be anything from a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce diluted with vinegar to a rub that you've held aside and combined with beer.
Some cooks prefer to use a marinade, spices combined with oil, and sometimes vinegar or citrus. The food is placed in the liquid for an an hour or two, a day or overnight.
Slow smoke-cooking is done over indirect heat for several hours at medium temperatures, or more quickly at higher temperatures (see box inside).
If you have a charcoal grill, begin by building a fire in a corner of the unit. If your grill surface has a hinge, set it up so it opens over the coals. This allows you to add charcoal or wood chips for longer-smoking recipes.
To further isolate the foods from direct heat, place a brick between the charcoal and cooking areas.
Under the portion of the grill where the food will sit, place a pan to hold water or other liquid and to catch drippings from the food.
When the coals are ready, spread them in the heated area and add your smoke wood.
Keep the food over the drip pan, and close the lid to contain the smoke and reach tempertures of about 250 degrees.
Because smoking tinges most foods pink, an instant-read meat can help you determine when the food is cooked.
If you have a gas grill, place the hardwood chips in a packet of aluminum foil, pricking a few holes in the top and placing the packet on your briquettes.
If your gas grill has two sides, light one side. Place your chip packet on the lighted side and your drip pan and food on the other.
Something to keep in mind: The slower the cooking, the stronger the flavor. If you want to hasten the process, shift the food to the hot side of the grill.
But resist the temptation to peek - you'll lose heat and some of the smoky flavor.
If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still smoke small amounts of food on the stove in a lidded pan.
The only extra piece of gear you'll need is a rack or small grill surface to hold food over the chips. Try a small cooling rack for bread, set on top of pie weights.
Soak a few hardwood chips in your favorite liquor. Put the chips in the bottom of the pan and heat them on high until they start to smoke. Be sure the ``grill'' isn't sitting on the chips, and place your meat or vegetables on it. Close the lid and drop the heat to medium.
You'll need about the same time you would need to bake the foods in a hot oven; experiment with your setup to see what works best.
Now that barbecue season is in full swing, try smoking a few meals to add a twist to your everyday fare. Once you have added this technique to your repertoire, you and your family will be hooked.
MANY PEOPLE associate smoke-cooking with the fanatical barbecuer who tends a robot-like contraption beginning in the wee hours of the morning.
Given that daunting image, many of us shy away from smoking our own foods.
But the wonderful flavor of smoked meats, seafood, vegetables and more can be every cook's achievement, from the backyard barbecuer to the stovetop hobbyist.
You don't even need a grill, just a few main ingredients: a covered space; a controllable heat source; flavorings, such as marinades or rubs; and chips or chunks of hardwood to impart a smoky taste.
You'll find the chips in hardware and homes stores. They include oak, mesquite and hickory for a bold taste, and fruit woods and vines for lighter flavor.
Even your yard can be a source of smoke wood. I've used trimmings from my pecan, cherry and apple trees, for example.
The wood is usually soaked in water before cooking begins, so it burns more slowly and creates a moist, penetrating smoke.
Some purists will use a fire made solely of the flavoring wood. But because of the cost of some smoke woods - a 2-pound bag of mesquite or hickory chips is about $2 at one local homes warehouse - and a limited supply, other cooks build a bed of coals with wood or charcoal, and add pieces of smoke wood.
Avoid soft woods, such as pine, which give off a not-so-tasty resin.
Marinades and other techniques before cooking can enhance the taste of smoked foods. But to truly taste the wood, first try smoke-cooking without such special preparations.
Beginners may want to toss a few chips on the coals while cooking burgers. Soon, you'll be tossing in a handful each time you prepare a meal.
Learn to pair woods to particular meals. For pheasant, chicken or light-flavored fish, for example, consider the sweeter tastes of fruit woods such as cherry or apple. Stronger flavored foods, such as beef, pork or salmon, benefit from the assertiveness of hickory and mesquite.
Rubs, mops, marinades
If you choose, add flavor by using marinades or ``rubs'' and ``mops.''
A rub is a combination of dry herbs and spices massaged into the meat before it is cooked. Food is typically rubbed the night before it is cooked, allowing the flavor to penetrate. But less time is sufficient for thin cuts of meat.
A mop is a sauce that keeps the rubbed meat from drying while it is smoke-cooked. A mop can be anything from a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce diluted with vinegar to a rub that you've held aside and combined with beer.
Some cooks prefer to use a marinade, spices combined with oil, and sometimes vinegar or citrus. The food is placed in the liquid for an an hour or two, a day or overnight.
Preparing your grill
Smoke-cooking is done slowly over indirect heat for several hours at medium temperatures, or more quickly at higher temperatures (see box).
If you have a charcoal grill, begin by building a fire in a corner of the unit. If your grill surface has a hinge, set it up so it opens over the coals. This allows you to add charcoal or wood chips for longer-smoking recipes.
To further isolate the foods from direct heat, place a brick between the charcoal and cooking areas.
Under the portion of the grill where the food will sit, place a pan to hold water or other liquid, such as wine, and to catch drippings from the food.
When the coals are ready, spread them in the heated area and add your smoke wood.
Keep the food over the drip pan, and close the lid to contain the smoke and reach temperatures of about 250 degrees. The heat cooks the food.
Because smoking tinges most foods pink, an instant-read meat can help you determine when the food is cooked.
If you have a gas grill, place the hardwood chips in a packet of aluminum foil, pricking a few holes in the top and placing the packet on your briquettes.
If your gas grill has two sides, light one side. Place your chip packet on the lighted side and your drip pan and food on the other.
Something to keep in mind: The slower the cooking, the stronger the flavor. If you want to hasten the process, shift the food to the hot side of the grill.
But resist the temptation to peek - you'll lose heat and some of the smoky flavor.
Indoor methods
If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still smoke small amounts of food on the stove in a lidded pan.
The only extra piece of gear you'll need is a rack or small grill surface to hold food over the chips. Try a small cooling rack for bread, set on top of pie weights.
Soak a few hardwood chips in your favorite liquor, such as Gran Marnier, amaretto or whiskey. Put the chips in the bottom of the pan and heat them on high until they start to smoke. Be sure the ``grill'' isn't sitting on the chips, and place your meat or vegetables on it. Close the lid and drop the heat to medium.
You'll need about the same time you would need to bake the foods in a hot oven; experiment with your setup to see what works best.
One last tip: Cleanup is easier if you put aluminum foil in the bottom of your stovetop pan. Never use pans with Teflon-type coatings, which can burn - ruining both the pan the and food.
Now that barbecue season is in full swing, try smoking a few meals to add a twist to your everyday fare. Once you have added this technique to your repertoire, you and your family will be hooked. MEMO: Jerry Cronin is a free-lance writer and avid cook living in Norfolk. The
following recipes were kitchen-tested by the writer. ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff color photos
TOP: If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still smoke small
amounts of food on the stove in a lidded pan.
ABOVE: Salmon and shrimp benefit from smoking, as do meats and
vegetables.
Graphics
CHOOSE YOUR METHOD
For smoke-cooking food on a small scale, generally you have three
choices:
Slow smoking:
Done at medium temperatures (180 to 250 degrees) for several
hours.
Most commonly uses special smokers available at home-and-garden
stores, but can be done with a lidded grill.
Imparts a strong smoke flavor.
Fast smoking:
Done at normal grilling temperatures.
Start food on cool side of grill; move it to hot side to speed up
the cooking.
Uses a lidded barbecue.
Pan smoking:
Uses lidded pan on regular stove.
Requires small grill or grate to hold meat above wood chips.
Imparts a delicate but noticeable smoke flavor.
GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUTS
The smoke-cooking techniques described here are excellent for
cooking for the family. But if you regularly prepare larger amounts
of food for crowds, or want to smoke the holiday turkey, consider
using a special rig.
Specially constructed smokers range from the familiar upright
cylinder smokers to miniature versions of a Texas fire pit.
These units allow the cook to keep food off the direct heat of
the coals by positioning a water tray between coals and grill
surface or by keeping coals in a separate chamber.
Check your local home and garden store. And follow the directions
provided with your unit.
by CNB