Week 16 -- Smoking Method

Smoking is an indirect, convective cooking process that adds a unique flavor to foods. All foods can be smoked, not just meats. Smoked tomatoes and red peppers can add distinctive flavor to any preparation, but meats are the most popular products to smoke. Refer to it as smoke roasting, because that is what it really is. Smoking is similar to the steaming method, because the food product is suspended above or within the smoke source to absorb the smoke flavor. Any grill can be used as a smoker by using indirect heat for the food product on one side of the grill, with a smoker box filled with chips or pellets on the hot side of the grill, with lid down to facilitate convection. A dedicated smoker, of course, allows for better temperature control over a protracted amount of time.

  • Cold Smoking
    • Temperatures of 50F-85F
    • Meat, poultry, game, fish, cheese, nuts, vegetables can all be cold smoked
    • Most cold-smoked foods are brined or salt-cured first
    • Most cold-smoked meat must be cooked again after smoking, like bacon or ham
  • Hot Smoking
    • Temperatures of 200F-250F
    • Just about any food product can be hot smoked
    • Hot-smoked foods can be brined or cured to add flavor
    • Hot-smoked foods are generally fully cooked, one way or another, after smoking
  • Procedure for Smoking
    • Soak wood chips in water or broth for 1 hour or so (over-soaking causes more steam than smoke)
    • Drain all liquid from soaked wood
    • Add wood chips to smoker or stove-top pan, heat until they start to smoke, not indoors
    • Add food to be smoked on a rack above the heat source and smoking chips. Food should not come in contact with the smoking wood chips
    • Use thermometer to tell finished internal cooking temperature
  • Turn Gas Grill Into a Smoker
    • Ignite burner on one side and put tray of wood chips (smoker box or tube) over/near the burner (remove grate and get wood as close to burners as possible)
    • Put protein product on other side of grill with unlit burner and close lid for indirect, dry, convective heating, with smoke circulation
  • Try various hardwoods for smoking, hickory, pecan, cherry, apple, maple, or combinations of woods

Return to Top ›

  • Smoked Salmon (or other fish)
    • Ingredients
      • 1.5 lbs salmon fillets (or other fish)
      • Optional: Marinade
    • Procedure
      • Clean smoker grate, apply oil coating
      • Use wood of choice for smoking (cherry or maple or hickory is good)
      • Dry salmon thoroughly, coat lightly with olive oil
      • If salmon is not marinated, season with S&P as desired
      • Smoke the salmon according to Hot Smoking and Procedure for Smoking directions
      • Salmon is done when internal temperature reaches 145F

Return to Top ›