Charcoal Grilled Asparagus

Our asparagus after seasoning and ready to become Charcoal grilled Asparagus!

Guest Blogger

By Chef C. V. Calle Guest Chef in Residence, SmokinLicious Kitchens

Nothing in the vegetable word represents late spring-early summer than fresh local asparagus but the window for fresh local asparagus is a short one. The growing season in our area (Western New York State) typically begins mid to late May and lasts until mid to late June all depending on the weather. Buying your asparagus at a Farmers Market or a Farm Stand provides the highest quality asparagus.

Luckily asparagus season corresponds to the beginning of outdoor grilling season and that is a good thing. If you have never prepared asparagus on the grill read this and you may never want to boil or steam asparagus again.

Fortunately for me, my good friends Terry and Donna Grant, owners of SmokinLicious® in Olean, New York provided me with their locally manufactured charwood product for grilling. Try it and you will never go back to charcoal briquettes again. SmokinLicious® all-natural charwood, adds flavor as well as the high heat needed for proper grilling. Remember, cooking with wood is not just a heat source because when you grill with high-quality wood products like SmokinLicious® you add substantial and delicious flavor to whatever is on the grill.

This is a simple recipe and takes just minutes to prepare.

Charcoal Grilled Asparagus- Ingredients: (serves 2 to 4 persons as a side dish)

1 pound local farmer’s market asparagus

high-quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

salt & pepper

Procedure for Charcoal Grilled Asparagus:

1. Wash and break off the tough bottom two inches of each asparagus spear
2. Toss with EVOO and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
3. Place asparagus on a hot grill top
4. Cook 3-10 minutes; depending on the size of the stems and until lightly charred on the outside but the stems remain firm and crisp (al dente). Tasting a spear or two while cooking will let you know when they are ready to eat
5. Remove from grill, add salt and pepper to taste and you are ready to go
6. Optional plating technique: top with fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese and drizzle with a high-quality balsamic glaze

Charcoal Grilled Asparagus- Chef’s Recommendation:

The above recipe is suitable for anyone including vegans. If you are a meat eater, always grill your asparagus after you finish grilling your meat. While the beef, pork, lamb or chicken rests you can complete this process. Place asparagus spears on the grill where the meat was located, and the small amount of fat left on the grill top adds to the flavor of the natural wood. (This recipe can also be used on a gas grill with wood chunks placed on the heat shields).

Purchase products:

Charwood

Additional reading:

-WHY CHAR-WOOD IS THE BETTER OPTION OVER CHARCOAL

-EMBER FIRED ASPARAGUS ON THE HIBACHI

-Flank Steak Pinwheels with Ember Roasted Asparagus

-Crostini with Smoked Asparagus

Thank you, Chef Calle, for this Charcoal Grilled Asparagus recipe- It was yummy!

THE KITCHEN FIND!

Stove top smoking techniques do not require fancy equipment, there are plenty of pots in your kitchen.

STOVE TOP SMOKING….

If you’re like me, over the years you’ve become a collector of various cooking gadgets and equipment to the point where you simply don’t have room for one more thing! Yet, you are enamored with the thought of doing stove top smoking & cooking when the weather isn’t cooperating or you simply prefer to be in the house rather than take food and gadgets outside.

Well, I have got just the solution for you!

Stove top smoking can be as easy as locating a deep pot with lid, metal steamer insert, aluminum foil and tools you likely already own.

Now when I say deep pot I’m talking about a lobster pot, large sauce pot, or even a Dutch oven. Anything that has capacity to hold a suitable number of food items on a steamer insert will do.

Once you have your pot and food item that you want to smoke follow these steps.

STEPS FOR STOVE TOP SMOKING:

• Put a piece of foil at the bottom of the pot so it touches both sides

• Sprinkle a ¼ cup of unsoaked wood chips on the foil (you can use any of our wood chip sizes but I prefer the Minuto® Wood Chip sizes)

• Place a second piece of foil or disposable foil pie plate on the chips followed by your steamer insert. (This will keep drippings from falling on the chips.)

• Place the food items (chicken, fish, pork, beef, vegetables, fruit, etc.) on the steamer. Be careful not to crowd so the smoke can circulate around the food.

• Depending on the extra room in your pot, if there is a lot of surface above the foods, go ahead and tent the steamer insert with foil so the smoke vapor has less area it needs to travel

• Put the lid on the pot and seal the rim with foil to ensure none of the smoke vapor can escape

• Turn the heat under the pot to high and allow to begin the smoking for 5-8 minutes

• Reduce the heat to medium and cook small food items like chicken, fish, vegetables, or fruit for 10-15 minutes. Large food items like pork tenderloin, beef short ribs, etc. for 30-40 minutes.

• Shut off the heat and allow the food to rest in the residual smoke vapor for 10 minutes

• Remove the lid and foil tent if one was used

If you have done smaller cuts of poultry, fish, or meat, these may well be cooked through (175° F for dark meat 165° F for white meat). Otherwise, if cooking is still required, transfer the food to an oven safe dish or sheet pan and finish cooking in the oven.

There you have it!

A simple in-house, smoking technique using tools you likely already have in the kitchen! Just think, you stayed warm, dry, and comfortable in your own house while the Grande Sapore®, Minuto®, or Piccolo® Wood Chips did their wood-fired magic.

As always, we would love to see your take on the homemade stove top smoker so send along pictures.

info@smokinlicious.com

SmokinLicious® Products used in this technique:

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto®, Piccolo®

Additional reading:

-A DIY STOVE TOP SMOKER MAKES PERFECT SMOKED RICOTTA CHEESE

-THE EASY METHOD TO COLD SMOKED CHEESE

-PERFECTION OF THE SMOKED PEAR!

-TO THE SMOKE THE CHESTNUT GOES!

Dr. Smoke “It doesn’t take fancy equipment to smoke foods on the stove top.”

Let’s explore the primary heat sources for Grilling!

Exploring the primary heat sources for Grilling Share on X

PRIMARY HEAT SOURCES FOR GRILLING-

We grill outdoors frequently yet I bet not many of you know the science behind grilling. What happens to food when we grill? How does food cook to a safe level on a grill?

Let’s cover the types of heat sources that cook grilled meats and help you decide the ideal method for cooking your favorite animal proteins.

What Is Meat?

Before I get into the types of heat sources to do the actual grilling, let’s talk about what meat really is. Meat is muscle from various animals. It is made up of 75% water, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates and fat. Each cell of a muscle is made of two proteins: actin and myosin.

Now breaking down the proteins of meat, these are made of amino acids which react nicely when salt ions are added. Thus, when salt ions are added, the water-retaining capability of meat increases which results in production of a juicy piece of grilled meat.

Now these proteins in meat are coiled when the meat is raw. Add heat, and these proteins uncoil as the protein molecule bonds are broken.

Note – heat shrinks the muscle fibers which will then squeeze out water allowing the molecules to recombine. Brining or marinating meat will reduce this shrinkage of the fibers.

Primary Heat Sources for Grilling

There are three heat sources for cooking foods: conduction, radiation, and convection. Let’s get an understanding of each one.

Conduction primary heat sources for grilling:

The best example of conductive heat is when meats are placed directly on the grill grates over direct heat. The transfer of the heat energy to the grill grate brands the food item with grill marks. Heat is transferred from the source (burner, lit charcoal or wood, electric element, ceramic plate) to the food which then engages the cooking process. The meat cooks from the outside to the inside due to heat transfer. The surface of the meat gets hotter and transfers to the center which is why people who rely on the meat’s outside coloring will under-cook the meat inside.

Convection primary heat sources for grilling:

Convection heat is transferred with a fluid which can include water (think boiling a food item like potato), oil (think French fries), and air (think your oven or two-zone cooking on a grill). Now, convection cooking only occurs on the exterior of the food while conduction heat cooks the interior.

Radiation primary heat sources for grilling:

My favorite example of radiation heat is cooking marshmallows on a stick held near a campfire. Essentially, this is how charcoal/wood grills cook. You elevate the food over the heat source.

What influences grilling is the length of time and the type of heat. Add in difference between temperature and heat as materials also play a part in the transfer of the heat energy. Water transfers slower than metal.

Radiation produces more heat than convection. You can easily increase the radiation heat on a charcoal grill by increasing the number of charcoal pieces. Gas and pellet grills produce convection heat. Convection heat dissipates easily by air currents. Infrared units known as intense infrared (IR) have marketed that they produce a better sear on meats. What is happening is heat energy is delivered faster than convection heat units but slower than conduction units. You also have the risks that the delivery of this energy via IR could be uneven resulting in black/burnt areas while other areas of the meat are light in color.

Primary Heat Sources for Grilling- Types of Heat on Different Equipment

Let’s look at the heat types for specific equipment so you know how the energy used cooks your meat.

Gas Grills:

Burner produces radiant heat that in turn heats the heat shields above the burners producing radiant and convection heat (note gas grills have permanent vents built in the unit). The grill grates then heat and produce conduction heat to the exterior of the meat which converts all this heat energy to conduction to cook the meat thru the interior.

Note gas grills can be set up with direct cooking (all burners on) and indirect cooking (only half the burners lit). If you cook with the lid up on a gas grill, you allow radiant heat to escape which will cool the top of the meat.

Charcoal/Wood Units:

Radiant heat is produced at the bottom of these units with the grilling grates absorbing the heat energy that produces conduction heat. Heat from below the meat is absorbed and converted to conduction heat to cook the interior. The lids on these units will produce convection heat due to the built-in vent that has a control setting.

Like gas units, charcoal/wood units can be set up direct or indirect cooking method with the foods absorbing indirect convection heat from all sides which then converts to conduction heat to cook the meat’s interior.

Flat Tops/Plancha/Griddles:

Whether gas or charcoal fed, the fuel source produces radiant heat while the solid cooking surface produces conduction heat to the meat. Due to direct contact of the meat to the solid cooking surface, the direct contact side of the meat will brown easily while this no lid unit allows radiant heat to escape causing the top of the meat to cool and not brown.

Infrared Units:

Burners on these units produce radiant heat which then heat energize the ceramic, glass or metal plate. Grilling grates absorb the heat and produce conduction heat where the surface of the meat contacts the grate.

Always remember, on any unit regardless of heat source, thickness of the meat and not poundage will determine cooking time as you must remember that conduction cooking progresses to the interior. You must use a digital thermometer to ensure meat is cooked properly before consuming. Never rely on the outer coloring of the meat or recommended time per pound in a recipe. A digital thermometer is the only way to know.

Making you an informed consumer through valuable articles like this one. Leave us a comment and follow us or subscribe for more great recipes, techniques, tips, and the science behind the flavor and fire. That’s SmokinLicious®

SmokinLicious® Products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Minuto®

Smoker Logs- Full & Quarter Cut

Charwood

More related reading on the primary heat sources for Grilling & Smoking tips and techniques see our directory on previous blogs!

Other blogs you may like:

-3 METHODS OF SMOKING BOSTON BUTT FOR AUTHENTIC BARBECUE FLAVOR

-TEMPERATURE, MATERIAL AND TIME DETERMINE WHEN ITS CALLED BARBECUE

-PICKING YOUR IDEAL FIRE SETUP FOR COOKING

-WHY TWO-ZONE COOKING METHOD LET’S YOU WALK AWAY FROM THE GRILL

Dr. Smoke- Let’s become better chefs and explore the primary heat sources for grilling!

We do a summer favorite WOOD FIRED GRILLED WATERMELON!

WOOD FIRED GRILLED WATERMELON BECOMES A STAR

You may have seen segments on grilling watermelon before which show slices of watermelon on a standard gas grill. Although I agree that the heat generated from the grill will produce a sweet outcome, there is no comparison to doing a grilling technique that incorporates wood for added flavor.

In this segment, I’ll show you how to grill watermelon on a grill of your choice with wood chunks for the unique combination of sweet and char flavors that only comes from grilling with wood.

Grilled Watermelon- Easy Prep

I think this is by far, the easiest preparation for the grill. All you need is a watermelon of your choosing and a grill; gas, electric or charcoal. Just 2-3 wood chunks from SmokinLicious® and about 20 minutes once you have a lit grill, and this method of bringing flavor to the standard watermelon will be complete.

As watermelon contains a lot of water, it is essential that you work with a medium heat setting on your gas grill and hot coals with a moderate flame for the charcoal grill. If using a gas grill, be sure to set up the wood chunks on just one side of the grill and allow the chunks to smolder first so there is plenty of smoke vapor. Since watermelon grills in no time at all, you want to have enough smoke vapor produced to give a great tasty outcome for both a gas grill or charcoal grill method. Electric smokers are self-contained allowing for simple dialing in about 15 minutes worth of smoking time.

For the watermelon, cut lengthwise in half and cut each half into individual slices about 1-1/2 to 2” thick. Or, you can remove all the rind and grill just the watermelon meat. Keep fire safe tongs at the ready so you can turn the watermelon slices just once as they evaporate some water and sweeten up. DO NOT leave the grill! This fruit requires a careful watch so stay put and you’ll have every piece cooked to perfection.

So Many Uses for Grilled Watermelon

You’ll see how the watermelon darkens in color, get bits of char coloring to the skin, and is less water soluble. That’s the perfect outcome. Now it’s time to think about how to use your wood flavored melon.

First, you can enjoy it as is. When I serve this naked, I just give one additional flavor such as fresh, chopped mint. But if you’re looking for a lunch or lite dinner entrée, think salad by including some baby arugula, goat cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar. For a spicy version, sprinkle the wedges with red pepper flakes, a bit of granulated sugar, and lime zest. Wood fired watermelon also works great with other summer favorites like grape and cherry tomato, pepper slices, sugar snow peas, and cucumber. No matter how you choose to serve it, grilled watermelon with wood flavoring is going to top your list of grilled favorites.

Proving that there’s more to wood-fired cooking than just animal proteins, SmokinLicious® brings you great ideas for recipes featuring a wood-fired ingredient. Bringing you tips, techniques, recipes and the science behind the fire and smoke.

Purchase products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

More Related reading on “What Wood for Smoking” and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques

Additional reading:

-WOOD-FIRED APPLES MAKE THE BEST CAKE

-PEACHES WOOD FIRED FOR A SMOKY FLAVORFUL GAZPACHO

-Smoked Snow Peas With Cucumber Salad

Dr. Smoke- Wood fired grilled watermelon is my favorite summertime dessert!

We never apply THE 5 SECOND RULE at SmokinLicious®

THE 5 SECOND RULE

listen to our blog regarding wood chips for smoking

We’ve all heard it! The infamous 5-second rule. When something falls on the floor, you have 5 seconds to pick it up and still consume it. At SmokinLicious®, that will NEVER be the case. If it falls to the floor, it is NEVER used in our manufacturing process!

You might ask, “Why to apply this rule when we’re only talking about wood, right?” If you understand the basis of wood-fired cooking then you understand that smoke is a vapor. And like any vapor, it attaches itself to anything in its surrounding area. When you cook with wood, you are adding its smoke or vapor as an ingredient to the foods being cooked.

So, do you really want something that has been on the floor for a short period or a longer period to be considered an ingredient in the food you will consume?

SmokinLicious® is unique in this thinking and as a result of this approach allowed our wood processes to be Kosher certified! We handle everything with care and with your food consumption in mind. To us, wood is a flavor ingredient and needs to be exceptionally clean.

Whether it’s our larger cuts of hardwood like our friction logs, barrel logs, and assorted chunk sizes or our smallest product, Smokin’ Dust®, we ensure that the wood never touches the ground or floor. SmokinLicious® developed custom storage containers and air collected systems that preserve the cleanliness of the wood and assure no product is EVER swept from the floor!

Why wouldn’t you want to deal with the leading cooking wood manufacturer in North America? Especially when others are simply recycling their waste wood products.

Don’t you think your customers care about the 5-second rule and deserve to know if you allow it?

Get the peace of mind AND a guarantee with a REAL cooking wood company… SmokinLicious®!

Dr. Smoke does not believe in THE 5 SECOND RULE at SmokinLicious®

Barbecue basics- charcoal, wood, cooking temperature and fun time

Barbecue basics is what you need Share on X

It’s time I go there. I’ve fielded way too many questions to ignore it. Now is the perfect time for me to opine on this highly controversial topic: when it’s called barbecue.

How do you define “true” barbecue?

I have three parameters to cooking that I’d like to address that should help explain my justification for what qualifies as barbecue basics.

(more…)

The precious forest, source of forest grown hardwoods, covers 513,175 acres (801.8 square miles) and includes the Allegheny Reservoir Natural Habitat.

FOREST GROWN HARDWOODS

It is likely when you have your heart set on some wood-fired cooked foods that you give little attention to the wood that will be required for that cooking event. You may have seen wood smoker chips or chunks available in your local box store and decided that you can always pick those up last minute, to be assured your plans aren’t foiled. Or, you simply plan to go with charcoal chips without considering that this product is made from wood as well. Is the product made from something less than forest grown hardwoods? Smokinlicious® uses only forest grown hardwoods in the production of our entire line of cooking and smoking woods!

STOP and ponder this for a moment – Do you realize where exactly those wood products come from?

Unless you are in a direct county of involvement, you likely have not realized the invasions that are occurring readily to our forests, woodlots, and home landscapes.

To date, here are some of the diseases and infestations we are battling in the USA’s Precious Forest regions:

• Emerald Ash Borer
• Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
• Whitebark Pine Beatle
• Beech Bark Disease
• Dutch Elm Disease
• Butternut Canker
• Asian Longhorn Beetle
• Dogwood Anthracnose
• Gypsy Moth
• Balsam Woolly Adelgid
• Laurel Wilt disease
• Sirex Wood Wasp
• Sudden Oak Death
• Polyphagous & Kuroshio Shot Hole Borer affecting sycamores, willows, oaks, maples (including Boxelder), and commercial avocado trees.

EVERY state in the US has battled imported forest pests with the hardest hit being New York State followed closely by MA, WI, IL, VA, MI, NJ, OH, and CA. Every decade, 25 new insect pests are established in the US which can lead for potential decimate of an entire tree species in just decades.

So why if you are a lover of BBQ smoking chips or BBQ wood chunks (smoking using wood chunks or woodchips) or other wood-fired foods, should issues with bugs be of concern? Because cooking by fire is the oldest known cooking method for humankind. Right now, you may simply enjoy 3 benefits of trees: for shade, for beauty (viewing), and for a flavor to foods cooked on your grill/smoker.

But there are many other benefits to forest grown hardwoods:

• Decrease atmospheric carbon by capturing and storing CO2
• Improve air quality by filtering pollutants and releasing oxygen
• Reduce stormwater runoff and pollutants entering local water bodies
• Increase property values by 3-7%

The pollutant removal alone that trees are responsible for provides a human health benefit worth $6.8 billion per year! Trees keep us alive!

As of December 2016, NYS DEC has detected an increased prevalence of Oak Wilt in the state which has no known treatment to contain and kill this fungus. Oak is one of the most popular hardwoods for wood-fired cooking methods.

Please, take the time to source wood for cooking from reputable sources and follow the laws in place in your specific state to ensure we can limit the spread of these pests and diseases, and continue to enjoy the oldest method of cooking: by fire!

related reading on this subject!

Additional reading:

-ARE FRUITWOOD TREES LIKE THE APPLE “SNOW WHITE” BIT INTO?

-TO BARK OR NOT

-SHOULD YOU GRILL WITH MOLDY WOODS?

Purchase Products:

Wood Chips-Grande Sapore®

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Dr.Smoke- “Appreciate the precious forest as our renewable resource and source for forest grown hardwoods for cooking and smoking.”

Oak tree in full autumn canopy.

AS HARD AS OAK HARDWOOD!

With over 60 species of oak hardwood in the USA, this hardwood can be split into two categories: Red Oak and White Oak. It is one of the most popular hardwoods to use in cooking likely because of its ready availability. But as we’ve mentioned before, just because something is available in your area, doesn’t make it a success for all cooking techniques and foods.

Oak is a heavy, strong, and ring-porous hardwood resulting in a coarse texture and prominent grain. Oak hardwood is part of the Fagaceae family of wood. The scientific names for the varieties we manufacture are Quercus coccinea Muenchh., Quercus falcata Michx. Var. Falcata, Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm., Quercus prinus L., and Quercus velutina Lam. The common names for the varieties found in the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania regions include Red Oak, Spanish Oak, Yellow Chestnut Oak, Rock Oak, Smoothbark Oak.

Oak is considered the strongest in flavor for hardwoods. It is known for providing deep coloring to the outer skin of foods meaning a very dark often black outer skin and it can be overpowering to those who aren’t used to smoked foods. It also is a hardwood that can mold easily especially when exposed to significant variations in temperature and humidity. Additionally, it does not like to make contact with metal which can be a challenge when cutting with metal/steel tools! Oak will show its distaste by producing black streaks on the wood or even coating its entire outside with a black “dye”-like substance.

Oak Hardwood Cooking & Smoking Profile:

Heat Level: High – 21.7 (red) 26.5 (white) MBTU

Fuel Efficiency: Excellent

Ease of Lighting: Fair

Ideal Uses: Grilling/Braising/Pit Roasting/Hot Smoking/Cold Smoking (white)

So, if you are keen on bold flavors and definitely like smokiness to your foods, then oak is a clear winner. However, I do recommend using less of this wood when cooking poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables and herbs/spices especially if you have a gas assist unit or are using lump hardwood charcoal or hardwood Charwood for fuel.

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Blocks

Smoker Logs

Wood Chunks: Double and Single Filet

Wood Chips: Grande Sapore®, Minuto®, & Piccolo®

More Related reading on “What Wood for Smoking” and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques

Related reading:

-THE BOLDNESS OF OAK!

-IS THE FOOD INDUSTRY CULPABLE FOR THE SPREAD OF OAK TREE MORTALITY?

-COOKING WITH WOOD YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR SAFETY

-WHAT WOOD TO USE FOR SMOKING: A PRIMER

Dr. Smoke uses Oak Hardwood for long ember fired cooking and grilling!

Smoked Whiskey Cocktails are great libations for drinking!

Guest blog- Kylee Harris, an events planner and writer.

Let's Smoke the Whiskey for our cocktails Share on X

There are over 550 annual barbeque competition events in the United States. Originally constrained to the Southern states, barbeque is now ubiquitous in most parts of the country. Thanks to the popularity of all things vintage, craft cocktails have made a huge comeback, and although it may not seem so at first glance, these two are a match made in heaven. As creative as barbeque pitmasters can get with their rubs and sauces, so, too, can you with specialty cocktails featuring smoked whiskey to pair with smoked meats.

Smoked Whiskey Manhattan- A Classic Match

You don’t need a pull-behind trailer rigged with the latest smoking equipment to make your own delicious smoked meats. As long as your kitchen is equipped with a stove, you can get in on this delicious food preparation. While you can purchase stovetop smokers, it’s fairly easy to DIY a smoker yourself with household products you probably already own. No matter what you’re serving, a Manhattan will pair beautifully with your meat.

Classic Manhattan

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 2 oz. whiskey
• ½ oz. sweet vermouth
• dash of Angostura bitters
• orange peel
• Maraschino cherry

Shake whiskey, vermouth, and bitters with ice; strain into lowball glass. Rub the rim of your glass with the orange peel and garnish with cherry. Substitute vermouth with 1 oz. of agave nectar and use chocolate bitters and Jim Beam Devil’s Cut (barrel aged whiskey) for an alternate take on this classic.

A Smoked Whiskey Summer Treat

Take this simple, two-ingredient cocktail and kick it up a notch by infusing it with a smokey flavor that matches your menu. With a smoking gun (available for around $100, or you can make your own with some inexpensive tubing and a small-mouthed container), you can “rinse” your chilled glasses with smoke, or even smoke your entire concoction, using the same wood you use for your meat. The tartness of the grapefruit juice will cut the richness of the meat and is perfect for a backyard, al fresco dinner.

Jack Honey

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey
• 3 oz. fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice

Pour over ice into collins glass.

Something Truly Special

If your skills as a pitmaster aren’t the only thing you want to show off, here is a very special cocktail that will wow your guests. The smokey flavor and touch of cinnamon gives the classic whiskey sour a brand new twist that will leave your guests in awe. You’ll need to plan ahead for this one, as it requires two different, homemade syrups, but if you’re looking to win for best bartender, this one can’t lose.

Smokey Sour

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 2 oz. whiskey
• ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. cinnamon bark syrup (.3 oz cinnamon bark, 1 cup Turbinado sugar, 1 cup water; bring ingredients to a boil and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes, let sit for 2 hours, strain and keep refrigerated)
• ¼ oz. Lapsang souchong tea syrup (3-4 tea bags, 1 cup Turbinado sugar, 1 cup water; bring ingredients to a boil and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes, let sit for 2 hours, strain and keep refrigerated)
• 1 egg white

Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake until frothy. Strain into a coupe glass.

The bold, rich flavor of whiskey is the perfect complement to a rich, smoked meat dish; both American traditions trace their roots back to the South. If you are looking to skip the same old beer next time you smoke meat for your guests, you can’t go wrong with whiskey cocktails, either made-to-order or batched for a larger group. Let the elements of barbequing guide you to experiment with new techniques and flavors and take your pairings to a new level.

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Chips- Minuto® & Piccolo®

More related blogs:

-How To Maintain A Safe Kitchen Environment

-HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SMOKY COCKTAILS

-SMOKY BOURBON CRANBERRY COCKTAIL

Our Cherry smoking wood adds a wonderful favor for Smoking, Grilling or Ember cooking. Adds a distinctive reddish-pink hue!

Our Cherry wood smoke is a wonderful flavor for Smoking, Grilling or Ember cooking! Share on X

We introduced you first to the details on the ever-popular Sugar Maple hardwood but now let’s talk fruit wood, specifically, the forest grown cherry hardwood.

(more…)

Follow our 6 tips for a healthy outdoor cooking season in 2018!

Tips for Safe Outdoor Cooking- “6 TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SEASON”

Everyone seems to be so much happier during the seasons that allow for outdoor cooking and entertaining. Whether it’s a planned cooking event or spur of the moment decision, these cooking events turn into an opportunity to relax, kick back and truly enjoy life.

There are steps you should take to ensure that the foods you enjoy outdoors remain safe. What follows are the top tips for safe outdoor cooking that will make for the best outdoor cooking season ever, no matter what you elect to cook.

Tips for Safe Outdoor Cooking

Tip #1

There are times when you want to marinate meats and poultry before cooking on your grill or smoker. Know that foods will only remain safe if you marinate in the refrigerator in a covered container, not with the marinated foods laying out on the kitchen counter. Also, if you plan to incorporate some of the marinades into a sauce, be sure to reserve some before it is applied to the raw foods. If there is marinade leftover from the raw food marination, be sure you boil it before using as anything that has contact with the raw food can carry bacteria.

Tip #2

You can grill a variety of foods on the same equipment but to know when everything is cooked, you will need to have thermometers. It’s best to use a different thermometer, marked by color, for each type of food: beef, pork, chicken, fish. The thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the meat or poultry to get an accurate internal temperature reading. Here is a guide on temperatures:

• Beef, Pork, Lamb, & Veal (steaks, roasts, and chops): 145°F/62°C
• Ground meats & sausage: 160°F/71°C
• Whole poultry, poultry breasts, & ground poultry: 165°F/74°C
• Hot dogs: Cook until steaming hot

Remember, thicker cut meats and poultry will need to be placed closer to the fire or heat. Utilize the upper grill grate for those items that are more fragile like thinner fillets of fish, vegetables, fruit, or for heating sauces.

Tip #3

You cannot partially cook meats and poultry by parboiling or microwaving and then placing in the refrigerator for grilling the next day. Although you may think this will lessen the cooking time on the grill, what you’re doing is introducing the potential for everyone to become sick. The reason? Partial cooking does not eliminate all bacteria growth. The reality is, you would be allowing bacteria to continue to grow.

Tip #4

Take the time to properly clean your grill or smoker at the start of the outdoor cooking season. It’s common to close vents on the grill or smoker when you cover it up for the winter season but these aides in stimulating mold growth on the grill grate and/or inside cover and walls. For that reason, it’s important to scrub down the interior of the grill or smoker using a cleaning mixture; 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water or a bleach to water blend if you’re not opposed to the more toxic bleach.

Tip #5

Be sure you start with a hot grill or to cooking temperature smoker. That means, preheat. Preheat your grill 15 to 25 minutes before you start cooking to make sure it reaches the right temperature to ensure all bacteria is killed. Your grill should be 400-450°F for high, 350-400°F for medium-high, 300-350°F for medium and 250-300°F for low heat. By having a properly heated grill, you will guarantee a moist outcome for your meat and poultry.

Tip #6

There are many of us we prefer a good charcoal grill versus gas. It is important that you understand that there are many more influencers to altering the flavor of what you’re cooking when you cook over charcoal. Be sure to use an additive-free lump charcoal, which is charred wood. Conventional briquettes, which are easy to find, may contain wood scraps and sawdust as well as coal dust, sodium nitrate, borax and additives like paraffin or lighter fluid. As for lighter fluid, NO! Lighter fluid can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, leave an unpleasant flavor to foods, and pose a serious danger if used improperly. Skip it altogether.

Without question, our 6 TIPS FOR A HEALTHY OUTDOOR COOKING SEASON should help you on your way to a healthy, memorable outdoor cooking season. Likely, the best ever!

Purchase products:

Wood Chips: Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

Wood Chunks: Double & Single Filet

More Related reading on “What Wood for Smoking” and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques

Additional reading:

-10 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING WOOD FOR COOKING, GRILLING & SMOKING

-HOW TO TURN YOUR CHARCOAL GRILL INTO A SMOKER

-THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD SMOKE

-WHAT WOOD TO USE FOR SMOKING: A PRIMER

Dr. Smoke- Food labeling is important for health and food safety. It should apply to all smoked foods!

Italy’s Olive Tree Disease

ITALY’S OLIVE TREES FALL TO BACTERIUM Share on X

listen to our blog regarding wood for smoking

I am a wood geek. I love the living cells of trees and the hundreds of compounds that produce the various aromatics, tannins and flavors that make trees so valuable for medicinal, cosmetic, and flavoring uses. Whenever I’m in the woods, I always feel like these giants are breathing with me.

Then my joyful thoughts turn sad. Observing over the years how our lifestyle and explorative ways have changed our atmosphere which in turn changes the natural order of things. One of those things is our trees and the current impact of olive tree disease.

But North America is not alone! Battles over the loss of various hardwoods and softwoods continue as we fight to save the forest giants as well as orchard soldiers around the globe.

Prepare for Higher Olive Oil Pricing due to Olive Tree Disease

It’s called Xylella fastidiosa or commonly called “olive tree disease” and it’s a deadly bacterium that is gaining attention as it takes mark on the olive trees and groves of Italy since 2013. In 2016, this bacterium was blamed for the death of some one million olive trees in Southern Italy most of which were cut down to stop the deadly bacterium from spreading. But it hasn’t stopped. Even with netting and routine pruning, olive trees continue to suffer and eventually die or are cut down.

We know that the bacterium that causes olive tree disease starts somewhere within the heart of the tree and then travels towards the roots and branches. This is the reason pruning can sometimes be beneficial. Research has also shown that there are specific varieties of olive trees that are more susceptible to Xylella resulting in growers moving toward varieties with less risk when they replace or add new growth areas.

There is a pest, the meadow spittlebug, that is the carrier of Xylella and the reason it is necessary to net the trees to prevent this pest from traveling and spreading this major bacterium concern to other areas and other countries.

Much like our North American Emerald Ash Borer pest that is responsible for tens of millions of ash tree death and destruction, the meadow spittlebug and the Xylella bacterium it can carry results in loss of olive production to those damaged branches. Although the olive oil pressed from the olives research shows does not carry any disease or risk from this specter of olive tree disease, the bacterium has significantly reduced the volume of olives available to produce oil. Thus, pricing goes up as availability of olives depletes.

Olive Tree Disease- It’s Not Just an Olive Concern

You might think this is just an olive tree issue but you’d be deadly wrong. Xylella is a strain of bacterium that is considered one of the most dangerous plant bacteria in the world. It causes a tree to die of thirst from the inside out by blocking the xylem or transport tissue of the tree responsible for moving water and nutrients from the roots upwards to other parts of the tree. Xylella is then carried from tree to tree by the spittlebug who latch on to the tree’s xylem tubes sucking out liquid. When they travel to the next tree to feed, the bacterium they’ve picked up is passed into that tree’s xylem when they go to feed again. With no cure, the plant or tree stays infected for life, until it dies.

There have been strains of Xylella fastidiosa in citrus as well as pear, peach and plum. There is also a potential new strain in Southern California that could affect the grape production which could decimate the wine production something not needed after all the years of wildfires.

Continents currently affected by this bacterium include North America, Europe, and Asia but more are expected.

Olive Tree Disease- What’s Next?

In my opinion, the focused concern is on the specific market of product whether it be olive oil, wine, or fruits and not on the tree destruction that is occurring all around us. I’m wondering how much longer we have to witness century old trees dying and family businesses evaporating from what appears to be nature taking back or returning to the soil what she feels is rightly hers. I can’t help but think that these pests that are invading our largest plants on our planet are likely the result of our own actions or even inaction.

How concerned are you about the North American trees? Leave us a comment and subscribe to get our latest tips, techniques, and recipes, plus, the science behind the fire and smoke.

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

Charwood

More related reading:

-I’LL TAKE MINE WITH AN OLIVE!

-TO BARK OR NOT

-IS THE FOOD INDUSTRY CULPABLE FOR THE SPREAD OF OAK TREE MORTALITY?

Can hardwood be too dry for wood smoke vapor? Our thoughts for you!

Here are the misnomers:

Wet = Smolder

Wet = Smoke

Dry = Fast Cook

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear – all wood, whether hardwood or softwood, contains water! As a comparative, when wood is dried to ~20% moisture content (MC), it weighs 40-50% less than un-dried wood. This is the direct reason why the National Conference on Weights and Measures – Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities does not allow for the sale of wood products by weight. It would not be a level playing field for those of us selling this commodity.

So, we know that wood has too much water when a tree is first cut down and obviously will need to dry to some degree before being used for cooking. Why do you ask? Without reducing the water in the wood when burned/combusted, the wood will produce an acrid aroma and smoke vapor which, in turn, will produce off flavors, colors, and textures in foods cooked over wet woods that are consumed.

Can Hardwood Be Too Dry? – You might ask, does it matter how the wood is dried?

Absolutely! There are various ways wood products can be dried with the decision on a drying process usually dictated by what the wood will be used for. Just because you purchase wood chips, wood chunks, logs or even smoking dust for cooking, does not mean that product started out for that intended purpose. Often wood is used first for a primary business like furniture manufacturing, hardwood flooring, or cabinet making. It’s only the secondary wood that is re-purposed for cooking use with a focus on BBQ.

Let’s examine the most likely methods of drying woods for this scenario.

• Kiln Drying: Lumber or other wood items that have been dried in a closed chamber in which the temperature and relative humidity of the circulated air can be controlled. There are 3 types of kiln drying methods: low-temperature drying which is below 130° F, conventional electric de-humidification drying, and conventional steam-heated drying which have temperatures up to 180° F. Of the 3, the conventional steam-heated drying system is preferred due to its computerized programming but the high cost of this system makes it less attractive to most businesses.
• Air Dried: The process of drying green lumber or other wood products by exposure to prevailing natural atmospheric conditions outdoors or in an unheated shed. There are 3 dominate air drying methods: open yard, shed, and forced-air shed. The first is not held in high regard as the wood is exposed to all the elements making it the longest method of depleting moisture content. The second, similar to the first, has the addition of a roof covering to maintain a precipitation-free environment. The third option is most used although the use of electric fans increases the cost from the other two options, it produces quicker results meaning products can be sold quicker. Remember, the primary purpose of the wood is not necessarily cooking so quicker is better to get it to the primary business’ production.
• Warehouse Pre-drying: A very popular method of drying lumber despite higher capital and energy costs, this system can run consistent drying parameters almost 24 hours per day.

Now, knowing many wood producers sell their products first under the guise of another business before packaging secondary or waste wood for cooking, you need to understand where the MC needs to be in order to work for the furniture making, flooring manufacturer, or cabinetry business. These are items that require lower MC and that level across the United States and Canada has an average between 4-13% MC!

Can you imagine putting a piece of wood on a grill’s diffuser or on hot coals when it only has a moisture content of 4%? What do you think will happen to such a dry piece of wood? POOF! It’s gone!

SmokinLicious® developed a method of decreasing moisture content in our hardwoods using a controlled heat method with a re-hydration parameter. Our sole/primary business is producing wood-fired cooking woods- wood chips, wood chunks, logs, smoking dust and our newest product- Charwood! That’s it! We have no reason to reach for moisture content in the single digits and for cooking purposes, you would NEVER want this! The ideal moisture content for cooking is in the 20% range (this is dependent on wood species, however).

We ALWAYS provide you with a moisture content of the hardwoods you purchase from us, so you can be educated about the conditions of the wood for the type of wood-fired cooking you want to do. That is just one of the reasons why SmokinLicious® is a superior product for superior outcome in wood-fired cooking! We will explore for you the science behind the fire and topics to can hardwood be too dry to produce smoke vapor!

More Related reading on the cooking wood question of Can hardwood be too dry?

How to Store Wood Chips

How Seasonal Factors Influence Cooking Wood Storage

Dr. Smoke exploring all the aspects of wood cooking and the importance of moisture content in our blog CAN HARDWOOD BE TOO DRY

The simple campfire provides more uses beyond just fire cooking!

 

fire cooking and beyond! Share on X

You’ve likely heard this phrase before whether as a child, adult or at intervals of both. “Fire is meant to be respected.” I’m going to go one step further. Fire should not only be respected, it should be honored and appreciated for all it can offer. I’m going to point out to you just what other uses fire can present to you. Perhaps next time you light a fire whether in your charcoal chimney starter, charcoal grill, fireplace, or even outdoor fire pit, you’ll give some pause to the other uses to keep in your knowledge arsenal for times you may need this information. As I age, I am always in tune with my environment and how I can use it not only for fire cooking but to survive if a situation I can’t control should call for it.

Fire Cooking Use #1: Heat

If you are fortunate as I am to have an outdoor source of fire other than your traditional grill, then you’ve likely found yourself enjoying this first benefit of fire. Heat. But you likely don’t know about the radiant heat quality of fire. With a single fire, only the surfaces facing it are warmed. When it comes to surviving outdoors with heat from a fire, this is when you will want to learn about reflective ability of the fire.

If you have a choice in fire building location when you need it for survival, elect to build one near a large rock or tree stump but add a reflector component on the other side of the fire. This will allow the rock or tree stump to absorb the heat from the fire and then reflect it back. By adding a reflector on the other side of the fire, you will enjoy heat both on your back and front, the ideal for surviving if you must rely on fire for body temperature. Plus, the two reflecting points will force the smoke to go upward allowing you to avoid smoke in the eyes.

Fire Cooking Use #2: Signaling

We all know that fire makes smoke and that smoke acts as a signal. When you want to be found, this is the perfect means for attracting attention. What you need to know is that the terrain plays a part in being seen. If you want to use smoke to signal for help, then seek high points for making one.

Fire Cooking Use #3: Water Sterilization

If you are in a dire situation where you’ve been unable to bring many supplies with you, know that fire can aid your ability to stay alive. You can only survive 3 days without water so finding water is a priority. You can sterilize water found from any source for consumption by boiling it which is a temperature of 212°F. Essentially, 1 liter of water per person will get you through survival of 3-4 days.

Fire Cooking Use #4: Preserving Foods

We tend to rely on someone else in the food production chain to preserve food but you may find a time where you either want to do this for your own family or you have to. Drying, smoking, pickling, and salting are methods of preserving foods from micro-organisms that spoil food. When you smoke meat you dehydrate it and produce a protective coating on the outside that prevents bacteria and condensation from penetrating. This is a means of ensuring you have a food supply that can keep you alive for quite a long time.

Fire Cooking Use #5: Protection

If you’ve ever been camping or glamping in a forest area, then you know that you are never alone. Wildlife dominates in these areas. Fire can be a protector when it comes to keeping these visitors at bay. Always be sure to have a portable fire set up such as a rag tied to the end of stick or similar tool to use as a portable weapon should a forest resident elect to come close to you.

Do you have another survival use for fire? Leave us a comment to share your views. Bringing you informative recipes, techniques, and the science beyond the fire, smoke, and flavor. That’s SmokinLicious®!

SmokinLicious® products recommended:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

Charwood

Other blogs like this one:

THE HISTORY OF FIRE COOKING PART I

-OPEN PIT COOKING FIRE BUILDING: PART I

-HOW TO TURN YOUR CHARCOAL GRILL INTO A SMOKER

Wood Lignin is what produces the great flavor in Barbecue

Choosing wood species for their lignin can help your BBQ! Share on X

Let me start this article by first reminding you that wood contains hundreds of compounds that honestly, we don’t know everything about. For this reason, I am only speaking today regarding those known compounds and what they contribute to foods cooked by wood fire. Specifically, I’ll be looking at lignin which is the only large-scale biomass source that has aromatic functionality. In English, this is what gives wood-fired foods the distinct flavor and aroma.

Often, you read about specific flavors and aromas as they apply to meats but today, I want to delve into the compounds that are most prevalent by wood species and what they offer to food.

Lignin- A Refresher

Lignin is one of the primary compounds responsible for cell construction in a tree and makes up 15-30% of wood cells. It has a primary role in conducting water to feed the tree’s cells and when burned, yields a tremendous amount of energy. Plus, lignin produces rigidity in cell walls which prevents rot.

As a polymer or large molecule composed of many repeated subunits that bond together, it is the only one that is not composed of carbohydrate (sugar) monomers. Because lignin is a polymer, there are many possible bonding patterns between the individual units, thus, we don’t have full knowledge of all the possibilities.

What we do know is lignin contains phenols or hydroxyl groups which are alcohols. As these compounds work together, they produce a preservative action on the food which is antibacterial in nature. The surface of the smoked food is modified with resulting flavors and aromas which are associated with barbecued foods. Let’s take a closer look at these smoke vapor flavors.

Profiles of Smoke Compounds Share on X

If you recall our publication on wood-tar creosote we tapped into the science of wood-tar creosote and its purpose as a preservative as well as producer of flavor, color, and aroma to barbecued foods. In that article, we just barely mentioned the compounds responsible for the flavors. Let’s provide you with the main compound list and what the odor and flavor descriptors are.

Phenol: this compound provides the sharp, robust aromas and the astringent, sharp aftertaste to wood fired foods.

Dimethylphenol: another compound that has a sharp, robust odor that also has a sweet aromatic undertone. Flavors are sweet, charred, and astringent.

Isoeugenol: this is the compound associated with vanilla aromatics in addition to sweet and fruity. Flavor descriptors include sweet, smoked-ham notes, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like, with clove-like undertones.

4-Methylguaiacol: another compound that includes vanilla-like, fruity, cinnamon-ish, and smoky odors, with flavors of caramel, vanilla, sweet, and pleasant notes.

o-Cresol: odors are smoked sausage like with robust, sharp undertones. This one on its own can produce more unpleasant smoky flavors.

Guaiacol: Smoky, sharp, aromatic aromas with flavors that are spicy, sharp, sweet and dry. This is the yellowish aromatic oil that forms from creosote.

Syringol: Sausage-like aromatic that is sharp and sweet, with a spicy note. These flavors include whiskey notes with smoky-char taste.

Lignin Levels in North American Hardwoods

I’m going to report the lignin levels of common North American hardwoods derived from the Klason lignin method, which values the residue remaining after solubilizing the carbohydrate with strong mineral acid. What follows are percentages of oven-dried woods with temperatures ranging from 68°F/20°C to 248°F/120°C.

Acer saccharum Marsh./Sugar Maple = 22%

Alnus rubra Bong./Red Alder = 24%

Betula alleghanienstis Britton/Yellow Birch = 21%

Carya glaubra (Mill.)/Sweet Pignut Hickory = 24%

Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch/Shagbark Hickory = 21%

Fagus grandifolia Ehrh./American Beech = 22%

Fraxinus Americana L./White Ash = 26%

Populus tremoides Michx./ Quaking Aspen = 19%

Prunus serotine Ehrh./Black Cherry = 21%

Quercus alba L./White Oak = 27%

Quercus prinus L./Chestnut Oak = 24%

Quercus rubra L./Northern Red Oak = 24%

Quercus stellate Wangenh./ Post Oak = 24%

What do all these percentages mean when it comes to your barbecue? You can assume that the higher numbers mean there are larger numbers of compounds at work to flavor your foods. It’s obvious that woods like hickory and oak have great percentages of phenol, guaiacol, and dimethylphenol, since these woods tend to produce the boldest flavors. Those hardwoods like cherry, alder, and maple have the compounds of methylguaiacol and isoeugenol coming forward in the flavors which results in sweeter and more toned coloring to meats. Another factor that must be kept in mind when examining lignin is the heat level the wood is exposed to. Cook at a higher temperature and these compounds can become muddier as combustion occurs more rapidly producing ash accumulation that can change flavors and aromas quickly. All factor in to the resulting flavor, color and aroma of barbecued foods, whether animal protein, vegetable, fruit, or other. This just further supports that wood-fired cooking is an art that requires a balanced hand that understands the importance of controlling as many factors as possible, primary of which is cooking temperature and airflow to bring out the highest percentage of beneficial compounds the wood can offer.

What is your favorite hardwood or mixture of hardwoods to cook with? Leave us a comment to share your views. Bringing you informative recipes, techniques, and the science beyond the fire, smoke, and flavor. That’s SmokinLicious®!

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto® & Piccolo®

More information on the composition of wood:

-6 REASONS WHY CEDAR WOOD SHOULD NOT BE YOUR TOP CHOICE FOR COOKING

-TO BARK OR NOT

-Lab Report on Moisture and storage of wood

-10 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING WOOD FOR COOKING, GRILLING & SMOKING