As we highlight another hardwood from our offerings, we need to start by pointing out that we are referring to Eastern Alder not the better known Western Alder or Red Alder of the west coast. Eastern Alder is part of the Birch family, with the scientific name of Alnus but the common names for the varieties found in the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania regions of Eastern Alder (Smooth Alder), White Alder, Red Alder.
Alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density. It is most commonly used with fish but I think I need to stress here that really any cooking hardwood can be used with any food item at the discretion of the cook. Many factors play in to how a hardwood reveals itself during the cooking event: rub ingredients, brine ingredients, quality of the meat/poultry/fish, freshness of the food item, style of cooking (over the coals, in the coals, indirect heat, etc.) and most importantly, oxygen flow which feeds the combustion of the wood. Alder provides a neutral coloring to the outer skin of foods which is why it is a favorite for fish. Would this be a first choice for say a steak or other beef item? No, but I certainly like to use it for lots of other things like fruit, vegetables, cheese dishes, and of course, fish.
For cooking, you can expect Alder to perform as follows:
When you’re looking for something on the lighter menu of woods, keep Alder in mind, and explore its lighter heat level and versatility for the more delicate items of cooking.
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SMOKY-GRILLED POTATO: OUR #1 CROP GETS A NEW FLAVOR TAKE-As the #1 crop in the world, available all year, potatoes are a favorite for a variety of reasons. Get the nutritional benefit of this abundant vegetable by adding flavor in a different way – cooking it over charcoal and hardwood!
Ingredients for Your Smoky-Grilled Potato Dish:
New red and white potatoes
3 tablespoons of oil (grape-seed, walnut, almond, vegetable, or canola)
I’m using small red and white potatoes. You’ll need a knife and cutting board, as I like to cut these small potatoes in half to allow for maximum wood fire flavoring. I’m going to use a vegetable grill pan but you can use any heat safe pan whether foil, glass, heat-safe ceramic, or cast iron. Cut each potato in half, and place in the grill pan.
Seasoning and Oil Bring Out the Best
Just 3 simple ingredients are needed before the pan is placed on the grill. Drizzle three tablespoons of oil over the halved potatoes, then add coarse salt and fresh pepper. The oil can be grapeseed, walnut, almond, vegetable, or canola, anything you have and prefer. Mix well to ensure each potato is coated, then let rest to allow the seasonings to penetrate before adding to the hot grill.
Charcoal Grill Set Up
Time to get the grill ready. I’ll be using a combination of charcoal and wood – charcoal as the fuel for heat and wood chunks and chips for flavor. Keeping my intake vents open on the kettle grill, I start a chimney full of charcoal. Just one chimney will be needed for the actual cooking. I lay a small line of unlit coals down both the right and left side of the charcoal grate to keep my temperature stable through the cook. I pour the hot coals in the middle then add two Sugar Maple wood chunks and a handful of Wild Cherry Grande Sapore® wood chips on top of the hot coals. On goes the food grate and then my vegetable pan of halved seasoned potatoes.
Once the wood is set up and the food grate is on, the pan of potatoes is added. Put the grill cover on and adjust the lid outtake vent to 1/3 open position. Now, adjust the lower intake vent to the ½ open position. Let the potatoes cook for about 25 minutes prior to stirring. You’ll see the golden hue from the maple and cherry smoke vapor. Be sure to rotate the potatoes on the bottom to the top so that there is even color and flavor to each piece. The total cook time will be close to an hour but each grill and charcoal will perform differently so be sure to watch closely after the first 35 minutes. Remove when the potatoes can be pierced easily with a toothpick or knife tip.
Smoky-Grilled Potato- Full Flavor With All the Nutrition Intact
With all the nutritional value still intake, these golden, smoky potatoes are ready to eat as is or you can include them in your favorite potato recipes. I’ll be giving a smoky edge to my interpretation of a potato curry in our next recipe feature. Take advantage of this popular comfort vegetable and the ease of using a charcoal/wood grill for cooking and give your meals a memorable flavor enhancement.
The Culinary Crew wants you to know…
… that potatoes are one of the easiest veggies to grill or smoke! A minimum amount of effort will yield maximum deliciousness. Go ahead and experiment with a variety of your favorite spices or ingredients when grilling or smoking your spuds. Cilantro, curry, garlic or onion powder and even a touch of cayenne pepper can add a taste zip to these great and hardy tubers. There are many varieties of potatoes and they all do well on a grill or in a smoker but, just remember- the fresher the better!
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our feature so start the conversation with a comment!
Below is a recipe for Smoke Cheesy Potatoes (serves 6) that have been made at our events.
Smoked Cheesy Potatoes- Ingredients:
1 package frozen diced potatoes or 16 oz. Fresh potato
1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons of butter
1 ½ cups of heavy cream
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
In a foil pan, place the diced potatoes, diced red pepper, diced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle 2 cups of the shredded white cheddar cheese over the potato mixture. Mix gently and set aside. Mix the parmesan cheese and heavy cream together. Pour over the potato mixture. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Place the foil pan on the smoker grate and smoke at 275° to 300° for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir mixture a couple of times through the cooking process.
ember cooked vegetables can be done in a cask iron plan, fire box and even in a Hibachi! Try this unique cooking method to add a flare and unique tastes to your outdoor grilling and cooking!
TOP 10 EMBER COOKED VEGETABLES
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I want to be perfectly clear – this is not cooking over hot flame or direct flame. This is cooking after the wood and/or charcoal has burned down in to very hot coals; when the coals develop a white-gray ash coating. THIS is the time for coal or hot ember cooked vegetables.
The essence of using all that the wood can give for cooking. That it was ember or coal cooking is. I want to be sure there is no misunderstanding on what is needed to do this type of cooking safely and effectively.
Rule #1: If going with all wood for the coals, only use hardwood and clean hardwood at that. You’re going to lay foods into this material so I believe it should be clean and mold free with moisture level 15-20%. If higher, it will simply take longer to get to the coal stage.
Rule #2: Again, if using all hardwood, try to limit the bark or go bark-free if possible to reduce the potential for mold spores that can be released into the air.
Rule #3: Have everything ready before you start. You’ll need an ash-coal hoe, fire gloves, and small coal shovel at the ready. I would also have tongs for those times when you don’t bury your foods completely in the coals but rather lay them which requires turning of the vegetables.
Rule #4: Equipment wise, you can use a charcoal grill that has fire brick added for insulation, a clean fireplace (I prefer an outdoor unit), a clean fire pit, or an open pit built in a safe area with brick or gravel as the base to protect the fire from spreading.
Ember Cooked Vegetables- Hot Embers Birthed in One Hour
On average, it will take about an hour to move a small fire from flame to hot ember. Depending on whether you elect to use charcoal or wood will determine the amount of time the fire needs to burn down – an all charcoal fire will be 30-45 minutes; all hardwood fire about 45-60 minutes. Remember, charcoal produces heat and little smoke, whereas hardwood, produces heat, smoke and specific aromatics and flavorings in that smoke. At the hot ember-coal level, both have equal carbonization and act similar for this method of cooking.
Using approximately 8 lbs. of charcoal or 10 lbs. of hardwood, or any combination of the two, light a fire in the equipment of your choice. Let the fire completely burn down until only hot coals remain. Rake the coals to produce a thick even bed. Then select your favorite vegetables from the ones listed below, and you’re on your way! Always keep a small fire going for additional hot coals if doing large amounts of vegetables.
Ember Cooked Vegetables- They Love Hot Coals
Here are the top 10 vegetables to hot ember cook for fantastic flavor:
If you want minimal monitoring to the actual cooking process, then place the selected vegetables into the bed of coals and then shovel hot coals and ash over the top so that the entire vegetable surface is covered in embers. Leave untouched until tenderized, which will be 45-60 minutes depending on the vegetable selected. Otherwise, you can set vegetables within the coal bed and turn them during the cooking process to ensure even char.
The Culinary Team wants you to know …
… that cooking food with wood, whether it be directly on embers or more of the traditional way- above the heat source on grates, needn’t be an all meat, all protein cooking episode. As our blog explains many vegetables can and should be the “main event” for your wood-fired cooking events. Dense or thick-skinned fruits are great too! So, be it veggies or fruits, ember cooked or grilled conventionally, your taste buds will be treated to rich, unparalleled flavors. Give ‘em a try!
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For related reading:
More Related reading on “What Wood for Smoking” and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques
When you ask why people grill we found the answer very interesting!
You may not be aware that every year a trade show is held usually in the month of March that is dedicated to all things related to fireplace, stove, heater, barbecue, and outdoor living appliances and accessories. In addition to the trade show, this organization, known as HPBA or Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, conducts various surveys every couple of years. A recent survey was posted asking the question “Why do people grill?”
The top answer to this survey surprised and THRILLED me!
Why People Grill? – Most Recent Statistics
For North America, owning a grill is common. Currently, in the United States, 7 of 10 adults own a grill while in Canada that number increases to 8 of 10. Gas grills remain the most popular (64%) with charcoal units coming in second (44%). When looking at the most popular times of the year to use the grill, holidays, of course, dominate. Memorial Day and 4th of July are the clear winners for firing up the grill but Father’s Day remains a high demand grilling day as well likely due to this holiday falling right before true summer begins on the North American calendar. Of course, Labor Day is not far behind on the list.
This survey will be conducted again in 2019 with updated numbers likely available by the close of the year. I can’t wait to view them to see current trends.
Now to the question of “Why do people grill?”
Why People Grill? – It’s All About Flavor
The number one reason people stated for grilling is for flavor! This got me thinking about this answer.
What exactly made the flavor difference? Is it that the heat of the grill produced changes in the ingredients used? Was it the charring affect from direct fire of the grill which leads to a distinct taste? Or was it the flavor choices used when grilling with wood like wood chips, wood chunks, and charcoal?
I think without adding these follow up questions, it’s very hard to know just what the flavor enhancer is when grilling for these respondents.
For me, there is no question that it is the introduction of smoke to my outdoor cooking experience. Whether I’m cooking on a gas grill that I’ve included a smoker box of wood chunks, a charcoal grill equipped with hardwood charcoal or charwood plus wood chunks, an electric grill I’ve incorporate a micro wood chip product, or my outdoor fireplace that I’ve converted to an open pit fire using hardwood, I let the tantalizing smoke vapor work with the other ingredients of my foods to bring out the best of all the blended flavors.
#charwood
Direct fire or indirect cooking, either way the eating experience of foods cooked grilled, smoked, or by embers is unique and is likely the reason why people from around the world continue to seek out these methods of cooking.
Smokinlicious Double filet smoking wood chunks
So I agree with the 72% of North Americans who say they grill for flavor but I’d certainly add that I grill for flavor that is heightened by the addition of the natural plant material known as hardwood which takes my grilling to an umami level that’s hard to beat by any other cooking method.
What is your reason for grilling? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to follow us on all platforms. Providing tips, techniques, recipes, and the science behind the flame and fire to improve your skills with wood-fired cooking! That’s SmokinLicious®!
These two questions have been quite common for the 12+ years we’ve been in business. What does a cubic foot box of wood weigh? How many pieces do you estimate are in a cubic foot box of wood?
Due to the regulations imposed by The National Conference on Weights and Measures -Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities, we cannot specify weight on a wood product, even though we are a cooking wood. Instead, when asked about weight, we only provide an estimate clearly stating that wood is not sold by weight due to the variation in moisture level and density of the wood selected.
I can, however, tell you the details that a recent first-time customer posted to an online forum that had me elated!
The Specifics You’ve Asked About Wood Chunk for Smoking
This customer took a lot of time and effort to get to the details about our wood; the packaging and the weight not just of the carton, but of specific select pieces. This customer purchased the Serious Smoker Double Filet Wood Chunk which is our cubic foot carton product with the smallest chunk sizing. We offer an option to select up to 3 wood choices for this carton size, with this customer selecting our 3 most popular hardwoods: Hickory, Sugar Maple, and Wild Cherry.
First, let’s look at this customer’s overall purchase.
Wood Chunk for Smoking- It’s In The Numbers
The packaged hardwood weighed in a 32.5 lbs. A total of 139 pieces of wood were packaged. Of that total, 48 pieces were Wild Cherry, 44 pieces Sugar Maple, and 47 pieces Hickory.
Individual Weights
This customer owns equipment that references specific weight of wood needed to smoke optimally. In this case, just 2-4 ounces of wood is ideal.
Although weights for each of the 139 pieces of wood were not obtained, sufficient sampling was done. Here is what was reported:
the lowest weight of a Wild Cherry chunk (remember, these are all double filet) was 1.5 ounces and the highest was 4.1 ounces
lowest weight of a Sugar Maple chunk was 2 ounces and the highest at 5.7 ounces
lowest weight of a Hickory chunk was 2.8 ounces and the highest at 6.4 ounces
For this equipment user, there was an estimate that 139 pieces of hardwood would provide for some 100 smoking events!
What I loved the most about this report is that it correlates specifically to the density of these 3 hardwoods. Hickory has the highest density of the 3 kinds of wood selected and this is reflected by the weight of the individual pieces sampled. Sugar Maple would be next in density followed by the Wild Cherry, all proven with the reported weights.
What Did You Learn?
Unquestionably, there is a lot of wood chunk pieces in a cubic foot carton! Which means you want to ensure you can use that much wood in a reasonable amount of time to maximize the freshness factor and peak level for function as a smoking wood. Individual pieces will vary in weight even if the dimensions of the pieces are relatively the same. That is the nature of a water-rich material – the water weight influences the overall piece weight.
We are indebted to this customer for taking the time to inform us all of his findings since, by law, SmokinLicious® can’t offer this detail.
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More Related reading on “What Wood for Smoking” and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques
Great beech wood for smoking results are provided from many beech species
Not the most popular of hardwoods in the North American region and certainly it doesn’t have the following in the European market. However, this is still an interesting hardwood to use for wood-fired cooking techniques.
Going Beech! That means your entering the wood family that includes white oak as a relative. Part of the Fagaceae family, the variety we manufacture is Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. Unlike its cousin, Beech doesn’t produce a heavy, pungent flavouring but rather a more balanced, medium toned profile. The common names for the varieties found in the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania regions are American Beech and Red Beech.
Less temperament than Oak, Beech is considered a rather bland wood to look at. When it is exposed to steam/heat, it takes on a golden hue and that is commonly what the coloring to various meats, poultry, and fish will also show. Keep in mind, like all of our cooking woods, the descriptors used are truly in the palate of the taster. There are no rules that say one wood must be used with a specific food. Experimentation is what the art of fire cooking is all about. And, the region that the wood is harvested from also factors into the flavoring it will provide when foods are exposed to it. The same wood in a western state will not produce the same flavoring as the wood from an eastern state. Everything interacts with the tree: soil pH, growth location, sun exposure, precipitation exposure, etc.
So, take a go at Beech, even if it takes a bit to get it lite. The aroma is pleasant, the burn time is extensive, and the infusion appealing.
The Culinary Team wants you to know …
… although Beech is common in many areas of the world and often used to smoke foods and brew beer in the European tradition, our harvest region of the Eastern Appalachian Mountains has a distinctive balance of soil Ph levels and climate conditions which give our Beech hardwood cooking products a ‘one of a kind’ smoky flavor profile that can be used for a wide variety of foods!
Wines to pair with your smoked Meat is important but not easy!
Great Sustainable Wines To Pair With Your Smoked Meat Guest blog by — Kylee Harris is an events planner and writer who is a strong advocate of allergy awareness.
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Introduction of our Guest Blogger
She has also expanded her mission to stress the importance of food safety not just in events, but in her community. She also has a great eye for current interests and finds great ways to tie wood fired foods and sustainable food practices together.
Back in 2015, only 6% of consumers said that their first choice of wine would be a bottle that is produced in a sustainable way. This figure has been steadily rising. The 2018 American Wine Consumers Survey even showed that customers are willing to pay $3 more for a sustainable option. They want an environmentally-conscious wine that has been made from ethically grown grape varieties. The farming process is pesticide free and even bottling the wine is done in a way that won’t cause harm to the environment. It has even been suggested (although not proved as yet) that sustainable, organic wine can prevent a hangover. You’re more than welcome to test out this theory – and even better, you can pair the wine with some delicious smoked meat.
Wines to Pair- Maple-Smoked Pork Chops
Pairing your wine with smoked meat, is all about complimenting the delicate smoky flavor of the wood used. Maple-smoked meat will naturally have a slightly sweet and fragrant taste. This can be achieved by using maple woodchips in your barbecue or smoker. In order to contrast the sweet maple taste and the white umami flavor of pork, you should pair your meal with a sharp and zingy white wine. Benziger Family Winery
Coelo Chardonnay
in Sonoma county have a few delicious and fresh Chardonnay options, including the Coelo Chardonnay and the West Rows Chardonnay. Perfect for a barbecue on a hot summer’s day with friends and family. Don’t forget you can also buy sustainable wines by the can – this makes it so easy to keep cool when you’re having a garden party. Everyone can help themselves.
Wines to Pair- White Oak Smoked Venison
The strong and almost pungent aromas of white oak are best paired with a dark, gamey meat that can hold its own. Duck breast, pigeon and venison are good choices. The white oak adds a complimentary bitterness that balances well with the rich flavors. A hearty sustainable red wine is a good option with smoked white oak. Silver Oak Vineyard in Napa Valley have a fruity and dark Cabernet Sauvignon that pairs beautifully with White Oak smoked dark meat. New York’s sustainable Red Tail Ridge Winery offer a tangy Teroldego,
Teroldego
which is similar to Syrah that is a great partner to White Oak smoked venison.
Wines to Pair- Alder-Smoked Seabass
The mild flavor profile of alder makes it the perfect wood choice to smoke fish with – particularly slightly salty seabass. The taste of the alder itself adds a slightly sweet taste to the fish, even if it is only smoked for a short amount of time. Pairing alder with a sustainable wine is easy. A good Prosecco or sparkling wine will work well – look for something dry and fresh. Left Coast Cellars in Oregon have a lively Blanc de Noir
Left Coast Cellars
that is perfect with alder. It adds citrus notes of lemon and pineapple, which complement the taste of the smoke and the fish well.
There are an increasing number of vineyards and suppliers in America offering truly sustainable wine. Pair something tasty and delicious with your smoked meat and enjoy a great meal.
More related reading on Wines to pair with Smoking & Grilling meat, plus other tips and techniques- see our directory on previous blogs!
[Fruitwood trees are often sprayed with pesticide to maximize the fruit yield. Spraying of chemical on the bark may not be too good for using in barbecue?]
ARE FRUITWOOD TREES LIKE THE APPLE “SNOW WHITE” BIT INTO?
There is a fierce debate out there about the use of fruitwood trees, specifically apple and cherry varieties, for cooking purposes. As a Company, we frequently get the same question – “Why don’t I see Applewood as an option to purchase?” Here’s the short answer: We do not, and will not, produce our products from orchard-based woods. Our reason is simple – we do not believe in smoking foods over woods that have been or have the potential to be sprayed or growth enhanced with chemicals.
Trees
Let’s review a fact about trees. All trees produce prussic acid, better known as hydrogen cyanide. We feel that humans can use woods produced in nature when they have been left alone, unburdened by the human hand in trying to manage what sometimes is the normal cyclical pattern of nature. In the areas in which we purchase the heartwood for our cooking wood production facility, the varieties of cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L.f.) we commonly deal with are:
Northern Pin Cherry, Fire Cherry,
Wild Red Cherry, and Pigeon Cherry.
Of course, predominately, we bring in Wild Red Cherry. There are many different cherry tree varieties available throughout North America. The main difference in these woods is that our forest trees, the type we manufacture, tend to be on the sweet-tart side versus the sour-bitter. For the most part, hydrogen cyanide is found mainly in the leaves and seeds of the cherry tree. Black Cherry bark is also commonly used in herbal cough remedies.
Opinion:
The dominant opinion is that when used in small quantities, the hydrogen cyanide is a moot issue. Now let’s talk about the smoking application of wood. Cyanogenic compounds WOULD remain a factor in our production of cooking wood. This is because we do not allow our woods to deplete their moisture content to a level that other wood product manufacturers may (what is commonly referred to as “seasoning of the wood”).
For ideal smoking of foods, wood needs to have a moisture level preferably at ~20%. This results in the wood smoldering rather than burning at a rapid rate. The resulting smoke from the plant material provides for that wonderful flavor. Because smoking is done at low temperatures for longer periods of time, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) found in wood molecules are not stimulated as they normally would be when cooking, say, a steak over a hot flame. Thus, the health risk associated with PAH’s and smoked foods is not considered an issue. The same can be said for ember cooking – using the heat of the residual coals to cook foods.
OUR CONCERN:
Our main concerns regarding woods used for wood-fired cooking methods is to always ensure a bark-free product. Bark does not hold moisture but rather is designed to rid the tree of wastes by absorbing them and locking them into this area. In fact, this is the reason why bark-on woods burn so much faster than bark-free wood pieces. This portion of the tree is responsible for temperature flare-ups, tainted smells, ‘spotty’ appearance of the food’s skin, creosote, an increase in the production of ash. Additionally, once the temperature is increased during wood-fired cooking, heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, are created due to the reaction of the amino acids and creatine with the higher cooking temperature.
In a nutshell, a person is at greater risk of cyanide exposure in treated wood products for home construction than they are when consuming BBQ or other wood-fired foods. Knowing the source of the wood being used in the cooking application is vital to ensure that the necessary steps have been taken to prevent tree disease and pest infestation spread, as well as to ensure that the wood has not been exposed to any chemical/toxin treatments.
It is our hope, that one day soon, inspection of the wood products used by restaurants, caterers, BBQ competitors, and grocery stores who promote smoked and natural-wood fired foods, will occur as normally as food inspections. After all, I think we all can agree that WHAT you cook the food over is just as important as what food you are cooking!
Dr. Smoke- “Enjoy the fruit of the tree because that is what they’re there for. Just be careful when using fruitwood trees from orchard based woods to cook your food.”
BOOST UP THE FLAVOR OF YOUR SMOKER BOX!- People are always in search of that great flavor to food that only comes from hardwood. In fact, it is common for discussions around outdoor cooking to use the terms grilling and barbecuing interchangeably as if they mean exactly the same thing. Let’s be clear – cooking with just LP/Gas is grilling. Barbecue is outdoor cooking over hot coals or wood, whether in lump charcoal form or straight hardwood pieces.
Barbecue vs. Grilling
In an effort for grilling equipment manufacturers to compete with charcoal grills and smokers, many began integrating a wood chip drawer in their units to imply that “barbecue” was possible on a gas grill. If you ever tried these, you likely were disappointed in finding that the intensity of flavor just didn’t compare to charcoal equipment. Then the smoker box was developed with a wide variety of design options from rectangular in shape, V-shaped at the base to fit between grill grates, and venting hole configurations that made claim to more intense smoke penetration. Here’s the thing – no one ever discussed what should go in the smoker box. The assumption was to always use wood chips but I am going to take you on a flavor journey using that box that will open your eyes to understanding cooking with hardwood.
One of the key complaints I hear is that when using wood chips in a smoking box or drawer, the chips don’t seem to give off enough smoke and have a very short burn life. In fact, refilling the box or drawer is often needed to finish a simple food item like chicken pieces or ½ slabs of pork ribs. Wood chunks or uniformed sized pieces of hardwood lend to a much longer burn/smolder rate and give off great flavor infusion.
For all my BBQ cooking friends who have been under the assumption that grilling is only for protein food groups, (beef, pork, fish etc.) boy do I have a taste revelation that could transform you into a disciple of the vegetable sections at local farmers markets– Char Grilled and Smoked Shallots!
Process for Grilling & Smoking Shallots
The process is fairly straightforward but doesn’t get the impression that this food item is something that you can flop on the grill grate and walk away from for an extended period of time. Finesse is the cooking standard that must be applied to enjoy the maximum flavor result rendered from this sweet cousin of the onion family.
You can tell by my strong friendship with the folks at SmokinLicious®, that I’m a big advocate of grilling with a hardwood fire. It allows for uniform cooking temperatures while simultaneously infuses food items with a natural wood smoke flavor.
So, as we begin, go about preparing your grill with only the best hardwood cooking wood and remember- never, ever start your fire with a chemically based liquid starting fluid. Use a chimney starter!
While your grill preheats to a medium temperature, prepare the whole shallots by cutting off the tips and drizzling them with skins on using the high-quality EVOO and a touch of Kosher salt. You can even season with fresh thyme or sage and let marinate for a few minutes.
Grilling & Smoking Shallots- Technique
Grilled shallots are a great side dish or garnish to prepare alongside your protein or immediately after you have removed your meat to let it rest.
Place the shallots on the grate directly over the outer fringes of the embers, ideally between the smoking wood chips and outer ring of embers. Do not place them directly over the center most concentration of the embers. If you want a slightly stronger smoky flavor, cover. If not, leave uncovered.
Here’s where the finesse part comes in- over the next 3-10 minutes, (depending on the heat and size of the shallots) watch over the shallots like a hawk watches over hatchlings in a nest. Turn often, get a good char on all sides but, for Heaven’s sake – don’t allow them to ignite into a raging conflagration! If this happens, you will lose much of the smoky sweetness and be left with a bitter tasting, burnt onion. You can best determine a great finish when the outer skins are charred nicely while the centers have a soft, moist feel when gently squeezed with cooking tongs or fingers.
Remove from the grill, let them cool a bit. Once cooled for 2-5 minutes lightly squeeze the charred outer skin and out will come the sweet and delicious interior.
After you experience the fabulous smoky flavor of your grilled shallots, I’m sure you’ll have a greater appreciation for all the food flavor benefits that can be had from your backyard grill!
As there are always new equipment lines and models released, we will provide updates to this listing. We also encourage you to send us a message when you don’t see a manufacturer/model listed so we can get it added.
For now, we introduce you to our Wood Master’s Guide to SmokinLicious® culinary woods for Pizza Oven.
Barrel Smoker Logs
The following equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Barrel Smoker Log/ Full Cut Log . These logs are only suitable for the largest pizza oven’s cooking area. Commercial-grade wood-burning pizza ovens would use these too:
Braza Brick Wood Fired Pizza Oven
Forno Bravo: Primavera 60 Outdoor Oven, Napoli Commercial Pizza Oven
American Barbecue Systems model: “The Judge”, “The Smokehouse 6042”
Authentic Pizza Ovens: Portable Maximus Oven, Traditional Brick Famosi Wood Fire Oven, Traditional Brick Lisboa Wood Fire Oven, Stone Domed Pizza Oven, Traditional Brick Pizziaoli Wood Fire Oven, Traditional Brick Braza Wood Fire Oven
Bella Outdoor Living: Medio Wood Burning Pizza Oven
ilFornino: F-Series Mini Professional Stainless Steel Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Platinum Series Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Piccolino Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Professional Plus Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Professional Series Wood Burning Pizza Oven, Elite Plus Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Grand G-Series Wood Burning Pizza Oven
LaToscana: Forno Easy Pizza Oven
Mugnaini: Medio 110 Barrel Outdoor Oven, Masonry Oven Kits Piccolo 80/Medio 100/Medio 110/Prima 100/Prima 120/Piccolo 60
NXR Professional Ranges: Burning Wood Dome Pizza Oven
Wood Stone: Bistro Home Ovens 3030/4836/4343/4355, Mountain Home Ovens Mt. Chuckanut 4’ & Mt. Adams 5’
Charwood
Some pizza ovens offer the option to run on charcoal. Our Charwood product is perfect for those ovens! Since our charwood still has the wood core with a charred outside, both heat and flavor are found.
For ovens that specify using an anthracite coal only which is a hard, mineral coal, charwood would not be an alternative. Any residential oven that requires gas assist, should not use charwood.
Ovendesign: Circular Pizza Oven, Portable Wood-Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven (rear model and standard)
Uuni Pro (Ooni Pro)
[dropcapRemember[/dropcap], often the wood can make the difference between flavor and burn taste. As always, our Wood Guide Team is ready to answer your additional questions and further assist you for the perfect wood-fired experience!
Charcoal that is produce properly is a fuel and provides heat! Wood adds flavor!
WHY CHARCOAL IS NOT AN INGREDIENT
There are so many methods of getting a message out rapidly given the speed of technology and the many platforms for posting opinions and marketing strategies today. In doing research for a publication, I came across a statement made by a charcoal company that made me a bit … confused.
An Ingredient Not A Fuel
This company claimed that their product was an ingredient, not a fuel!
Not a fuel? That statement is in direct conflict to what charcoal manufacture was designed for – heat.
I realize that when used with 100% accuracy, charcoal will produce no smoke and a consistent heat. We all know that the 100% accuracy is the kicker – pretty much no one is proficient at producing full ignition of the charcoal with stable air intake to maintain the high heat level the product was designed for. What usually occurs is that we start out with full ignition but given the need for longer cooks, we add charcoal and thus, start to fluctuate the oxygen feed. Only during those fluctuations does the production of smoke occur with charcoal.
Non-Carbonized Wood IS Flavor
Charcoal production is the act of carbonizing wood which means all the volatiles of the wood is burned off until what is left is pure carbon or at least a high percentage of carbon. There is no refuting that it burns cleaner, hotter, and more evenly than wood only.
Here are where differences occur though when it comes to types of charcoal.
Lump charcoal is made from various scrap wood sources like furniture manufacture, a wood packaging manufacturer, the flooring manufacturer, and building material scraps. Due to the high level of variation in these pieces, most often there is not 100% carbonization of the lump charcoal production. That’s why you can get some smoke and flavor from that product; when combustion of a non-charred piece occurs, you’ll stimulate organic compounds that produce flavor. Keep in mind, because scrap wood is used you can get other debris in the purchased bag as often this is scooped up from a site and transferred to a production facility, with the scoop gathering anything that may be in the area.
Traditional charcoal manufacture also known as briquets is also made from scrap wood, sawdust and wood chip product. It is known that some manufacturers include a percentage of softwood but for the most part, the product is derived from hardwood. Briquets do have binders added and there are some types that have accelerants added to make them extremely quick to lite. Personally, I can detect those additives and feel they do change the overall flavor when cooking foods over them but you can make that determination for yourself.
Controlled flavor only comes from wood and the best and safest flavors, from hardwood. Charcoal is a fuel, it is for heat, and the only flavor it produces is when meat/poultry drippings fall directly on the hot coals and vaporize, stimulating flavors. Never are flavors stimulated from the briquet or charcoal.
So, Who Is The Ingredient?
If the definition of an ingredient is a substance that contributes or makes up a mixture, then truly hardwood, regardless if it cooking wood form is in chips, chunks, logs, dust or charwood, is an ingredient in wood-fired cooking recipes as it gives off its distinct organic flavor compounds that make up the cell structures. Heat is NOT an ingredient and that is what charcoal is: HEAT! A claim to be an ingredient just holds no truth.
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Other related reading:
related reading on our blog for smoking with wood.
Our gorgeous filet of salmon is awaiting Chef Calle to turn it into Charwood Grilled Salmon on a kettle grill using a two-zone method along with Smokinlicious® wood chips!
Charwood Grilled Salmon Fillets for a Hint of Smoky Flavor
By: Chef Calle, Resident Executive Chef
Chef Calle here and thanks to SmokinLicious®, I’m going to offer an easy and palate-pleasing method to cook and lightly smoke fresh salmon fillets over a Charwood fire that features a small number of smoking chips. With this approach, the smoking chips infuse a delicate smoky flavor to the salmon without overpowering its delicious fresh taste.
Today, I’m using a Stok® Tourist™ grill, clearly one of the best Charwood grilling and smoking units on the market. If you don’t have a Stok®, just about any Charwood grill will work, if its heat chamber has room enough for both the Charwood and wood chips.
Charwood Grilled Salmon- Preparation
Preparation is key with salmon and setting up the cooking equipment. So, first prepare the fresh salmon fillets by lightly seasoning with EVOO, salt, pepper and if you have it- fresh dill or fennel. Let them sit and soak up all those great flavorful ingredients for about half an hour or until the salmon reaches room temperature. Chef’s Tip: Do not use salmon that is past its prime, thinking that the smoke will disguise the slightly off flavor of the fish. Only use the best salmon available.
While the fish is marinating, begin preparations for the actual grilling by first firing up SmokinLicious® all natural Charwood using a hollowed chimney starter. Never use charcoal lighter fluid! Or Charwood, charcoal briquettes, pretreated with petroleum-based starting fluid. In addition to ruining your salmon with a foul aftertaste, it’s safer not to consume the residue or remnants from petrochemical fire starter liquids.
After your embers have taken on a medium to high heat condition (grayish color), place them directly in the center of the grill’s heating chamber. Put the grill grate on over the fired embers and clean it by using either a halved onion or lemon like you would use a sponge but, do it quickly and in short strokes to avoid getting fingers or hands burned.
Smoking the Charwood Grilled Salmon
Next, position small amounts of the smoking chips (a few large handfuls, I’m using SmokinLicious® Grande Sapore) around the outer fringes of the main concentration of burning Charwood. This allows the wood chips to take on two roles- 1) indirectly contributing to the cooking process, and; 2) producing a burst of smoky vapor that flavors the fillets.
A minute or two after you’ve positioned the smoking wood chips and reattached the grate, place the salmon fillets, skin side down on the grate, directly over the medium embers and cover. Grill and smoke the salmon for about 4 to 6 minutes, uncover and gently turn the fillets over, cover and grill and smoke the skinless side for no longer than 2 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Chef’s Tip: Be careful not to overcook. You can gauge the finish of the fillets be being able to flake them with a fork.
When done, remove the skin by gently peeling away with a fork or just serve skin side down. For a nice finishing touch, brush with a bit more, high-quality EVOO, season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to garnish with fresh dill, fennel edible flowers or lemon. Hope you enjoyed Chef Calle’s recipe Charwood Grilled Salmon Fillets for a Hint of Smoky Flavor!
You see the options all the time. Crushed or diced tomatoes? Every chef knows when and why you choose one over the other. Did you know the same concept is true for wood chips?
At SmokinLicious®, the only true cooking wood Company, we produce our wood chips in the same manner as tomato processors! We crush the wood for our Grande Sapore® chips – these pieces produce a unique flavor because of their shape just like crushed tomatoes give a deeper flavor to recipes! These chips are meant to last and work with other ingredients for full flavor balance. We also offer our “diced” option of predetermined wood slices to produce our Minuto® and Piccolo® chips for smoldering on heat plates, cast iron, and flavor bars. Just as diced tomatoes give a fresh-from-the-garden taste, diced wood chips likewise produce a different, often more intense fresh wood flavoring.
SmokinLicious®only manufacturers cooking woods. Thatisour primary andonly business. We know hardwoods for cooking, all types of wood-fired methods. And we know wood flavoring – how to get the best clean flavors from the select hardwoods ideal for cooking!
See for yourself why we are a superior product with a superior outcome. Enjoy the benefits of the knowledge of our flavorists and get the options you are looking for. Made the SmokinLicious® way!
Dr. Smoke- there is a smoking difference between crushed or diced wood chips
Our Culinary Team wants you know…
… that the crushing and dicing method of our making of culinary wood chips is strikingly similar in concept to how grapes are processed in the phases of wine making? For example, the Ripasso method of Italian wine production starts out with crushed, partially dried grapes and proceeds on to fermentation with the leftover skins. Both Ripasso produced wine and our crushed or diced wood chips offer distinctive flavor, body and personality in a class of their own!
