A SPICE FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT: SMOKIN’ DUST®

There seems to be some legend out there that wood-fired cooking methods are all about the endless hours of tending food and fire that produce taste results that are only granted to a small percentage of committed cooks; nothing could be further from the truth. Ready for simple methods of wood flavor infusion that do not take stockpiles of wood and equipment so large, you start thinking about adding on to your house?

Wood-fired cooking includes the simplest methods of wood infusion like the current rage with hand-held food smokers or even the stovetop smoker. Kitchen gadgets that have opened the door to anyone who wants to explore the fragrant and flavorful bounty that awaits all foods and beverages. One thing that still is evolving is the concept of spices not for your food but for your equipment!

If you’ve read some of our previous articles on wood flavoring you’ll come to understand and appreciate that there is no set rule on wood-fired cooking. Oh, yes, there is plenty of science when it comes to cooking with fire or as I like to say when you combust to flavor, which is what you are accomplishing with wood for cooking. I feel more attention should be given to the actual wood products; rather than focusing on the ingredients to the foods being cooked.

Wood is an ingredient

First, wood to us IS an ingredient, one that still needs to be balanced with the other components to bring forth a food memory. As an ingredient, the easiest by far to manage for wood flavor infusion is sawdust or in our Company’s listing, Smokin’ Dust®. Compatible with all types of equipment, Smokin’ Dust® literally becomes a ‘spice’ for your equipment.

Thinking of island flavors of pineapple, coconut, and mango for a recipe? Why not add one or more of those flavorings through the wood product? Yes, using all-natural flavoring infused into our Smokin’ Dust® is one of the quickest methods of getting the great flavor to a specific regional dish. With 15 flavor-infused options that are 100% all natural, designed for cooking, and infused in hardwood, as well as 8 natural hardwood flavors, we’ve given new meaning to the word ‘spice’ as ours can now apply to the wood product! Remember, applewood doesn’t smell or taste anything like an apple. Use our apple infused product, and you’ll experience hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and the bite of an apple!

Why settle for a run-of-the-mill smoking sawdust product that you don’t know where it comes from? A softwood, swept from the floor, shoveled from the ground, or worse, taken from under an animal? Instead, get excited about the flavor opportunities awaiting you and your equipment when you use a smoking sawdust product from a real cooking wood company. Get excited about the opportunities out there to experiment with, whether for hot smoking, cold smoking, handheld food smoking, stovetop smoking, or even traditional LP and charcoal grilling. And get ready to experience the world through flavor aroma!

Dr. Smoke- “Smokin’ Dust is one of our most customized and versatile cooking wood product.” which is a spice for your equipment

More Related reading on this subject

Additional reading:

-TASTE IS AROMA!

-JUST BECAUSE YOUR SMOKING (FOOD THAT IS!) DOESN’T MAKE IT ALL BAD!

-KIWIFRUIT GETS SMOKY

Our products used in this Blog:

Flavored Smokin’ Dust

These are the small bags of wood chips for the technique BBQ Grill & Smoker pan, try the 3 pack or a box!

Welcome QVC shoppers who purchased the Technique Pre-seasoned Cast Iron 11″ BBQ Grill Pan & Smoker over the U. S. holiday weekend (July 4th). Dr Smoke did some research and watched the demonstration of this product by the great people of QVC. During the segment that I watched they recommended the use of Smokin’ Dust® with this unit. While this is true, I would also recommend the use of Smokinlicious Wood Chips as well! We have tested other stove top smokers and found that with the heavier “cast” iron pans our Wood Chips sometimes perform better than our Smokin’ Dust®

When applying our Smokinlicious Smokin’ Dust® with the Technique Pre-seasoned Cast Iron 11” BBQ Grill Pan & Smoker you may have to add water to make a paste and put it on the bottom tray of the unit. This will prolong the burn life of the Smokin’ Dust® and increase the smoke flavor during the cooking process

We have ordered a unit and will be testing our products in the next couple of weeks. Dr Smoke and the culinary crew will be testing this unit and will be adding information to our “Match your Cooker“ section of our web site. Please check back to Smokinlicious®for updates! Please enjoy your unit!

If you need additional assistance, regarding product compatibility, or tips on smoking,please call 1-800-941-5054

Bon Bar B Q!

Dr. Smoke-create smoked foods with our wood chips for the Technique BBQ Grill & Smoker

JUST BECAUSE YOUR SMOKING FOOD (THAT IS!) DOESN’T MAKE IT ALL BAD!

listen to JUST BECAUSE YOUR SMOKING FOOD

Recently, I received a very interesting question regarding the safety of ingesting foods and beverages that have been exposed to smoke vapor using hand-held food smokers. Specifically, the question consisted of whether you need to be 18 years of age for items that have been infused with smoke using these gadgets.

#handheldsmoker

This got me thinking:

• does the word “smoke” automatically give off the bad vibe response?
• why do people only inquire about the smoke without needing to know more about the plant source that produces that smoke?

There is a lot of data out there on carcinogenic effect to high heat grilled foods like burgers, chicken, and steaks, even data on hot smoking foods at lower temperatures. Really, what it all boils down to is, if you grill meats to the point where you blacken them, that increases the risk for the carcinogens. Even if you cook to the blacken state, eating these foods in moderation will halt any real risk over an average person’s lifetime.

So why the question on legality to consume smoked foods and beverages?

If you understand that the tobacco industry had to start putting warning labels on tobacco packaging back in 1966, and smokeless tobacco products in 2010, then you comprehend that smoke vapor does contain toxins. Everything regarding the level of toxicity with cooking is related to the type of food, method of cooking, cooking temperature, and length of cooking time.

Let’s examine those parameters from the handheld food smoking perspective.

You are not cooking the food by this method, merely infusing it with the smoke flavonoids, so there is no temperature (cold smoking technique). You are not exposing the food to smoke vapor for hours – it really comes down to minutes. Most importantly, you are not directly attempting to inhale the smoke vapor into your lungs. Yes, if your standing near the container that is holding the cold smoke when you open it, you will have some exposure but not like the person that takes a drag directly from a tobacco product or is chewing on a tobacco product!

Like anything else in our world, there are risks to everything we do, experience, sense, taste, explore, desire. Hot smoking is another name for roasting just at a lower temperature and usually with cheaper cuts of meat.

SmokinLicious® Double Filet wood chunks

What should never be compromised is the plant material – the wood – that is used to extract these flavors.

I believe it is time to start asking more questions about the hardwood products being used for the smoking process rather than focusing on the process itself. Share on X Perhaps the risks associated with dirty, moldy, contaminated wood are too high to ignore anymore.

SmokinLicious® products:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Dust- Smoking Dust

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

More related reading on the art of smoking food and cooking wood

More blog topics like this one:

-APPLEWOOD – WHY WE DON’T USE IT! – HERE’S WHY

-SHOULD YOU GRILL WITH MOLDY WOODS?

-BEYOND PRICING: THE TOP THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING COOKING WOOD

-SMOKING-GRILLING WOOD SELLING TERMS DEMYSTIFIED

Dr. Smoke hopes you enjoyed-JUST BECAUSE YOUR SMOKING FOOD (THAT IS!) DOESN’T MAKE IT ALL BAD!

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.”

Preliminary Test Kitchen Results

The Smokinlicious® Test Kitchen had an opportunity to use the Technique® Cast Iron Pan and Smoker which many of you purchased via QVC. Here are some preliminary findings by our Culinary Team:

➝Use caution when selecting cuts of meat with this cast iron pan! We had purchased a 10 lb. pork shoulder and struggled to get the cover tightly on the pan. Right now, it appears that cuts less than 8 lbs. would be ideal for cooking/smoking/roasting/grilling.

➝I’m sure we were not the only purchasers to be disappointed to read in the Technique® brochure that you should “not try to smoke in the oven” with this unit. Rest assured, Dr. Smoke will see if there is a means of actually smoking in a conventional oven by using low temperature and Liquid Infused Wood Chips /Smokin’ Dust®.
/Wood Chunks with this smoker unit (more on these findings as they become available).

➝ We cooked both a bone-in pork shoulder and bone-in chicken breast. Both cooks revealed great moisture to the meat. We used the recommended medium heat setting on our gas range but found that the cast iron pan radiates a significant amount of heat. Thus, we recommend reducing the heat setting to a low-medium (“3″ if you have a digital setting) on gas units. We also turned the heat off our cast iron pan approximately 20 minutes prior to completing the cooking time in order to benefit from the pan’s ability to generate further heat on its own. Remember, all meat should rest prior to cutting.

➝ There was considerable “rendering” out of the fat drippings into the drip pan. There is significant staining on the stainless steel drip pan so you may want to consider lining the pan with foil or even parchment paper to reduce metal staining.

➝ Smokin’ Dust® Usage: although the dust will render black in this pan, it did give off a tremendous amount of aroma. We used the Smokin’ Dust® dry, about 2 Tablespoons worth, in the center of the smoking pan. This appears to be the correct amount although we did not feel it produced as much flavor to the meat as a conventional smoker.

➝ Wood Chips: we used Wild Cherry Wood Chips (standard grind) in the smoker pan while cooking a bone-in chicken breast on the gas stovetop. The chips also produced significant aroma in the air but we found that they produce much more flavor to the meat. Keep in mind, our chicken breast was just over 2lbs so it fit easily in the grill pan with the cover tightly on. The fact that more flavor was infused in the chicken could be the result of less air leakage than the pork shoulder and the fact the chicken is much more porous allowing for ease in accepting smoke. We used the Wood Chips pre-soaked for 15 minutes in water, then allowed to drip dry before placing in the smoker pan. We used approximately 1 handful and spread them in the smoking pan to allow the drip pan to fit easily in place. Once our chicken was finished, we noted that the wood chips also blackened during the cooking process, much like the Smokin’ Dust®.

At this stage in our testing of the Technique® Cast Iron Pan and Smoker, we feel it is comparable to other stovetop units that we’ve tested. One important difference is the fact that there is no built in thermometer, so you must check the meat with a handheld or wireless thermometer to ensure you remove the food at the proper cooking temperature. Here are some other points worthy of mention:

➝ this is a heavy cast iron pan and all parts of it become very hot
➝ the pan can use some additional seasoning as there is some food sticking occurring with the grill pan
➝ it does take some effort to clean but if you re-season and continue to use the cast iron pan, I would anticipate this to become less of an issue
➝ there is a significant convection occurrence when cooking which produces a very moist product but as mentioned above, you must time the cooking process to ensure no over-cooking

Stay tuned for additional posting regarding this cookware. Our plans are to try the Smokin’ Dust®.
mixed with liquid as well as to try our Woodscuit ® Flavor-Infused products.

Till then, “Bon-Bar-B-Q!”

Donna G

Dr. Smoke- The Technique® Cast Iron Pan & Smoker passes the Smokinlicious® kitchen test with flying colors when using our sized hardwood smoking chips!

For more related reading on stove top smoking, check out these articles:

Stove Top Smoked Riccota Cheese Delight

The Easy Method to Make Cold Smoked Cheese

Yum, Yum! – Infusing Wood Smoke Flavor into Brussels Sprouts

Second Test Kitchen Results

The Smokinlicious®Test Kitchen conducted an additional test using the Technique® Cast Iron Skillet and Smoker which many of you purchased from QVC as the Special of the Day. This time, we used our flavor-infused wood product called the Woodscuit ® on the stovetop.

What We Cooked: Boneless Pork Tenderloin

How We Cooked: on the stovetop using medium-low heat on the gas range

What Wood We Used: Bourbon Flavored Woodscuit ® – 3 pieces

Length of Cook Time: 2-1/2 hours

Findings: Again, as our previous test cooks have demonstrated, the Technique® Cast Iron Skillet and Smoker provides for a very moist product. This time, we lined our drip pan in foil to decrease the amount of elbow-grease needed to clean up. Since our Woodscuit ® product has a moisture content of ~45 percent, these wood pieces did not display the charred look like the woods used in the previous test cooks (both the Wood Chips and Smokin’ Dust® were black by the end of the cooking time). However, once the tenderloin was finished, our panel of tasters did not find any significant smoke flavor to the end product. For those pieces that had been more to the center of the cast iron skillet, the tasters noted slightly more smoke flavor but overall, there was no distinguishable smoke flavor infused in the food.

Currently, our Test Kitchen has found that the Wood Chips used on the stovetop, provide for the greatest flavor infusion of the wood used. As always, we will continue to test this cast iron skillet with a plan to see if adding water to the smoke pan with the wood product, helps to keep the flavor infusion going.

Stay tuned!

Fingerling Potatoes are Next

Dr. Smoke- Cast iron skillet cooking and smoking is easy, affordable & offers great flavor results! When using the Technique® Cast Iron Skillet, coupled our quality cooking wood, you can’t go wrong!

For more reading on the Technique® Cast Iron Skillet & Smoker and how you can do stove top smoking from your own kitchen, check out these articles:

A Guide to Cooking the Perfect Steak

Infusing Wood Flavor to Brussels Sprouts Using a Cast Iron Skillet

The Kitchen Find – Easy, Convenient & Affordable Stove Top Smoking!

our Single filet was born at the Oinktoberfest because of rave reviews.

Single Filet at Oinktoberfest

During most competitions we distribute a sample of our products to the competing teams. I call it the secret ingredient of the competition!! During the Oinktoberfest in Clarence, NY I handed out Smokin Dust® as our gift pack to the teams. In the fairness of the competition I try to mix up the flavors among the teams! The following is what one competitor had to say about our product:

“We would like to thank you for your sample of Black Cherry Smokin’ Dust® during Oinktoberfest 2007. We were able to place 4th in pork during the KCBS contest using your product. Even better we were able to win Grand Champion in the backyard event on Sunday. We used the Dust on all categories, (1st chicken wings, 6th sausage, 3rd ribs, 2nd beef). We also won the chili cook off with meat smoked using the Dust. Overall great product that gave us the winning edge, my order is coming soon!”

Brian
Good Smoke BBQ
Rochester, NY

Thank you Brian!!

Bon Bar B Q

Dr Smoke!!

Present Day Update…

Although the Ointoberfest no longer takes place in the Fall but moved to August, this was one of those local events that allowed us to secure many local connections to make testing our products that much easier.

Our wood chunks were one product that we knew needed expansion. Just how would we find ideal sizing without having to offer extreme options that would challenge our packaging team? By turning to our competitive friends who could offer valuable critic and suggestions that aided us to develop the Double and Single Filet options.

The Birth of the Single Filet Wood Chunk

Larger fireboxes mean a larger chunk is needed. To determine the ideal size that could fit multiple manufacturers’ equipment, we turned to our competitor friends who influenced our final product. We will be forever indebted to all those who worked with us to bring our two great chunk options to the market.

Oh, and these friends also are credited with our choice to give you 3 wood choices in every carton, no matter the size chosen.

With SmokinLicious®, you have history with the dedication and commitment it takes to bring great flavor to anything cooked by fire!

Dr. Smoke and the team update our live fire test results for Single Filet @ Oinktoberfest!

More Related reading on how Smokinlicious® perfected our great smoking products at various live fire BBQ events around North America

Our Smokin Dust® @ Wildwood allows us to add flavours to your smoke

Dr. Smoke along with his bag of natural flavors is off to the Wildwood BBQ Championship or the official event title- New Jersey State Barbecue Championship in Wildwood, New Jersey! He will be experimenting with a “Mango” and a “Wine” Flavor. Once the formula passes the “smoke” test they will be released on our web site for sale! Watch for them soon!!

Wildwood BBQ Championship- Present Day Update…

Although it has been many years since the Wildwood, New Jersey event, our Smokin’ Dust® has stood the test of time. After more than a decade, we still offer 14 premium flavors and 8 natural flavors to spice up your fire and foods:

• Alder
• Almond
• Apple
• Ash
• Beech
• Bourbon
• Cherry
• Coconut
• Hickory
• Jamaican Rum
• Lemon
• Mango
• Maple
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pear
• Pecan
• Plum
• Red Oak
• Vanilla
• White Oak

The burst of flavor can be used in charcoal grills, cold smoke generating mazes, hand held food smokers, and traditional smokers. With charcoal, wood or any combination of fuel product, you’ll be amazed at the flavor punch Smokin’ Dust® provides.

Just like the ingredients used in your cooking, our Smokin’ Dust® is all natural, air collected and made just for wood-fired cooking. Up your grilling and smoking game with our full line of all natural, clean products. Find out what a premium wood product can do to your favorite foods!

Dr. Smoke’s team live tested our new smokin dust® @ Wildwood Barbecue State Championship

More Related reading on how we tested our newly developed products at BBQ events around the USA and Canada.

Our Smokin Dust® @ Pigs in the Park debut of our new flavours for your smoke

SMOKIN’ DUST® @ PIGS IN THE PARK NEW FLAVOURS DEBUTED

We are introducing additional flavors to our Smoking Dust® line of products: Papaya, Jamaican Rum, Bourbon, Vanilla and Almond. Samples will be available at the “Pigs in the Park” event on May 18-20th Danville, VA. We feel that these will be great additions to our other flavors.

Dr Smoke is working in the lab to develop Smoking Dust®
that will replicate the wine families (ie Merlot, Chardonnay). We will continue to update you on his progress with these flavors.

We hope everyone will have a chance to visit the Smokinlicious® booth in Danville, VA “Pigs in the Park” event to sniff latest flavors.

Present Day Update…

We loved being a sponsor of the Pigs in the Park event! Not only were the people exceptionally welcoming, but the teams and fans of this event were always willing to expand their knowledge of BBQ.

Not only did we expand our Smokin’ Dust® flavors, but we developed a new product line of wood chips that allowed us to offer custom mixes of chips as well a custom mixes of chip sizing. Now that’s customization! Every new idea takes time to develop. Though many years passed since our participation in Pigs in the Park, we owe gratitude to the everyone we came in contact with that offered suggestions and their wish list.

Come join us in adding pure, clean flavors of hardwoods in a variety of sizes of chunks, chips and logs. Learn just what SmokinLicious® can do to your wood-fired foods!

The following was received from Dave Witt in West Seneca, NY –

“I mixed about 3 tablespoons of Smoking Dust with my regular cherry wood sawdust. I had no issue with the temperature going hotter. I was a bit concerned when I opened the bag of dust… I was worried that because it was so fragrant that it would overpower the finished product. Instead it brought to the forefront the subtle flavor of what wood type was being used. You have a very good product there and I’m looking forward to trying it on my offset soon.”