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
listen to our blog regarding wood chips for smoking
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
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
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!
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!
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 WoodChips as well! We have tested other stove top smokers and found that with the heavier “cast” iron pans our WoodChips 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
Charcoal Smoker Grills–For those that have followed us for years, you know we are proud that almost from the start of our Company, we were committed to providing a guide for equipment to cooking wood product match. We refer to our guide affectionately as “Match Your Cooker”.
In this article, we are covering our recommendations for charcoal-wood burning grill equipment; these are grills that capable of using charcoal and wood for authentic charcoal grilling. As there are always new equipment lines and models released, our plan is to provide regular updates. We also encourage you to send us a message when you don’t see a manufacturer or model listed.
For now, we introduce you to our wood master’s guide to SmokinLicious® cooking woods for specific smokers.
We hope you view this guide as a helpful resource for selecting the perfect culinary wood for your equipment. As always, our Wood Guide Team is ready to answer your additional questions and further assist you with the perfect grilling and smoking experience!
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.
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
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!
Well, before you ask that question, you should want to know “What woods are safe to use for smoking?”
Hardwood vs. Softwood for Cooking- Softwoods:
Softwoods or coniferous woods should never be used for cooking because they have elevated sap levels and more air in their cell structure. This causes the wood to burn fast, hot, produce lots of sparks, and produce unpleasant flavors not ideal for flavoring foods. Let’s be clear on what a softwood is: pine, redwood, cedar, fir, spruce, hemlock, larch, cypress. These are all no-no’s!
Hardwood vs. Softwood for Cooking- Hardwoods:
Known as deciduous trees that produce broad leaves, produce a fruit or a nut, and generally go dormant in the winter, hardwoods are the woods to use for cooking and makeup roughly 40 percent of all trees in the United States.
Hardwoods are made up of mostly three materials: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose and hemicellulose are the basic material of the wood cells; lignin acts as a kind of cell-bonding glue but it is the primary material need for flavoring in barbecue. 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. Lignin modifies the surface of the smoked food as the wood burns making the food scrumptious!
Hardwood vs. Softwood for Cooking- The Lignin Compound
Although all woods contain compounds which act as a preservative providing both antioxidants and reduction in bacterial growth, there are compounds that are more toxic to people, including compounds like formaldehyde and acetic acid which provide for an overall pH level in wood. Hotter wood fires produce a higher pH level. A good example is mesquite, which produces twice the level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, meaning it has a pH level almost threetimes the level of cooler burning hardwoods like Sugar Maple and Oak. Remember, it’s PAHs that are of concern when you grill or smoke and why foods cooked by these methods can get a bad rap.
Hardwood vs. Softwood for Cooking- Orchard Woods
Don’t forget a point about orchard woods which are a hardwood.
Woods like apple, peach, and pecan are traditionally raised for their fruit and nut production meaning they are commonly sprayed with pesticides in order to ensure a productive tree. Unfortunately, these pesticides are absorbed by the tree and released when burned. That means, you release them into the cooking equipment every time you use them for grilling and smoking.
Ask questions about the wood you want to purchase, read wood packaging and look for hardwoods that are known to be ideal for wood-fired cooking like cherry, alder, ash, hickory, maple, oak, and beech. Great food memories at the grill or smoker are made when you start with the perfect smoking wood! Don’t settle for anything less.
For those that have followed us for years, you know we are proud that almost from the start of our Company, we were committed to providing a guide for equipment to culinary wood product match. We refer to our guide affectionately as “Match Your Cooker”.
In this article, we are covering our recommendations for ceramic and komado style grilling equipment; these are grills that are made from ceramic, clay, terracotta or crushed lava rock that allow the grill to reach extremely high temperatures – usually at or above 750°F! They are also capable of using charcoal and wood either independently or in combination.
As there are always new equipment lines and models released, our plan is to provide regular updates on this listing. We also encourage you to send us a message when you don’t see a manufacturer or model listed to ensure it is added to the list (email drsmoke@smokinlicious.com).
For now, we introduce you to our wood master’s guide to SmokinLicious® culinary woods for ceramic and komado grills.
Single Filet Wood Chunks for Ceramic Smokers & Grills
We hope you view this guide as a helpful resource for selecting the perfect culinary wood for your equipment. As always, our Wood Guide Team is ready to answer your additional questions and further assist you with the perfect grilling and smoking experience!
* Although considered a komado grill, this brand is not made with any ceramic, clay, terracotta, or crushed stone.
** This brand is only designed for use with wood chips and includes a patented smokin’ chip feeder.
Ceramic smokers & grills are very popular. For more reading on how these units can best work with wood as a food flavoring element, check out these articles:
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 LiquidInfusedWoodChips /Smokin’ Dust®. /WoodChunks 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.
➝ WoodChips: we used Wild Cherry WoodChips (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 WoodChips 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:
When you are going through the steps of installing an outdoor kitchen, you’ll quickly find that deciding where to set it up is one of the most difficult and impactful decisions of the process. Since you have multiple options, it can be hard to figure out exactly where to put it. We’ve come up with a list of things to consider to help you decide!
Be Conscious of Sun and Shade
Summer is prime time for outdoor kitchen use. So, when planning your outdoor kitchen, bank on warm temperatures and lots of sun, and take reactive measures. Placing your outdoor kitchen under existing shade, or planning to add new sources of shade will provide you and your guest’s comfort year-round.
Natural shade from trees and vines is best because they ventilate easily. As an added bonus vines and trees “transpire,” evaporate moisture to cool themselves, creating their own natural misting system.
There are plenty of man-made shade options as well, such as pergolas, or trellises. The growing popularity of transition rooms provides an even more permanent and durable option for your outdoor kitchen.
Leverage Your Natural Space
Do you have a pool or hot tub in your yard? A beautiful garden? When choosing where to add your outdoor kitchen, take note of any existing structures or features that you want to complement. Also be wary of design overlap. The last thing you want is for your outdoor kitchen covering to inadvertently shade your vegetable garden.
In addition, when planning the placement of your outdoor kitchen, it’s important to consider the relationship between the indoor and outdoor versions, and how they will be used together when cooking or entertaining. If you have a large outdoor space to work with, it may prove prudent to place your outdoor kitchen in closer proximity to your indoor kitchen to create a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.
Consider the View
Another crucial element to consider when you’re placing your outdoor kitchen is your views and sight lines. You can have the most beautiful outdoor kitchen in the world, but when your guests sit down to eat at the table, if they’re facing a brick wall or the old shed in your backyard, that’s what they’re going to remember. So, be sure to consider the view when you’re trying to find the perfect location for your stainless steel outdoor kitchen.
Another key consideration is the location that will provide the most privacy from neighbors. Screening views with trees and shrubbery will provide privacy while also providing a noise buffer for your close neighbors.
Don’t Forget Utilities
When planning your outdoor kitchen layouts, keep in mind the best practical placement or installation of the necessary gas, water, and electrical supply. Note where your water, gas and electric lines are, and design your kitchen accordingly.
Furthermore, when placing your grill or smoker, think about the natural flow of wind – make sure that smoke from the grill will be carried away from dining and living areas. You should also think about making sure the kitchen area is located a safe distance from doors and entryways to keep foot traffic away from potential hazards.
Additionally, make sure to place all outdoor cooking appliances away from areas where children play or where people play sports. You’ll want to avoid basketballs or soccer balls bouncing over onto a hot grill.
Don’t Shy Away From the Roof
When one thinks “outdoor kitchen,” the tendency is to think of backyards – but that doesn’t have to always be the case. Especially if you have a small or nonexistent lawn space, building your stainless outdoor kitchen on the roof can prove a very viable design option.
If you are choosing this option though, pay special attention to restrictions and codes. They vary by municipality, so check with your town’s building department to find out rules about setbacks, fire safety, and what kind of permits you’ll need to file. We recommend working with a general contractor so you are up to code and all safety requirements are included.
Fit Your Needs
The right spot to place an outdoor kitchen will vary from homeowner to homeowner. You may like the idea of an outdoor cooking area just outside the back door of your house or a freestanding pavilion near your pool area.
At the end of the day, there’s no one “right” spot for your outdoor kitchen. But by using these outdoor kitchen location tips, you’ll ensure you make an excellent choice.
In THE HISTORY OF FIRE COOKING PART IV, we examine how wood fired cooking has evolved around the world, focusing on those countries who still rely solely or in great part on wood fired cooking for sustenance.
Many Still Rely on Fire
The numbers can be staggering when you take a close look. In developing countries, some 2.5 billion people rely on biomass to meet their energy needs for cooking. For many, these resources account for over 90% of the household energy consumption. Biomass includes charcoal (derived from wood), fuel wood, agricultural waste, and animal dung. As area populations increase, the number of people relying on biomass for cooking also grows. By the year 2030, it is estimated that 2.7 billion people will relay on biomass for cooking! The immediate concerns are that biomass will be used without sustaining harvests and that technologies for energy conversion will not be used properly. In fact, 1.3 million people, the majority of whom are women and children, die because of exposure to indoor air pollutants from biomass. Slowly, the goal for switching to modern cooking fuels and/or promoting more efficient and sustainable use of traditional biomass is under way. For now, there are millions who wood fire foods for their family’s nutrition using traditional methods and recipes.
The History of Fire Cooking Part IV- The Many Methods and Meals of Fire Cooking
Without question, the continent of Africa houses most of the countries who are reliant on wood fires for cooking. The top 12 countries using wood fires for cooking are: Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Guinea, Laos, Ethiopia, and Central African Republic. However, there are many other countries that carry generations of wood fired cooking recipes into today, making them a family gathering special occasion. Let’s examine some of those countries and what they cook.
Morocco
Moroccans cook in earthen ovens called tagine, a conical shaped terra-cotta lid that sits on a flat terra cotta bottom. It sits on a base called a majmar, an unglazed brazier full of hot coals that cooks the tagine slowly. In the market place, tagines are lined up with various foods like fish & potatoes, chicken & olives and lemon, or lamb with prunes. They also use small elevated grills in the port areas to cook various fish.
Laos
Although the people of Laos do grill some items, including water beetles, they mostly make soup in large pots set over an open wood fire. This is much like the American style of cowboy cooking. Vegetables, sprouts, and noodles are often added to the broth to make the traditional Laotian daily dish.
Guatemala
Guatemalans use a method of wood cooking known as three stone cooking. A fire is started between 3 fire proof materials, usually stones that are used to support pots placed over the fire. Pepian, the national dish of Guatemala, is a mouth-watering chicken stew made with different types of native chilis, seeds, and vegetables. In addition to hand-crafted tortillas, it takes 3-4 hours to make this recipe traditionally over a fire.
Argentina
Here they call barbecue asado and it is certainly about the meat. Vegetables, calamari, bread, and other foods are introduced to fire and heated either on heavy grates or iron pans.
India
One of the biggest misconceptions is that tandoori is a recipe from India. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Tandoori is a technique of grilling meat over fire in a tandoor, a clay oven. The tandoor is buried. Heat escapes from the top. Tandoori is very hot! Skewered meat or fish is inserted into the tandoor vertically to cook. The traditional bread, Naan, is placed along the sides of the clay vessel.
Korea
Koreans use a very unique method of wood fire cooking while at the same time utilizing the heat from that fire to heat their homes. They are one of the earliest users of radiant heat. Outside the home, a fire proof container is hung over the fire area. A series of flues travel horizontally under the house. Ondol is a layer of flat stone located directly beneath the house floor.A chimney flue is located on the opposite side of the house from the fire source preventing any smoke from entering the actual home. As the smoke travels through the underground flue system, it acts as a preservative to the wood house by preventing insects, mold, and bacteria from developing.
Don’t Think All Wood-Fired Cooking is BBQ
The variety of foods and techniques noted are not considered BBQ but have traditions that originate in every corner of the world. Through trial and error, sourcing material that was available in each country, and incorporating foods and other edible items into recipes to feed families, fire cooking has advanced in some countries, while others still have seen little change.
Now we see the essence of barbecue by other names in other countries. Asado in Argentina, braai in South Africa, lechon in Philippines, mezze in Lebanon, and parrilla in Uruguay. Without question, the days of fire cooking are far from over as our innate nature seeks the flavors only provide by flame and smoke. Hope you enjoyed THE HISTORY OF FIRE COOKING PART IV, the final installment of the fire history series.
¼ Cut Wood Logs
Unfileted Wood Blocks
Single Filet Wood Chunks
Double Filet Wood Chunks
Grande Sapore® Wood Chips
Minuto® Wood Chips
