Monday 23 June 2014

Making a Simple Smoker

I have tried to smoke things on the BBQ with a smoker box, and in a slow cooker following instructions many people swore by and nothing seemed to really impart enough smoke flavor.

Until I was watching Masterchef Australia and saw one of the contestants set up a stove-stop smoker with a large cast iron wok. I watched the episode a few more times to see how it was done and then tested it out. Best smoke-flavor results. Or at least the best I can seem to pull off without getting a legit machine. Which I don't think I will be doing now since this works so well for me.

Simple Stove-Top Smoker

Materials:

  • Wood Chips, Hickory or the Jack Daniels barrel ones are my favorite
  • Large Cast Iron Wok, with Lid
  • Tin foil
  • Cooking Spray
  • A rack of some variety. I use a pizza pan.
  • 1 Heaping Cup Wood Chips

Instructions:

  1. 30 minutes before beginning to start smoking, soak the wood chips and any herbs or whole spices you would like to use in warm water. Drain after 30 minutes.
  2. Line the entire inside of the wok with a layer of tin foil, arrange the wood chips and herbs/spices on the bottom in an even level layer.
  3. Pretty easy so far.
  4. Now, my wok actually came with a little rack thing to use with it, but it fits much to close to the lid to work well for this purpose. So I use an old small tin pizza pan that has the vent holes all throughout it. Basically you need to set up a grill of some kind so whatever meat you smoke is floating above the wood chips.
  5. Place the lid on the wok and turn on burner to about medium heat. Allow to heat for at least 10 minutes or until you can see smokey-steam inside.
  6. Once the smoker is beginning to smoke, lightly oil your grill of choice with some cooking spray. Arrange your protein to be smoked on the grill. 
  7. Replace the lid, and if desired you can wrap a damp clean kitchen towel around where the lid meets the wok. This helps keep all the smoke inside the wok, and not in your kitchen. (Pictured here is some Tandoori Chicken)
  8. Keep covered for about 20 minutes. You can now either continue to smoke cook the protein until it is cooked through, or remove it from the smoker and finish cooking in the oven, in a pan or on a real grill. I have found between 20-40 minutes gives most meat a nice smokey flavor.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

A funny story and a crazy easy dessert that doesn't need the oven.

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Have any thoughts? Questions? Comments? Or did you try this?