May 21, 2015 – Smokin’ Good Barbecue Grill Technique: Infusing Smoky FlavorsRECIPE: Humdinger HamburgersWoods and Their FlavorRECIPE: Vidalias ‘n’ Georgia BBQ Sauce RECIPE: Smoked Spud SkinsCookbook Review“Smokin’ Good Barbecue” INTRO TEXT Become your own pitmaster and embrace low-and-slow cooking! With today’s excellent outdoor cooking set-ups, managing low temperature cooking and infusing smoky flavor is easier than ever!IN THIS ISSUE, we’re providing plenty of inspiration for the “what” and the “how” of low-and-slow barbecuing. You’ll find Humdinger Hamburgers with BBQ Ranch Sauce, Vidalias ‘n Georgia Mustard BBQ Sauce, and Smoked Spud Skins with Sauce Olé. Delicious summertime eating awaits!Thumbnails“low and slow”MAIN BODY:Infusing Smoky FlavorsWHY?What’s so great about barbecue and low-and-slow cooking? So many things – but all of the effusive comments have to do with flavor. Smoke provides a unique outdoor taste to food, and the low-and-slow method evaporates excess water and concentrates the natural flavors. Add a little spice and sauce, and the experience is swoon-worthy.Barbecuing with low temperatures for longer periods of time has similarities to braising techniques, cooking with a slow cooker, or sous vide cooking. The idea is that the food gradually reaches doneness without ever being subjected to high temperatures. Cooking takes longer this way, but with such a process, foods are less likely to be overcooked. As well, tougher cuts of meat, like ribs or brisket, require low-and-slow cooking in order to break down connective tissues.WHERE?Generally, smoked foods are an outdoor activity, though there are good indoor systems and methods available. Smoking food may be accomplished using a smoker set-up designed for only low-and-slow cooking with an indirect fire box and venting systems that pull the smoke across and around the food. Or, a simple smoking set-up may be used with a standard charcoal or gas grill. HOW? (1) As always, follow the manufacturer’s directions. For charcoal or gas grills, set up for indirect cooking where the heat source is not directly underneath the food, but rather off to the side. Start the heat, but keep at a low temperature, between 200°-220°F. For charcoal, allow the chunks to reach the stage where a thick ash surrounds each piece.(2) Smoke-infused flavor comes from smoking wood, not dripping fat. Choose hardwoods for smoking foods (see chart below). Soak wood chips or chunks in water for 30 minutes prior to adding to a warmed grill.(3) Add the food to the grill and maintain the heat at around 200°F. Keep the cover closed as much as possible to trap the smoke, and to keep the heat more constant. Check the internal temperature of the cooking food to avoid overcooking. A remote temperature probe is an ideal tool for keeping track of smoking foods.TIPS:(1) Oil vegetables prior to placing on a low-and-slow grill. This helps to keep them from drying out.(2) A mop of flavored liquids every 20-30 minutes will help infuse flavor while also assisting in keeping food moist.(3) Add sauces to the grilling foods only in the last stages of cooking. Sauces with sugar content may burn easily if added too early. Serve additional sauce on the side when serving.(4) Rotate the food as it cooks to keep it evenly exposed to the heat. (5) Grill by temperature not by time. Grilling conditions may vary greatly; temperature is the best guide for judging doneness.Humdinger Hamburgers We’re guessing that there’s more than a few of you that have never made hamburgers like this! Instead of hot and fast grilling, these burgers are treated to a low-and-slow treatment. Generously sized patties are placed on a grill that’s been prepared for smoking at a temperature of 200°F and smoked for about an hour. An hour for hamburgers? Unheard of! With this slow method, the burgers are finished when they reach 165-170°F internally – just like a fast grill, but with a whole lot of smoky flavor now added. Try these once, and you’ll become a believer!Recipe from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Copyright 2014. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.The Rub - Integral to the flavor of these burgers is the rub that surrounds the patties. This rub, Wild Willy’s Number One-derful Rub is an all-purpose rub to have on hand at all times. Mix up a big batch, store in an airtight jar, and use it all summer long. The Mop - With longer cooking times, the potential for food to dry out increases. A “mop”, such as this Basic Beef Mop, can go a long way in keeping smoking foods moist. Use mops that have a balance of flavors and with a low sugar content. Apply every 20 minutes.The Sauce - The sauce for these burgers, Bar-B-Q Ranch Sauce, is a classic tomato-based sauce with plenty of complexity thanks to the sauteed aromatics and flavorful liquids possessing the full complement of taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.Woods for SmokingChoose hardwoods for smoking food. Make sure the wood is untreated and intended for food use. Avoid soft woods such as pine, cedar, or similar woods that contain a lot of resin. While such woods will smoke when burned, the taste imparted is bitter and can make the food undesirable.Wood and Their FlavorsAdapted from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison, p. 14:Alder- Has a light delicate flavor; good with seafood.Apple or Cherry - Imparts a somewhat sweet, mild smoke flavor; pairs well with poultry.Hickory Known as “the king of the woods” possesses a strong, full flavor; fine with pork, beef, and poultry.Maple-Mild and sweet in flavor; good with poultry, hams and vegetables.Mesquite - A trickier wood for barbecuing. Suitable for shorter smoking timeframes.Oak - Strong, yet pleasant smoky flavor; good for all barbecuing.Pecan - Imparts a rich flavor, a favorite of pitmasters. Q: Which is better to use, wood chips or wood chunks?A: Wood chips burn faster than wood chunks. Soaking some of the wood chips in water or other liquid prior to adding to the grill will extend and enhance the smoking process. Wood chunks burn more slowly and are useful when barbecuing for longer periods at low temperatures. Experiment by using both chips and chunks – the chips bring early smoke, while the chunks sustain the smoke over a longer period.Vidalias ‘n’ Georgia BBQ Sauce[Main Photo IMG 2996; smaller, yet prominent sauce photo IMG 3014]When onions are this sweet and delicious, it only makes sense to feature them in a starring role. This succulent side dish happens in two steps. The first step involves steaming the cut, oiled onion halves in individual foil packets; the second, finishing step, includes a generous basting with the mustard sauce and open packet cooking. The low-and-slow process concentrates all of the flavors and continues the transformation of the onions into a dish with a silky, sweet personality. The Sauce – A classic southern preparation, mustard-based sauces may not be familiar to some. This Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce is a good introduction to this worthy alternative to tomato-based sauces. It has a pleasant, piquant taste that pairs nicely with the sweet onions.Recipe from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Copyright 2014. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.Tools for Successful Grilling:CHARCOAL COMPANION SMOKER BOX When smoking in a gas or electric grill, this smoker box contains the flavorful wood. Easy set-up and clean-up. STONEWALL KITCHEN RUBS & SAUCES Keep a few ready-to-go rubs and sauces on hand at all times for instant barbecuing success. CAMERON’S INDOOR SMOKER SYSTEM You can smoke foods indoors, too! Well-designed pan holds wood chips, rack for food, and cover for trapping smoke. CDN REMOTE PROBE THERMOMETER Grill by temperature not by time! A remote thermometer monitors progress without opening the lid. WÜSTHOF BBQ TOOL SET High quality stainless steel designed for grilling and barbecuing. Handy hooks for hanging nearby. BBQ MOPS AND REPLACEMENT HEADSWhen your basting sauce is thin, a mop is the tool to grab! The fibers hold the liquid and transfer it to the grilling food. Smoked Spud SkinsWe’ve all had (and enjoyed!) potato skins. But, these “spud skins” are deliciously different thanks to the smoky infusion they receive on the grill or smoker. You’ll not be satisfied with plain, old potato skins ever again! These are a great make-ahead appetizer or side dish; the potatoes may be baked or boiled ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until it’s time for the smoker. The scooped out skins are generously dusted with a smoky-flavored rub, and set on the grill to absorb more smoky flavor. Top with cheese and the paired sauce, Sauce Olé.Recipe from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Copyright 2014. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.The Sauce – This south-of-the-border sauce, Sauce Olé, couples well with the Smoky Spud Skins. Tomatoes, onions, and chiles for the sauce’s base with lime juice, cilantro, and cumin adding a dose of character. This is a great sauce to serve warm or cool, as a topping or dip. COOKBOOK REVIEW:Smoke & Spice, Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecueby Cheryl and Bill Jamison.Copyright 2014. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA.Winner of the James Beard Cookbook Award for ExcellenceIt takes a lot for a cookbook to become a classic, and to require periodic reprinting. Smoke & Spice is one such book, and for good reason; it contains a wealth of information on “low-and-slow” cooking. With the resurgent interest in “real” barbecue and better than ever outdoor cooking tools, the craft of consistent, low temperature cooking is accessible to both the novice and the expert. This 500-page reference book is divided into three parts: (1) Honest-to-Goodness Barbecue, an in-depth how-to, (2) Smoking Slow and Low, hundreds of recipes organized by primary food type, and (3) Great Accomplishments from Indoors, a collection of sauces, breads, side dishes, desserts and drinks to pair with great barbecue. Sprinkled throughout the book are plenty of BBQ Tips and great stories. We predict that you’ll be inspired by the authors’ passion for great barbecue and want to adopt the craft for yourself.Closing:Cruise into a summer mode with low and slow, smoky and spicy barbecue.