After experimenting over the past several years with the
multiple smokers I’ve accumulated, I’ve realized that each device has its own
pros and cons. For instance only one of the three smokers can accommodate a
full cut of beef brisket and that only one device doesn’t need a fan to
circulate the heated air. And most importantly, all three devices require
constant monitoring to either refresh it with a new batch of charcoal or wood
or to simply rotate the food for balanced cooking. I actually removed the fans
from an old desktop computer (one computer had four internal fans) and
contemplated cutting holes in my current smokers and installing the fans so I
could achieve even heat circulation. Though I’ll probably destroy the smoker in
the process of being a DIY broke-can-ic.
Then I got on the internet started looking at those
electric smokers that used wood pellets to produce smoke and could be
controlled to 25 degrees of the desired temperature. Simply set the temperature
and occasionally refill the hopper with additional wood pellets as a fan
rotates the smoke throughout the cooking chamber almost like a convection oven.
But there’s a problem in the 50th as with most large appliances,
most mail order firms don’t ship to the 50th at all even if you’re
willing to pony up that ransom also known as the shipping cost. So I checked
several local home improvement big box stores to see what they stocked. The
most common model was the innovator, Traeger which was stocked at a couple of
local stores. And I almost pulled the trigger to purchase a Traeger smoker that
would fit a whole beef brisket in the smoking chamber. But thankfully, I first
also did an internet search to see which model had the best reviews. And though
Traeger did maintain a pretty constant smoking temperature, it along with
several other brands required you to occasionally remove the cooking grid,
drainage pan and heat shield to vacuum the residual ash that formed during the
smoking process. For starters, that would require me to also purchase a shop
vacuum as I’m pretty sure the Mrs wouldn’t want me to vacuum greasy, cooking
ash with the Dyson. Then I found the Camp Chef model which had a convenient cup
that could easily be removed to dispose of the ash. Of course, no local vendor
sold Camp Chef in the 50th and when I attempted to add them to my
cart online with the local home improvement stores, I got the “can’t ship to
AK, HI, Guam, Puerto Rico or Virgin Islands” warning. That is until I attempted
to place every model sold into my online cart. Low and behold, there was one
model that simply didn’t ship to Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. And
this model also had a stainless steel cover AND a side propane burner for
searing your food. So I added it to my cart – no shipping warning. Added my
shipping address – still no shipping warning. Then included the Mrs credit card
info (it was my birthday gift from the Mrs) – again no shipping warning. Then
actually placed the order – ORDER CONFIRMATION! Of course the pessimist in me
fully expected to get an e-mail later stating that it was an oversight and that
they actually couldn’t ship to Hawaii. Nope, the only e-mail I received was the
order confirmation along with the expected arrival date. YIPEE KA-YEH!
And it actually arrived a week earlier than planned and
in excellent condition and after spending about 30 minutes of minor assembly
time, I got right to seasoning the smoker (1 hour at 350 degrees with no food
to burn off any residual oil) then attempted my hand at several larges proteins
including our Thanksgiving turkey, pork sirloin roast (the same roast used in
my Cubano sandwich), meatloaf, chickens and a whole beef brisket.
The biggest difference in using an electric pellet smoker
other than not having to check the temperature and rotate the food every hour
or so is that the proteins don’t get as smoky black (a good thing) since the
temperature can be set lower and it doesn’t have as much of a smoky flavor
(also a good thing since smoke should just be another flavor element and not
the dominant characteristic). The 14 pound turkey was perfect after about 3
hours as was the pork sirloin roast and dare I say the beef brisket was as
tender as the beef brisket I mail ordered from Big Bob Gibson’s Barbecue over
the internet. The meatloaf wasn’t as smoke flavored as usual but it’s the only
item that could have used a more pronounced smoke flavor and the chickens could
have either used a slightly higher temperature (I smoked them at 225 degrees)
or slightly longer smoking time (2 & 1/2 hours).
But smoking shouldn’t be limited to just animal proteins
as there’s a vast array of foods that will benefit from that kiss of smoke. Smoked
vegetables have an unlimited range of uses. I frequently smoke Roma tomatoes
which I use for pizza sauce, pasta sauce or simply chop and added to braising
liquids for beef, pork and poultry. I simply slice the tomatoes lengthwise and
place them cut side up and smoke for an hour or so. Once they take on that
mahogany sheen, they’re ready to seed and the peels slide right off the flesh. The
same applications can be used with onions and garlic and since I first sampled
that lightly smoked daikon at Vintage
Cave’s sushi bar, I’ve smoked takuan,
shoga and rakkyo that I’ve used in place of dill pickles in sandwiches or
minced in my food processor with mayonnaise to make a Japanese style dip or
sandwich spread.
Aren’t Smoked
Foods Carcinogenic?
Both smoking and charring can leave foods with
benzo(a)pyrenes on the surface on the food which is considered a probable
carcinogen in the US. While benzo(a)pyrene is actually only a pro-carcinogen, needing
further metabolism (three additional oxidative chemical reactions) to
benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide, the final compound can start binding within your
DNA causing mutations within the DNA leading to possible cancer formation. One
solution, simply consume smoked foods in moderation like cured meats (the
nitrosamines formed when cooking cured meats also is listed as a probable
carcinogen), alcohol (alcohol raises the risk for certain cancers) or saturated
fats (while not a probable carcinogen, they do raise LDL cholesterol which
increases stroke and heart attack risk). I take it a step further by consuming
my smoked proteins with coleslaw. Why coleslaw? Cabbage is rich in
glucosinolates which form isothiocyanates and are associated with lower rates
of certain cancers and the anthocyanins in red cabbage are natural antioxidants
that possibly may interfere with those oxidative reactions that produce
benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide. Though the main bonus of consuming coleslaw with
your smoked proteins is that it’s mighty tasty and the perfect accompaniment to
BBQ! The vinegar in coleslaw cleanses your palate of those rich, fatty goodness
in barbecue refreshing it for another bite!
If you do want to combine both your protein and
vegetables in one smoked dish, how about trying my Asian take on that classic
Middle-Eastern chickpea-based spread hummus? However, my version uses smoked natto along with azuki beans along with pickled shoga,
pickled garlic and shiso. The slight
smokiness mimics the smoky flavors found in that other classic Middle-Eastern
spread based on eggplant, baba ghanoush and
I replaced the usual tahini or sesame
paste simply with sesame oil. If you’re using the imported triple packets of
frozen natto, just add the seasoning
packets for extra flavor. And for the first time, I’m also including this
recipe simultaneously in my February column for the Nichi Bei Weekly.
Natto-mus
One 3oz tub of Aloha Tofu natto (for readers in the 50th) or imported frozen natto (for readers in the Bay Area),
spread on a wire strainer and smoked for 45 minutes
1 cup dried azuki
beans, soaked overnight then simmered for 1 hour
7 pickled garlic bulbs
2 tbsp gari
(light pink, pickled, thinly sliced ginger served with sushi)
1 tbsp beni shoga
(dark pink strips of pickled ginger) smoked for 30 minutes
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp Shiso Fumi
furikake
Rice crackers
Garnishes: sliced pickled ginger, beni shoga, finely sliced fresh shiso
leaves
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