Brisket, hog shoulder, entire birds, and ribs have all been smoked. What more is there to say? As it happens, quite a bunch! There is no need to restrict smoking to meat alone.
The number of things you can smoke seems to be unlimited, and there are many of excellent possibilities if you want to smoke non-meat products.
(This is also a wonderful gesture for your vegetarian friends who wish to enjoy some smokey pleasure.)
With these 13 items you didn’t know you could smoke, we urge you to discover your whole smoking potential and journey into unexplored terrain.
Contents
- Things You Didn’t Know You Could Smoke
- Best Methods & Equipment you will need
- FAQs
- What are the hardest things to smoke?
- What can you smoke in 3 hours?
- What food can you smoke?
- What can I smoke in 4 hours?
- What was the safest thing to smoke?
- What is the unhealthiest form of smoking?
- What is the 321 smoking rule?
- How long can you hold in smoke?
- What happens 8 hours after smoking?
- What to avoid when smoking?
Things You Didn’t Know You Could Smoke
1. Smoked Cocktails
If you’ve never experienced smoked cocktails, you should try them. Smokme improves classic beverages like the Old Fashioned and Bloody Mary. There are several methods to include a slight smoky taste into your drinks.
You may smoke the ice, one of the liquids like honey, or add smoke to your cocktail shaker using a gadget like the Smoking Gun.
See our guide for 5 delectable smoked cocktail recipes.
2. Smoked ketchup and mustard
Consider combining two of the most popular condiments and enhancing their taste characteristics with a mild, smokey flavor.
Believe me when I tell that doing so will quickly elevate them from mediocre to chef-level delectable.
Simply distribute either one to a depth in an aluminum pan. Cold-smoke condiments in a cold-smoker setup or utilizing the portable smoking technique to minimize burning.
The smoked mustard complements any pork product (particularly ham), and the smoked ketchup is fantastic on burgers and fries.
If you like spicy condiments, you can add a great edge to any hot sauce by smoking it with one of the recommended condiment-smoking techniques!
3. Smoked Green or Black Olives
Whether you like them or despise them, olives are always a crowd pleaser at gatherings.
Olives are delicious on their own, but with a mild smoke bath, they take on a whole new dimension of flavor.
Of course, olives may be smoked using a portable smoker, but to truly soak up the smoky flavor, set them in a hot smoker. They will withstand the heat.
Simply place your green or black olives in a single layer in the metal or perforated pan and set your smoker temperature between 200F and 215F. Allow them 30 minutes to prepare your taste buds. Stuff them with feta or blue cheese for a flavor boost.
You may also skewer them to help rotating them easier. Green olives, according to Steven Raichlen, keep up better in smoky circumstances than black olives.
4. Smoked Nuts
Nuts are one of the most popular smoked foods. Pecans, walnuts, and cashews are all delicious after a smoke bath. It’s also quite simple!
Place the nuts in a single layer on a metal pie dish. Set the temperature of the smoker to between 210F and 225F. Allow them to smoke for 2 hours before serving over a salad, your favorite vegetable meal, or as tasty snacks.
5. Smoked Eggs
Forget the traditional deviled egg. If you truly want to wow your visitors, make that egg white a lovely, smokey hue!
Hard-boiled eggs cook well in the smoker, and they’re a fantastic way to spice up an otherwise boring appetizer.
All you have to do is peel some hard boiled eggs and smoke them for around 15 minutes at 215F to give them a good taste boost.
Check out this recipe from heygrillhey.com for a more extensive instruction to smoking eggs.
Mix the yolks with smoked mayo or mustard for more smoky deviled eggs!
6. Smoked Fruit
This should come as no surprise, considering grilled fruit is one of the most delicious dishes you can offer at a gathering.
Smoking the fruit low and slow is even better since you receive the additional smoke taste as well as the fruit’s natural extra sweetness from the heat.
Cut your fruit in half and core or pit it, then select a temperature range of 200F to 225F. After around 30 minutes, you’ll have a true pitmaster-style dessert on your hands.
Try smoking lemons and limes as a complement to seafood or drinks. Peaches, apples, and even grape and cherry tomatoes (which are, after all, fruits) may be smoked!
7. Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is a crowd favourite, and if you’re making it to go with your pulled pork or brisket, why not put it in the smoker to add another layer of flavor?
You may prepare the meal as usual and then place it in the smoker for 45 minutes. Check out our smoked mac and cheese recipe.
Start with softer cheeses like mozzarella or Monterey Jack, followed by a great, sharp cheddar. The softer cheese allows the smoky taste to shine through more.
8. Smoked Ice Cream
Ice cream, maybe the most surprising addition to this list, is excellent when properly smoked.
Before you start smoking a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, the ideal way to accomplish this is to create your own ice cream from scratch and smoke the milk.
Begin by smoking the milk, ideally using a portable smoker, and then utilize it as the foundation for your custard, which will ultimately become your ice cream.
If you don’t want to deal with it, you can smoke store-bought ice cream. Just remember to employ the ice bowl approach.
9. Smoked Butter
Say goodbye to normal butter! Smoked butter has a beautiful faint smoky taste that combines well with biscuits.
Or try melting it over grilled vegetables.
You should absolutely keep things cool. It is best to keep the temperature below 90°F. This post contains useful information for smoking butter in an electric or charcoal smoker.
10. Smoked Cheese
This one isn’t quite as controversial as some of the other foods on this list. In fact, you’ve undoubtedly seen smoked cheese on the shelf before.
What you may not have realized is that you can smoke any regular hard or semi-hard cheese!
Check out the video at the top of this piece, our other blog post about it, or our cold smoked cheese tutorial.
11. Smoked Salt
All varieties of salt, including Himalayan salt, sea salt, and iodized salt, may be smoked. This fundamental culinary ingredient comes in a variety of forms, but they all taste rather similar.
This is why smoking salt is a fantastic way to transform this flavor into something out of this planet. In fact, why not go all out and add smoked salt to another smoked food?
Hot smoking, cold smoking, and utilizing a portable smoker all work well depending on how much salt you want to smoke.
For 6 hours, a pellet smoker inside a grill is used to cold smoke the salt.
12. Smoked Ice
Smoked ice has long been used in the preparation of drinks in bars all around the globe.
A hand smoker is the finest way to smoke ice. To make this recipe work, you’ll also need to smoke the water and freeze the ice in an ice cube tray.
To give a slight smoky taste to Cognac, Bourbon, or Bloody Marys, use smoked ice cubes.
For additional information about smoking ice, see this extensive article at amazingribs.com.
13. Smoked Oil
You’ve definitely seen smoked oils on the shelves of fashionable supermarket shops.
However, you may save money by smoking your own oil at home.
Cold smoke virgin olive oil for around 2 hours, swirling occasionally to ensure uniform distribution of the smoke.
Serve the smoked oil with fish, veggies, or wherever olive oil would be appropriate.
14. Smoked Vegetables
Veggies, rejoice! The smoker isn’t only for carnivores.
Vegetables, like meat, may also be smoked. Most veggies, from juicy peppers to crisp zucchini, may be hot or cold smoked since they are safe to eat raw.
This barbeque corn ribs recipe will make an excellent side dish for your next BBQ.
So, if you’re a new vegetarian or vegan and finding it difficult to listen to your mother and eat your veggies, try smoking them beforehand to give a unique and delectable twist on their original flavors!
Best Methods & Equipment you will need
To begin, you’ll need either a cold smoker, a hot smoker, or a portable smoker. Which one you need depends on what you’re smoking.
Using a cold smoker
True cold-smoking requires your smoker to be at or below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the finest choice for incorporating smoky flavor into delicate dishes such as sauces and cheeses, which tend to burn or melt at higher temperatures.
This shifts the heat source away from the meal and enables the smoke to cool as it enters the chamber.
Electric smokers work well here, as can cold smoking setups on a standard grill or smoker. This video demonstrates how to cold smoke using a pellet tube on a conventional smoker.
Using a handheld smoker
This sort of smoker, also known as a smoking gun, is an easy method to impart authentic smoky flavor to delicate or perishable foods such as condiments, sauces, and cheese.
Simply arrange the meal in a big glass bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap, leaving one side uncovered for the smoker.
Manufacturer instructions may differ, but inserting the smoker tube, filling the bowl with smoke, withdrawing the tube, and covering the bowl with plastic will all be required.
After a few minutes, remove the plastic wrap, give it a good stir, and you’ll have a great, deep smokey taste.
Using a hot smoker
Finally, there are instances when any standard smoker or gas grill setup will enough for smoking.
While this is acceptable for items that can withstand heat, anything that has to be maintained at a lower temperature must be kept chilled.
If you do not want to invest in a pellet tube, you may still keep the temperatures low by stacking the food in one tray on top of another loaded with ice. You’ll be OK as long as you maintain the smoker at its lowest setting and refresh the ice.
Wrapping it up
A smokey taste characteristic may improve almost any cuisine. Serve a complete course of smoked food to your guests and you’ll blow their minds!
Please share your experiences with cold-smoked meals in the comments section below.
If you liked this post, please share it with your fellow pitmasters!