SUMMER STANDOFF
The way Alan Proctor sees it, there are smoker people and there are grill people.
"The smokers are kind of a separate crowd," said Proctor, assistant manager of Barbeques Galore on South Eastern Avenue. "A lot of people around town are more focused on the gas grills -- the quickness of them. Vegas to me is a quick town. Not too many people want to spend all day cooking. I'd almost consider it a lifestyle choice."
The kind of smoker he's talking about isn't the type that's finding it increasingly difficult to have a meal in a Las Vegas Valley bar these days, but rather a device -- sometimes homemade, often not, generally sort of large, but sometimes more compact -- that smokes meat (and sometimes vegetables or other foods) for home consumption.
The people doing it would be the backyard barbecuers. If you're a purist, "barbecue" employs the use of smoke. But it appears that being a purist is somewhat of a lifestyle choice as well.
"I come from the Midwest," said J.R. DeGan, chef of Salt Lick Bar B-Q at Santa Fe Station. "When we say we're going to have a barbecue, that means putting some Kingsford in the Weber, and that's what we do.
"It's a regional thing, and people have a lot of different conceptions. Down in Texas, if you say 'barbecue,' everyone knows it's smoking."
Mike Mills, owner of Memphis Championship Barbecue, noted that smoking has been done for eons, and originally was used as a method of preservation.
"That was the way that they cured meat, to be able to hold it for long periods of time without refrigeration," Mills said. (And here you should be thinking hams, whose original method of preservation was pretty much limited to smoking, although modern food-safety regulations have hampered the old-time ham-smokers' style.) In most cases -- and almost always, in the case of a backyard barbecuer -- smokers today are simply used to imbue meat with an extra dose of flavor,
"It enhances the flavor the same as salt and pepper enhance the flavor," Mills said. "It brings another dimension to it."
Smoking also can tenderize meat -- primarily, Mills said, because it involves the characteristically "low and slow" cooking process, 100 to no more than about 225 degrees.
"What most people do with ribs is they cook them too fast and they're all the time turning them," Mills said. "It doesn't hurt to move ribs around, but with any meat, the more times you turn them, the more you're going to dry them out. You'll drive the moisture out.
"Use less heat and take longer to cook them, they'll be tender and still juicy." He also suggests cutting racks of ribs into manageable pieces -- four bones or so -- so they can be more easily moved around the heat source.
"And I try to cook bone-down on anything as much as possible," Mills said. "The bone will act as a heat source for you and penetrate into the meat."
DeGan said he thinks a lot of people are daunted by the smoking process.
"Just like a lot of things," he said, "people don't have any idea. If you don't know about it, you're intimidated by it." There's a couple of things you have to watch out for. One of them, he said, is the use of indirect heat. "You can't be smoking directly on top of your fire."
Simply grilling over burning wood will add some smoke flavor to the meat, but not as much as if the meat is actually smoked.
When using a wood smoker, the wood is burned down to embers -- as it is at Salt Lick, which uses live oak -- and then some fresh "smoking wood" is added.
Some smokers, Mills noted, have fire boxes on the side, enabling the cook to "side-dress" the smoker with wood.
With electric smokers, chunks of wood are soaked and placed next to the electric element. They require less attention than wood-burning smokers because the fuel source doesn't have to be replenished; you just plug it in and come back a few hours later to remove the smoked meats. (Electric smokers can be found at home improvement stores for about $70. Proctor said the most popular model of smoker at his store is an offset full-barrel wood-burning model that retails for $229.)
Any barbecue grill can be used as a smoker, as long as indirect heat is employed.
"Soak some wood chips," Mills said. "Don't soak them overnight, but for 10 or 15 minutes. Either put them in a box, if you happen to have a little metal box, or you can just wrap them in a piece of foil. Punch holes in the top of the foil and set that on top of your heat."
If using a charcoal grill, he said, the wood chips can be tossed directly onto the coals.
"Or you can just set an aluminum pie pan on there," he said, "where the wood chips will smolder and smoke and add more flavor to whatever you're cooking."
"And you have to watch what kind of wood you use," DeGan said. "If it's too dry it'll burn too hot, and you'll get really dry, thick, black smoke that's full of creosote. We like to use green wood.
"A lot of people think we're looking to put our meat in an environment that's full of smoke. You don't want an environment that's rolling with smoke, because that's an unpleasant taste."
"I believe that smoke should not be the major ingredient," Mills said. "In a lot of places a lot of times, it's just really heavy, dense smoke flavor, and that's the number one thing that you taste. Well, smoke flavor and barbecue-sauce flavor, I don't think that either one should overpower the flavor of the meat." Depending on what meat you're eating, "you should be able to have all three of those flavors in your mouth without any one of them dominating."
SPICY SMOKED TURKEY
BREAST WITH CAJUN GRAVY
2 boneless turkey breasts, about 3 pounds each (see note)
Spice mix:
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
Basting liquid:
3 tablespoons Dijon or Creole mustard
4 tablespoons beer (preferably a well-flavored lager or ale)
Dry both turkey breasts thoroughly. Mix all the ingredients for the spice mix. Sprinkle the spice mix on all surfaces of the breasts. (Be sure to sprinkle some of the spice mix on the flap of meat on the side opposite the skin side.) Let rest for 10-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Mix ingredients for the basting liquid. Lightly brush a small amount of basting liquid on all surfaces of the turkey breasts. Be careful not to brush away the spice mixture -- it may be easier to dab on basting liquid.
Place the turkey breasts skin side up in a preheated smoker (or on a grill set up for indirect smoking). Use any nut or fruit wood, with the exception of mesquite, which would overpower the turkey.
Smoke over hot water or beer with five bay leaves. Approximately every 30 minutes, baste lightly with the basting liquid. Be careful not to wash off the spice mix. The turkey breast is done when an instant-read thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the breast, reads 165 degrees. The breast will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook. Slice and serve.
Serves 6.
Note: If boneless turkey breasts are not available from the butcher, you can buy a bone-in turkey breast and remove the breasts yourself. Simply cut down the side of the breast bone and then separate the meat from the carcass by cutting between the meat and the bone. Leave the skin attached to the breast.
Cajun gravy:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/3 cup minced celery
1/3 cup minced green pepper
2 minced cloves of garlic
1/2 cup flour
2 15-ounce cans of low-sodium chicken broth, or 1 quart homemade poultry stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional; this gives gravy a kick!)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
In a medium saucepan, saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter over moderate heat until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and flour and mix until well incorporated. Continue to cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is a light brown color (it will take about 5 minutes). Add 1 cup of the stock or broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add remaining stock or broth and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add bay leaf, chili flakes and black pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. If a thicker gravy is desired, simply let boil and reduce slightly. Add salt where necessary.
-- Recipe from Char-Broil
SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS
WITH HOISIN-HONEY GLAZE
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
3 1 1/2-pound racks baby back pork ribs
Whisk first 9 ingredients in large roasting pan to blend. Add ribs to pan; turn to coat. Chill overnight, turning ribs occasionally. Remove ribs from marinade, reserving marinade.
Place handful of torn newspaper in bottom of charcoal chimney (or pre-heat a smoker and follow manufacturer's instructions to cook ribs). Top with 30 charcoal briquettes. Remove top rack from kettle-style barbecue grill. Place chimney on lower barbecue rack. Light newspaper; let charcoal burn until ash is gray, about 30 minutes.
Open bottom barbecue vent. Turn out hot charcoal onto half of bottom rack. Using metal spatula, spread charcoal to cover approximately 1/3 of rack. Fill foil loaf pan halfway with water and place opposite charcoal on bottom rack.
Place top rack on barbecue. Arrange ribs on top rack above water in loaf pan. Cover barbecue with lid, positioning top vent directly over ribs. Place stem of candy thermometer through top vent, with gauge on outside and tip near ribs (thermometer should not touch meat or barbecue rack); leave in place during cooking.
Use top and bottom vents to maintain temperature between 250 and 300 degrees, opening vents wider to increase heat and closing to decrease heat. Leave any other vents closed. Check temperature every 10 minutes.
Cook ribs until meat is very tender when pierced with a knife, turning ribs and basting with reserved marinade every 20 minutes for about 1 hour, 30 minutes total. Open barbecue only when necessary -- to baste meat, for instance -- and close quickly to minimize loss of heat and smoke. After first 30 minutes of cooking, use technique described earlier to light additional 15 charcoal briquettes in same charcoal chimney set atop nonflammable surface.
If cooking temperature drops below 250 degrees, use oven mitts to lift off top rack with ribs and place on heatproof surface. Using tongs, add half of hot gray charcoal from chimney to bottom rack. Replace top rack on barbecue, placing ribs above water in loaf pan. Cover with lid.
Transfer ribs to baking sheet; let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat between bones to separate ribs and serve.
Serves 6.
-- Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit magazine
PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH
SMOKED-TOMATO BUTTER
AND WARM SPINACH SALAD
For smoked-tomato butter:
1 large tomato (about 1/2 pound)
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper
For salad:
1 (2-ounce) piece slab bacon (rind discarded), cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach (1 ounce)
1 cup loosely packed watercress sprigs ( 3/4 ounce), coarse stems discarded
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For scallops:
8 sea scallops (9 to 10 ounces total), tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
To make smoked-tomato butter: Cut an "X" in bottom of tomato. Blanch tomato in a saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds, then transfer tomato with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Peel and core tomato, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and remove and discard seeds.
Using a stove-top smoker (or adapt a larger smoker), line drip tray of smoker with foil and spread wood chips over center of smoker pan (cover roughly the diameter of burner). Put drip tray on top of chips and put a lightly oiled rack in tray. Arrange tomato slices in 1 layer on rack and put smoker on stove, centered on 1 burner, then heat, uncovered, over moderate heat until chips begin to smolder, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide cover on, then smoke tomatoes over moderate heat 25 minutes. Remove cover from smoker.
Cool tomatoes to room temperature, then puree in a food processor along with butter, salt and a pinch of pepper. Force mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, then transfer to a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper and roll into a log about 1 inch thick. Twist ends of paper to enclose butter and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
To prepare salad ingredients: Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Discard bacon fat or reserve for another use.
Toss together spinach and watercress in a medium bowl.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, salt and a pinch of pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in olive oil.
To cook scallops: Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in cleaned 10-inch skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear scallops, turning over once, until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Finish cooking and assemble:
Whisk vinaigrette and toss greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat, then add bacon, tossing to combine. Divide salad among scallop shells or small plates and arrange 2 scallops on top of each salad. Cut 8 ( 1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato butter and place a slice on top of each scallop.
Arrange shells or plates on a baking sheet and heat in oven until butter is melted and scallops are just cooked through (greens will wilt slightly), 3 to 4 minutes. If using shells, transfer to larger plates.
Note: Smoked-tomato butter can be chilled as long as 3 days or frozen, wrapped in foil (in addition to the wax paper), 2 weeks. This recipe makes more smoked-tomato butter than you need for the scallops; use the leftover butter on steak or fish.
Serves 4 as a first course.
-- Recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine
SMOKED ALMONDS
2 pounds whole almonds
2 cups kosher salt
4 to 5 cups warm water
In a large bowl, mix salt with warm water until dissolved. Add almonds and soak for 24 hours. Drain almonds and allow to air dry.
Place one layer of cheesecloth on smoker racks. Spread almonds evenly on cheesecloth. Place racks in the smoker. Place one empty rack lined with cheesecloth in the top rack position. Using hickory-flavor wood, smoke/roast almonds at approximately 200 degrees for about 3 hours. Stir nuts around every 10 minutes to ensure even exposure. At 1 1/2 hours alternate rack positions to allow even smoking. Cool and store in airtight containers.
Note: For sugar-spiced smoked nuts, beat an egg white with 1 teaspoon water until frothy. Remove nuts from smoker after 2 hours and toss in the egg white, then toss in 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice. Continue smoking process for last hour.
-- Recipe adapted from Bradley Smokers
