A fabulous food infusion smoker
The flavour of wood smoke can enhance a wide variety of foods, from cheese and meats to cocktails. There are several ways to achieve the flavour, from a smoker on the deck to a portable infuser. A big smoker will actually cook/cure the meats by slowly roasting while adding the most delicious barbecue flavour. This can be a large investment of time and money. The portable infuser is a simple, compact tool that adds the flavour of a smoker to cooked foods.
Grillware by Outset makes such a smoker. It is very easy to use and store. It has two parts; the first is a metal chamber powered by batteries to send smoke through the second part, a silicon nozzle. Your food is placed in a glass or metal container (avoid plastic as it can retain the smokey smell) and covered with foil or plastic wrap. Wood chips are put into the mesh chamber and lit with a match or lighter. Tuck the end of the silicone nozzle under the foil or plastic wrap, keeping the seal as intact as possible. Now turn on the smoker to drive the wood smoke into your container. It only takes 2-3 minutes to fill the space and add the flavour. Tap out the ashes from the wood chips (I put them into my wet compost bucket) and then turn off the smoker. Your food is smoked.
Wood smoking chips are often sold in sets. Grillware has a set of three natural wood chips: Apple, Mesquite and Hickory. You can use these as is or make up a blend. It only takes a pinch to make the smoke, so the six-ounce jars last a long time. It is important to use natural wood chips as you don’t want to add any chemicals or artificial flavours to your food.
One of the nicest things is that you can do this indoors. The smoke is minimal and is mostly captured by the sealed container. I work on a wooden cutting board so any ash would land there instead of my counter. My favourite smoked food is cheese. It is ridiculously easy to do and I am amazed at how the smoke flavour penetrates the density of the cheese. It works like that for cooked chicken or pork, adding great smokiness before you make a sandwich or pulled meats.
There are cocktails that call for a little boost and you can add it with smoked lemon rinds (dried) or cinnamon, and of course, wood chips for whiskey or bourbons. Adding an ice cube to the glass before smoking helps trap the flavour to slowly release as the cube melts.
After the smokey flavour, the best part is the storage as the Grillware smoker is small, about a six-inch long box. The flexible nozzle folds up. It will store in the gadget drawer. What a great way to up your cooking game.