| Ever since people have been cooking food over fire, | | | | How to Use Liquid Smoke |
| they have known that smoke can enhance the flavor | | | | You can apply liquid smoke to meat before you cook |
| of a dish. It can also preserve food. Smoked meat and | | | | it to give the food a smoky taste. You can also use it |
| fish lasts longer than when it is not smoked or | | | | with fish, poultry, or vegetables but remember that the |
| preserved in another way. Meat used to be smoked | | | | taste is very strong so you will only need a couple of |
| before the invention of refrigeration, in order to give it a | | | | drops. |
| longer shelf live. The organic acids and chemicals in | | | | You can also spray it on to the lava rocks of a gas |
| smoked are able to lower pH and this acidity can | | | | grill so that the food tastes like it was cooked on a |
| destroy bacteria cell walls, which is why smoked | | | | charcoal grill. Do this before you ignite the grill though, |
| foods last longer. | | | | for safety reasons. |
| If you smoke food somewhere enclosed, the smoke | | | | An Easy Recipe for a Smoky Red Wine Sauce |
| will form a brown liquid. This liquid can be gathered up | | | | Baste your steaks or chicken pieces with this sauce |
| and then used to flavor and season food without the | | | | as they cook, for a really delicious flavor. You can also |
| need for a smokehouse. | | | | double this recipe and use half of it for basting and |
| Smoke contains elements to provide flavor and other | | | | serve the rest with the steak or chicken. |
| ones to give an antibacterial effect. Smoke, including | | | | What you will need: |
| liquid smoke, tends to be calorie free and fat free. | | | | - 1 minced clove garlic |
| Some kinds of liquid smoke contain a tiny amount but | | | | - 1 tablespoon olive oil |
| this is usually because of the ingredients added to the | | | | - 1/2 cup ketchup |
| liquid smoke itself. Liquid smoke can be used if you do | | | | - 1 tablespoon soy sauce |
| not have a charcoal grill but you enjoy the smoky | | | | - 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke |
| flavor. | | | | - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar |
| Different Smoke Flavors | | | | - 1/3 cup dry red wine |
| The main flavor in smoke is from the "pyrolysis" of the | | | | - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin |
| wood and this has a kind of burnt sugar taste. Alder | | | | - 1/4 teaspoon chili powder |
| wood is traditionally used in Europe for smoking and | | | | How to make it: |
| beech or oak are alternatives. In the United States, | | | | Heat the olive oil in a pan over a moderate heat, and |
| mesquite, hickory, apple, plum, cherry, alder, oak, and | | | | then add the chili powder, garlic, and cumin. Cook for |
| pecan are all popular woods for smoking. Each one | | | | one minute. Add the red wine and simmer for two |
| can give a different flavor. | | | | minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, and |
| Some people use corncobs to smoke ham or bacon. | | | | ketchup and simmer for another couple of minutes. |
| Raw rice, tea, and sugar are sometimes heated in the | | | | You can make the sauce two days ahead if you like. |
| bottom of a wok to smoke Chinese tea. Peat can be | | | | Simply cover it and refrigerate until you need it, then |
| used for smoking barley malt, an ingredient in some | | | | warm it up gently in a pan. |
| beers and in Scotch whisky. | | | | |