Liquid Smoke

mossymo · Apr 30, 2010

I was on Facebook tonight and found this post from a "friend". I sold this friend an MES 2 years ago that has not been used yet.
Alright...know I need to still fire up that smoker, but made kabobs on the grill last night...think I found a new grilling friend...."Hello Liquid Smoke!" (This one goes out to you, Marty!) ;)

Here was my reply.
Liquid smoke is a dirty word; could of just as well made them in the microwave using that crap..... Friends don't let friends use liquid smoke.

I have served this friend plenty of smoked goodies to get her hooked, then she purchased an MES from me. Anyone have some good advise on how to get her using the smoker? I am stumped.....

ltslewis · Apr 30, 2010

I have a few people I know that have eaten my smoked and still use liquid smoke. No idea how to detour them as only a couple reasons I can see to why they do it.

1. Smoking to them is way to much work even when it can be made so simple with the stuff out today. People are lazy these days or the people I know anyway.

2. To them there is no difference. I remember a post about how they make the liquid smoke which is just using water to filter the smoke letting it catch the flavor of it. (Could be remembering that wrong so if so hopefully someone will correct me.)

All I have done is just keep at it and hope they eventually come around. But in the mean time they sure do not mind eating my smoked food.

~Joe

bbally · May 1, 2010

I am sure you will find plenty of support for this position.

Cooking in the professional world you tend to use every tool at your disposal. I use liquid smoke and use it a lot at the soup kitchen when I can not afford the time to take my smoke rig down to the kitchen for the low and slow.

I would much rather smoke low and slow, but if it comes to cooking beans plain or adding a little liquid smoke so the clients have a decent flavor profile in the beans, I will use the liquid smoke.

IMO most don't know how to use it and can not fathom the doors this opens up for their cooking.

Salad dressings alone are a whole new realm with liquid smoke. Steam rice really comes out nice with a little liquid smoke. Slaw is very nice with catfish when enhanced with liquid smoke.

Just because a group of zealots tell you something is not good does not mean they know what they are talking about.. in fact ignorance usually causes these herd mentalities.

That ought to pizz a few off!!!!!!

ddave · May 1, 2010

Well, if it does, it does.

Like you said, it's a tool that has a place and needs to be used correctly.

Dave

caveman · May 1, 2010

Take her something simple & easy to start off smoking with, fattie fixins maybe, or a little butt & walk her through it. Don't know how much of a "Friend" she is but if necessary, take significant other with you or just yourself, whatever, & help her step into the world of smoking. Or, buy back the MES & sell it to someone else.

daddyzaring · May 1, 2010

Maybe I have used a different brand but the liquid smoke here doesn't taste anything like smoke, at least to me. To me it taste more like a burnt, spoiled mix of soysauce, and worcheshire. just my two cents.

wingman · May 1, 2010

A buddy of mine swore Fyesterday that soaking cheese in liquid smoke prior to smoking enhanced the flavor. I tried it yesterday. I was not impressed to say the least. Today I cold smoked some , Pepper jack, swiss, monterey jack, mild white cheddar and mozzerella the standard way. Using the Amaz-N-SMOKER with wood smoke only.

WAY BETTER hands down. I do agree that in some cases it may come in handy but they probably are few and far between.

daddyzaring · May 1, 2010

Not to change the topic, but does he have those Amaz n smokers ready for sale yet? I've been trying to find out how much he is going to sell them for. I PMed him about two weeks ago.

ronp · May 1, 2010

Here is his new website.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/

daddyzaring · May 1, 2010

Thank you. A little more than I can afford right now, I am still try to save enough money to get some high temp calk, a gasket, and a dryer hose for the smoker I am using right now. Maybe I'll be able to use some of the money I make off this NB grill i just got to redo, and resell.

petesque · May 1, 2010

Isn't using liquid smoke Like boiling Ribs?

meatball · May 1, 2010

That's good advice...you should physically go there and get her started, teach her something basic and when she sees how good it turns out, maybe she'll be more inclined to try it herself.

Bearcarver · May 1, 2010

<<Anyone have some good advise on how to get her using the smoker? I am stumped???>>

Maybe a Lobotomy ?
How about talking her into getting some taste-bud transplants ?

Bearcarver

ecto1 · May 1, 2010

I have a freind just like this he just dose not have the patience to cook slow. He wants to try to cook those ribs in 40 minutes with the membrane on a propane grill dipped in kraft sauce. When he comes over to my house the first think he says is what you cooking. For my sons birthday he ate 3 pulled pork sandwiches I always ask him why he dosn't smoke his meat and he tells me it takes too long and I always have your house to come to.

caveman · May 1, 2010

Stop eating "Q" at his house.

eaglewing · May 1, 2010

I would not disagree with your examples of using it in recipes, I think around here the taboo is using it instead of smoking a set of ribs.
As a seasoning or enhancer I will not argue anyone's choice of it's use.

As for the ORIGINAL Query at hand, MossyMo, I too have a couple friends that just don't like using the smoker for there food... I chalk some of it up to laziness... (I say lazy in their case cuz I know them too well)

This TOPS your story tho!!!!
My young business partner, his father is the AREA REP for WEBER grill and can get him ANY DEAL he would want... ALSO I even GAVE him one of my New Braunfels Banderas and he used it ONCE and gave it back to me in favor of boiling his ribs and throwing them on the grill...

WOW, a free Bandera and a FREE Weber Drum Smoker if he would want and he prefers NOT TO.... to each his own I guess.

stircrazy · May 1, 2010

I use liquid smoke in all kinds of things, but now when I am smoking in the smoker. but I do know people who use it in there maranade so they can get more smoke flavor with out the creosoot that numbs your mouth.. I guess it could be a good way for people to get that real heavy smoke flavor and still only use the TBS. I use it for Jerky as I don't use the smoker for that, just a dehydrator I find it works much better and is more consistant.

now in rice, that would be interesting.. how much would you use?

Steve

hounds51 · May 2, 2010

Yes and no. I originally was a purist as far using liquid smoke. Then I started to experment with it and found that it does indeed have some good uses. Here is a comment from another thread, which explanes one of those reasons.

My opinion of liquid smoke is that in some cases you are almost forced to use it. As in the making of Lebanon Bologna. In this case you are stuffing a 3" to 4" casing, and only smoking for about 10 to 12 hours. You will not get enough smoke penetration in that time to satutate the meat. Commercial makers of Lebanon Bologna use a secret ingredient, which is liquid smoke. They also smoke thier product for a period of 4 to 7 days at a humitity of 85 plus %. I found some of thier secrets out from my local butcher, who sells me my meat. It is hard getting these secret family recipes and knowledge form them, as this is thier livelyhood. But I do know that a certain amount of liquid smoke goes into thier product. When I first made snack stix using the Leggs brand seasoning, I added a small amount of liquid smoke, and also some brown sugar. Every one that tried them could not eat just one! I taste anylized the stix, and came up with the conclusion that if the proper amounts of liquid smoke and sugar were added to this mix, and stuffed into a large casing, that I would have a Lebanon Bologna. I tried this and I am successful with the outcome. Yes Liquid smoke ain't like the real thing, but when used within reason it can be a help. Same can be said with citric acid vs fermento. Just whatever you do, don't tell anyone. It's your special secret! espically on this thread.

bbally · May 2, 2010

1 tsp per cup of water. But you have to do it different depending on the rice. The water to smoke stays the same in all cases.

But instant rice would be added just to the water.

In a rice cooker you add it to the water.

When cooking long grain or wild rices off it is best to oven cook them. To get the liquid smoke to work correctly you keep the water to smoke ratio the same, but you must add a couple tablespoons of oil to the rice and coat the grains with the oil by stirring it with a spoon prior to adding the smoke water. Cover and oven it off... nice rice. Like more smoke flavor? double to 2 tsp per cup.

Do your smoked rice a day ahead and cool overnight. Then do a vegetable fried rice, complete with a diced fried egg, your plates will sing!

meateater · May 2, 2010

I keep a bottle of liquid smoke in my truck. If I am forced to get drive through...guess what, I'm not shaking from withdrawls.

Ya, I'm jerking yer chain.

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