Wife does not like smoked flavor

[fstarsinic]

As it says in the title, my wife would much prefer that all our meat be grilled.
I like grilled ribs as long as you cook them properly and slowly so they just fall off the bone but still moist.

I also love the taste of grilled.

Are there smoking techniques to keep the smoke flavor to a minimum but keep the benefits?

Would using wood charcoal and no wood chunks be a partial answer?
Smoke for a shorter period of time and then xfer to the oven?

Other ideas?

I've mostly been using Apple to smoke with. And not a ton of it. A mix of wood and charcoal.

Thanks

 

[waysideranch]

Sorry to hear the wife doesn't favor the smoke. Keep it thin and blue. No need to put a ton of wood in there anyway. Good luck.

 

[gnubee]

An electric smoker like the MES would give you a tiny amount of smoke flavour if you cooked the ribs in it without adding any wood chunks or chips. There is a residual smoke smell from the seasoning when I fire mine up before I add any wood. Use the 3 2 1 method as normal but don't add any wood. or maybe sneak in just a tiny amount of applewood for a hint of smoke.

Best Idea is to do two seperate batches. One on the smoker and one on the grill.

Two different smokers might also be an idea.

I am a hot spice weenie, I cannot handle the hot stuff and I wimp out.
So I always do two different batches in seperate smokers. One batch gets the hot peppers and lots of Mesquite for a heavier smoke smell and taste and on the other smoker I do my mild fruitwood smoke plenty of flavour with no hot spices.

My wife can snack on hot lava

<-------Wife eating hot peppers.

Compromise my friend, compromise. It keeps the marriage rolling along smoothly.

<-------Wife in the tank----Me foot soldier----->

I believe your food should not hurt your face, sue me!

 

[pops6927]

It's a downright shame she's been deprived all her life of knowing how meat is supposed to be cooked, to where she's built up an unfounded aversion to it, lol!

 

[irishteabear]

The only suggestion I have is to cut back on the amount of wood you use. Hopefully, after a while, you'll be able to build up her tolerance to it.

 

[rickw]

Aluminum foil is your friend. Foil what ever you smoke.

 

[creative rock]

Since trading her in doesn't sound like an option, maybe a compromise is the only way.

Maybe either two seperate methods, on to please her, or maybe a light smoke, maybe a different wood, or lil smoke and finish on the grill?

Gotta keep her happy, so do what ever she likes. I know SOME may shoot me for this, but SMOKE AIN'T for everyone!
Matt
aka Rocky

 

[tn_bbq]

I agree.

Use foil.

 

[jdt]

+ 1 on the foil, you can also switch to woods like apple and pear which are very light flavor and see if that helps.

 

[ddave]

My wife is the same way. Is it possiible though that you are oversmoking it a bit? I know I was when I first started. Now, I go for a VERY thin stream of blue smoke from the SnP. If the smoke starts coming out under the lid (my lid is not sealed) then I know I have to back off the smoke a bit. Sometimes I can't even see it but I can smell it. The smoker should not look like a locomotive trying to climb a steep hill.

Smoke should enhance the flavor of the meat -- not be the flavor of the meat.

Dave

 

[smoke freak]

Sinic, Tell that she will get used to it and then you have to refine your cooking skills to the point that she cant get enough.

Like DDAVE said keep your smoke clean. Then your flavor will be clean also.

 

[bigsteve]

I was thinking along the same lines as Dave. Apple is pretty mild, but if you over-do the smoke, nasty things happen to the flavor.

Next time, why don't you try cutting the ribs in half? Foil half for your wife, and go easy on the smoke for the other half. Ask your wife to try a couple of bites of the lightly smoked half. She'll still have the foiled half if she really doesn't like it.

 

[travcoman45]

Try some maple wood. Keep it thin an blue.
Ifin she likes grilled stuff, there be a small amount a smoke flavor there already, sure not like smokin but she just needs ta adapt a bit. I thin ya keep workin yer style an yall get her on board.

 

[tasunkawitko]

to dave you should listen - very wise he is.

 

[meat hunter]

Dave hit the nail on the head.

I have done the same thing, used too much smoke, and it left its imprint on the meat with a spicy tingly feeling on the tongue. My last smoke, yesterday, I was quite proud of myself as 95% of the time, all I could see was the heat coming out of the chimney and very little smoke when I added wood. I personally think, that smoking is just like grilling, except its done over a longer period of time with the addition of a little smoke. Like dave said, enhance the flavor, not be the flavor. Well said indeed. My wife is very very particular about her food. Especially when Im cooking it LOL. So I know where your coming from. And being that your probably in the same boat as most of us, trading her in, is not an option

 

[fstarsinic]

Ok. I think that's the problem. Too much smoke. So when the temp gets low, instead of adding wood, just add more charcoal and perhaps a hint of wood?

Do you soak the wood or leave it dry?

I have the ECB smoker, by the way.

Thanks a lot!

 

[bigbaldbbq]

Yeah I agree, and it is cheaper then divorce!

 

[suprfast]

you crack me up dave. i was actually laughing loudly on that one
kris

 

[pignit]

I started out using the ECB and was using way too much wood. Mine is electric so it's a bit different than the charcoal unit. Mine doesn't have an exhaust so the smoke tends to saturate the meat more. I bet when you get it right using the right kind of wood for her taste she will like it. Drop way back on the wood and use something really mild like maple or sasafrass. I think the apple you are using is usually very mild. Just drop way back on the smoke and see what it does.

 

[phreak]

try just lump and no wood...lump is wood so alone it will give a faint smoke flavor.