Smoke, Fire, Heat…Here’s Woody!

5 things that you must control at all times!

“He that controls the spice controls the universe,” maybe in the movie Dune, but here in the real world, the Chef that controls any or all of these five things smoke, fire, heat, spices, and /or herbs, controls the total outcome any prepared meal.

Having received the book Dune while in the desert was a very unusual thing for me. The book had no cover and was addressed to “any service member” and had a small note that read “…it is very ironic to send you this book considering you are in fact in the desert.” I could not help but to laugh at that and pick that book to read in those moments in which I had the chance. I really did get to like the novel and after the war ended and I arrived home in the States I looked up the movie and is one of my old time favorites.

Moving on then…here are the “5 things you must control at all times!” There are smoke, fire, heat, spices, and herbs. I will talk about the first three now, but the last two will have there own sections in this blog because the information about them is totally overwhelming for just one or even a few posts. There are so many different spices and herbs that can add different and delicate flavors to any dish, not to mention there medicinal benefits.

SMOKE…Throughout time it has had many uses. The Indians have used it to send signals to its tribesmen also the Chinese where known to do so as well. The Roman Church uses smoke signals to tell the people of a new Pope and the American Boys Scout still uses them to signal others as well. “WOW!” Not to mention that smoke has been used to  cure foods to make them last longer and also to give flavor.

That use of smoke for flavor and cooking…like smoking large portions of beef or getting that bacon maple flavor to hams is what I am more interested in. Smoking can be for as little as half an hour, to 7-8 hours for smoked rings on briskets; whole hams can be smoked to as much as a whole day. The recommended internal temperature for any pork is between 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit at minimum since pork may contain worms that can cause the disease trichinosis. I normally smoke my beef and pork for 7-8 hours at a temperature of 170-300 degrees Fahrenheit adding fresh moist wood chunks or chips when the smoke starts to turn dark instead of white.

You don’t really need a smoker to achieve the simple recipes, but I would suggest investing in a decent smoker for briskets, hams, or large portions of meat. They will do a better, easier job for you and you will not forget the final results. As for the simpler cuts, you can cut open a beer can or any aluminum can for that matter and put in some soaked chips. You can even use aluminum foil with small holes made on the top to vent out the smoke. As the water in the chips evaporates, you will get smoke to add more flavor to your dishes. An even better alternative is a small cast iron smoke box that fits inside your grill or you can even add liquid smoke which works excellent as well.

The overall result of flavor always depends on the type of wood that you use and for how long you smoke your cuts. Whether you are smoking or grilling, here are some of the woods you can use for that exquisite flavor.

Hickory; is an excellent choice of wood for grilling or smoking things like pork, wild game, chicken, and beef. I even have heard that it works great on some cheeses, “though I have never tried it before…there is always a first time for everything.” Hickory gives food a bacon-like type of flavor. “Who doesn’t like bacon?”

Mesquite; here where I am from the chosen wood is mesquite; a local tree that is abundant to our parts of the South. Its hard wood gives food a big bold delicate flavor which is excellent for beef, lamb, and many vegetable dishes. Because mesquite burns really hot I suggest you leave an area below the grill with very few burning ambers to shift your food over just in case it gets too hot on the other side.

Apple; gives off a sweet and fruity flavor which goes good with game birds to include chicken and turkey. Apple is also good for beef and pork especially cuts of ham. I suppose you can even save apple cores and air dry them to throw on top of the coals too.

Cherry; also gives off the same characteristics as apple, but apple tends to be more dense then cherry. Also, good for the same food groups as apple.

Alder; has a delicate flavor good for many different types of fish, chicken, and pork.

Lemon and lime wood; I like to add when grilling or smoking many types of fish. I even use the peels of lemons or lime to give fish that little extra kick.

Whatever woods you use or if you just use charcoal; make sure to let the fires die down a bit unless you like charred food. If you don’t you can shift the fire over to a side and cook on the opposite side. Best of luck!

Kings Reyes C.