Introduction
If you are reading this, chances are you're embarking on a smoking adventure: either you just got an electric smoker, or you have had one for a while and are in need of some recipe inspiration.
I like to think of smoke as its own ingredientthe secret ingredient that takes ordinary dishes to extraordinary in a matter of minutes. Youve probably met people who are addicted to smoking, and I have a secret: youre next!
As someone who has been blogging about grilling (GrillGirl.com) for nearly a decade, I am no stranger to smoke. Every May, my dad and I compete on a barbecue team at the "Super Bowl of Swine" in Memphis, and there is nothing I love more than a good pork butt or slab of ribs cooked low and slow over smoke.
But there is so much more to smoking than barbecue. While big, tough cuts of meat are a match made in heaven for low-and-slow cooking over smoke, there is a lot more to the world of smoking.
The Healthy Electric Smoker Cookbook teaches you how you can add elements of smoke to just about anything, including smoking your own salt and spices, and even dessert. And while were getting crazy, lets not forget cocktails! For example, smoking ice and orange peels for an Old Fashioned is a great way to add subtle layers of smoked flavor to an already stellar drink.
As someone who has always tried to eat healthy and lower carb, I discovered a long time ago that smoking is also a great way to add a ton of flavor without adding a ton of extra calories. We all know that while eating barbecued meat can be lower carb, I take it a step further, focusing on quality ingredients. The recipes in this book use junk-free foods, no preservatives, and have tips for reducing sugar and carbs.
You will find in these pages plenty of decadent recipes, such as smoked pimento cheese burgers with bacon and jalapeos. But there are also plenty of simple ones, such as a four-ingredient cold-smoked caprese salad. Even dessert is simplepeaches on a cedar plank with mascarpone, honey, and pistachios!
Im excited to embark on a smoking journey with you, and I hope this book inspires you to think outside the smoker box, finding creative ways to add smoke to all kinds of healthy dishes. Lets do some smokin!
Robyn Lindars
@grillgirlrobyn
What Is Electric Smoking?
An electric smoker is an invaluable tool to have in your cooking arsenal. With push-button simplicity, it enables you to add smoke flavor to virtually any food while also maintaining steady temperature. Electric smoking is great for large, tough cuts of meat that become tender with low temperatures and smoke over time, but it is also a convenient way to add smoke flavor to just about any food, including cocktails, sides, and desserts.
Time and Temperature
An electric smoker offers the low-and-slow cooking experience in an easy-to-control environment. This method of cooking is ideal for tough cuts of meat, which become tender with the application of smoke and low heat over an extended period of time, resulting in tender, fall-off-the-bone results. An electric smoker simplifies this time-tested, wood-fired cooking methodology. Instead of fire, heat is created by a coil placed under a bed of woodchips. This creates smoke within an insulated metal box (much like an oven), and lets you maintain consistent, low temperatures, usually between 150F (66C) and 275F (135C).
The Process
The method is simple: you place woodchips in the tray above the heating element, place water in the water bowl to keep the food moist, and then load up the smoker with your food. Once you have woodchips, water, and food in place, you set the smoker to the temperature and time you desire and the smoker gets to work. Remember, this is an outdoor appliance that plugs into an outlet, so its imperative to keep it covered and only use it in dry conditions.
Compared to Grilling
While grilling is cooking directly over a flame at high heat350F (180C) and upelectric smoking is done entirely by cooking food over indirect heat at lower temperatures, with the addition of smoke. The process takes longer, but your patience will result in tender, smoke-infused, succulent meat. Unlike grilling where you need to keep an eye on whatever youre cooking, using an electric smoker is very much set it and forget it.
Why go electric?
It requires attentiveness to create and maintain a desired temperature when using a traditional wood-fueled smoker. Electric smokers eliminate these challenges, offering wood-fired results with slow-cooker simplicity.
- Better temperature control Easily set the temperature with a button or dial to achieve the desired temperature.
- Superior insulation Electric smokers are well-insulated to keep the inner temperature consistent while smoking. Some smokers also have powder-coated steel casing, so they are safe to touch during operation.
- Safer Because you arent cooking with an actual fire, there is no risk of flare-ups.
- Cheaper With an entry level price point of about $100, it is easy to obtain excellent results from an electric smoker, whereas most traditional, wood-fueled smokers start at $400.
- Smaller footprint Electric smokers have a vertical cooking space and smaller footprint than traditional smokers while still allowing ample food capacity.
Learn your smoker
There are many brands and models of electric smokers available, but the essential elements are the same across the board, creating perfectly cooked, smoke-infused foods.
Getting Started
Electric smokers are available from several manufacturers in a range of sizes and price points. Evaluate each feature to help you decide which smoker is going to be the best fit for your lifestyle and budget. Then you can set up your appliance and start smokin.
Choose Your Smoker
There are many options when it comes to electric smokers, with the most popular manufacturers being Masterbuilt, Bradley, and Char-Broil. Consider these factors when choosing your smoker. Cooking capacitydo you plan on smoking for large groups or cooking large cuts of meat? What is your budget and what features are most important to you? Do you care whether the controls are analog or digital? Do you prefer built-in temperature measurements and bluetooth capabilities for monitoring temperatures from your smartphone? Do you want to stick with generic woodchips rather than buying specialty pellets made specifically for your model of smoker?