Liquid Smoke?

[smokey]

I Have Never Used Liquid Smoke And Try To Use Only The True Smoker Method. I Am Having Problems With The Smoke Getting Into The Center Of The Meat Being Smoked. Was Wondering If Any One Had Tried To Inject Liquid Smoke Into A 5 Or 6 Pound Piece Of Pork With Out It Being Over Bearing.and How Much To Use.

[foodpump]

Don't try it, the experiment won't do justice to the poor piece of meat being sacrificed... Like cheap perfume that won't go away, liquid smoke has the same nastiness. If the piece of meat is too big, then see if you can butterfly it, smoke it, then tie it back up. Maybe even stuff it with something before tying it back up.

[cakerookie]

Originally Posted by foodpump

Don't try it, the experiment won't do justice to the poor piece of meat being sacrificed... Like cheap perfume that won't go away, liquid smoke has the same nastiness. If the piece of meat is too big, then see if you can butterfly it, smoke it, then tie it back up. Maybe even stuff it with something before tying it back up.

Heed foodpumps advice please! I have tried this stuff and its not what you would expect.

[pitmaster]

What cut of pork are you trying to smoke? If it is a boston butt cook it for a minimum of 5-6 hours using a indirect smoker @ no more than 250 degrees. I use lump charcoal and add wood chunks to get more smoke flavor. The more wood chunks you use will produce a more smoky flavor. Also the meat accepts more smoke during the first part of the cooking period. Be careful though as too much smoke will produce a bitter product.

[Aurora]

I'm in agreement with not putting liquid smoke on a meat or injecting it into a meat. I use liquid smoke as an addition to beans and other long cooked recipes to give a hint of smoke flavoring, however the concentrate can have a tendency to be bitter if used straight and not diluted with other ingredients.

If you are intent on using it I'd make up a sauce with other ingredients and flavor it with liquid smoke. I'd try it on a smaller and less expensive cut before serving it to anyone.

[even stephen]

If you are trying to impart that much smokey flavor to a large
cut of meat, your probably out of luck. However if you are set
on injecting, then try equal parts of brown sugar and canned
chipotle pepper thinned with water as to not clog the syringe.
Inject from the center and slowly pull needle to the surface leaving
a line of marinade. This should give you the smokey flavor you
need.

[Suzanne]

What gave you the idea that the smoke SHOULD penetrate all the way to the center of the piece of meat? I thought the mark of good barbecue was a clear "smoke ring" -- a demarcation of the limit of the smoke penetration. Maybe that's why something like pork butt is so often served pulled and/or chopped; the well-smoked outer portion gets mixed with inside.

As others have said, liquid smoke is NASTY. If you love your meat, don't inject it with that stuff.

[nucleus]

One way to smoke large pieces would be to apply cold smoke. It is done in a longer time but the smoke gets everywhere inside. There is no heat at all under, just a little bit of smoke in a smoke box. This is good for red meats but also fish can be done this way.

[phatch]

Large cuts done this way also need some treatment. Brining with heavy salt and perhaps some curing nitrites/-ates for food safety as with hams. Jerky done this way is thin cuts. And no, the smoke doesn't "get everywhere" any faster than a hot smoke. You can just leave the meat in longer without the problem of it overcooking.

Phil

[smokey]

Thank You. You Keep Me On An Even Keel. I Was Under The Impression That The Smoke Goes To The Center Like Beef Jerky.
So My Thought Pattern Of Smoking Went To The Thicker Piece Of Meat The Less Smoke In The Middle And Thinner Is Better.
No Liquid Smoke

[Suzanne]

Think about it: beef jerky -- all jerky -- is relatively thin slices. So the smoke can penetrate all the way through. Big hunks o' meat are just that: big and thick.

[foodpump]

If you re-rad my first post, I stated that the best way to impart smoke flavor would to be to butterfly the large piece of meat. That is, to make a cut down the middle, fold it open like a book and smoke it. Then roll and tie the piece of meat back together and cook as per recipie.

I frequently do this with pork butts and necks. I also use the oportunity to put a stuffing (dried fruit, herbs, carmelized onions/oil cured garlic) in before tying and rolling it back up.

[JonK]

Aurora mentioned using liquid smoke for adding a hint of smokiness to vegetables and the like. We like Le Gout ham base for that purpose. The Food Police around our house cast a suspicious eye on fat-laden smoked meats and sausages for everyday cooking, so the Le Gout product is a passable substitute in those instances. We also use it in dishes where we have substituted a low-fat poultry smoked sausage for the Real Thing. Since fat is the main carrier of the smokey flavor in those meats, the poultry substitute often fails to sufficiently flavor the other ingredients in the dish. The only warning: the ham base contains a goodly amount of salt, so use it in place of some of the salt you would ordinarily add and never in dishes that don't need additional salt.

(And yes, I know the purists amongst you will wince at this substitution, but household harmony sometimes requires painful compromise. Cut us some slack here.)

[cdub1012]

Originally Posted by nucleus

One way to smoke large pieces would be to apply cold smoke. It is done in a longer time but the smoke gets everywhere inside. There is no heat at all under, just a little bit of smoke in a smoke box. This is good for red meats but also fish can be done this way.

I agree...

[Ella Teague]

If one gets the smoke flavor all the way through a piece of meat, you've burned it.

Smoking a piece of meat isn't only for the flavor but the texture of the meat. I like smoked pork collars, but I don't like smoked pork loin or shoulders. I like smoked poultry, but I don't like smoked beef. (my customers, however, would eat smoked Alpo if I let 'em).