![]() ![]() Oak is also a popular wood, for a strong smoke taste. It gives a sweet, smoky taste (although to get the true maplewood-smoked flavor, you need sugar maple). Maple is another common wood you might have in your yard. They add a distinctively smooth, Mediterranean flavor. Cuttings from the woody part of the grapevine are perfect for shellfish, fish, lamb and vegetables. One of the best woods I’ve ever tried came right from the grapes growing on our fence. They’re green and they don’t even have to be soaked. When I barbecue, I walk over to my apple or cherry trees and cut a few finger-sized prunings. The best are probably apple and cherry, which give a sweet flavor to poultry and fish. However, many of us have access to excellent flavoring woods right in our back yards. Most of us have to purchase it by the bag in the grocery store, right next to the charcoal. Unfortunately, the hickory tree is not indigenous to the Northwest. Soak them first for more smoke and less flame. I use hickory every time I barbecue hamburgers, ribs or brisket. Wood chunks and chips: Plenty of backyard chefs learned a long time ago that a handful of hickory chips will give almost any beef or pork a smoky Southern flavor. The same cookbook also advises tossing dried corncobs on the fire for beef and pork (mellow, slightly sweet), washed and dried seaweed for fish and shellfish (tangy), and the shells of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachios for pork, poultry and fish (flavor varies with the nut). Toss some whole garlic cloves on the fire for a surprisingly nutty and mellow flavor for beef and poultry.Īssorted bizarre combustibles: I still haven’t gotten up the nerve to dump my used coffee grounds on the coals, but the new “Betty Crocker’s Great Grilling” cookbook (Betty Crocker/ Macmillian USA) assures that it provides a “rich, musty” flavor if used sparingly (or a bitter flavor if not). It imparts an authentic Jamaican flavor.Ĭitrus peels, as I mentioned before, impart a sharp flavor to almost anything: beef, poultry, pork and even ribs. I have even run across one chicken recipe which calls for whole allspice berries, soaked and tossed on the fire with fruitwood chips. Soak them beforehand or they’ll burn up too fast. Whole nutmeg and whole cloves also work well. Spices: Whole cinnamon sticks are excellent for pork and poultry, especially if you are looking for a Greek or Middle Eastern flavor. I tried sage leaves with Jamaican Jerk Pork Steaks (see recipe below), and the result was outstanding. Mint, of course, works beautifully with lamb. Rosemary works especially well with pork dill works especially well with salmon and other fish. If you don’t have an herb garden, use some dried herbs after soaking them in water for a few minutes. ![]() The neighbors will be sniffing the air, wondering exactly what’s going on at your house. One thing I have discovered in using fresh leafy herbs:< Don’t use too much, or your backyard will have a suspicious burning foliage smell, like the inside of Cheech and Chong’s bong. ![]() Herbs: Almost any herb can be tossed on the fire, most commonly rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, mint, dill, fennel, basil or bay leaves. You can throw these items directly on the lava rocks, or (less messily) you can fashion a little aluminum foil tray, fill it with chips or other items, and place it right on the rocks.Īnyway, I urge you to try some of these ideas: Most of these ideas work even with gas grills. I don’t know if it made much difference to the chicken, but it sure made the back yard smell good. I had the squeezed-out lime and lemon peels sitting there, so I decided to throw them onto the fire. Recently, I was making a citrus chicken breast recipe that called for a marinade of orange juice, lime juice and lemon juice. I’ve gotten to the point where I almost always throw something on the coals whenever I barbecue. Or, to season that poultry, toss on a couple of cinnamon sticks.ĭo you like garlic? Then you’ll love garlic smoke. You can actually throw old coffee grounds on the fire. ![]() But other items are far more exotic or even downright outlandish. We’ll talk about different wood chips and chunks later. Some of these items are familiar to many barbecuers, such as hickory chips. Just as a fine sous chef will throw herbs and spices into the pot, a backyard barbecue artist such as yourself can season the smoke by throwing assorted herby, leafy, woody, and frankly bizarre items directly onto the coals. You don’t eat this stuff you let it smolder and allow it to flavor the smoke. Today, I’m going to show you how to throw assorted combustibles directly on the fire itself. Everybody knows how to toss a shrimp on the barbie, or, in Americanese, how to throw a burger on the grill. ![]()
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