Blasphemy or Saving Grace

Two years ago the damned local fire marshal decreed that not only was it now against fire regulations to use an open flame grill (gas or charcoal) within 20 feet of a multi-family dwelling (read “my condo”) but that you can’t even store a grill (gas or charcoal) within 20 feet of the dwelling. It’s a completely reasonable rule. Most people are idiots and I don’t want an idiot burning down my house because he gets drunk and uses too much lighter fluid. But I’m not an idiot and I totally detest the rule because it put an end to one of my favorite modes of cooking.

I hauled my grill and smoker out to my parents’ house and visit them (parents and grills) when I can, but my parents live 30 minutes away and I’ve gone from cooking over flame two or three times a month to cooking over flame two or three times a summer.

If all I want is a grilled flavor in a steak, I can use my stove-top smoker and then toss the steak on a really hot grill pan to get the sear and char. But that’s a quick technique that doesn’t work for smoked Boston Butt or pork ribs, which require long, slow cooking to become tender. So recently I tried a technique I’ve been hearing about in unexpected places — liquid smoke.

Probably like you, I figured liquid smoke was an artificial product. That’s not necessarily bad, but typically such products are one-dimensional. For example, artificial vanilla extract contains vanillin but none of the other complex flavors that make true vanilla true vanilla. I figured the same was true of liquid smoke. I was wrong.

Liquid smoke is made from real smoke filtered through water. It has most of the flavor — and probably all of the carcinogens — you get from cooking over wood. So I’ve been playing with it to see if I could get at least the flavor, if not the texture, of meat cooked in a smoker. I’m still experimenting, but these ribs turned out reasonbly well.

Oven-Smoked Country Ribs
Serves 4.

12 country-style pork ribs — bone-in
Dry rub
1/4 c liquid smoke
Barbeque sauce (if desired)

Generously season ribs with rub, stuff in a zippered bag, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Wrap ribs tightly in heavy-duty foil, add liquid smoke, and cook at 225F for 5 1/2 hours.

Open up foil and drain off the liquid, it’s too smoky to keep, so discard it.

At this point I had preheated my grill pan over medium-high heat. I brushed the ribs with sauce and tossed them on the grill pan for about 4 minutes per side to provide browning and caramelization.

Liquid smoke does give you a genuine smoke flavor, but the result is more one-dimensional than actual slow smoking over charcoal with soaked wood chips. So in terms of genuine flavor it falls somewhere between imitation vanilla flavoring and real vanilla extract. My conclusion is the techique is an improvement on doing without, but it still feels a bit blasphemous.

Try these ribs with…
French Fries
Potatoes Parmigiano
Fried Okra

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