Using a Smoker

A while ago, I bought a stovetop smoker. It is a relatively cheap piece of equipment that will add a new taste dimension in your kitchen. Highly recommended! Of course, you can also smoke in a special section of your grill or even buy an expensive smoke stack. My utensil is simply put on the stove with some minimal heat to keep the smoke generating process going.

Essential in the smoking process is the quality of the wood chips. So far I have used beech, oak and apple; each one results in its own particular smoke flavor. 

Foods to Smoke

Obvious foods to smoke are fish (in particular fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel), meats or poultry, but smoking vegetables is an excellent way to upgrade the humble pepper, celeriac or beetroot to an exquisite level.

Remember that you do not have to smoke the ingredient until it is cooked to the right level. You can use smoking as a prepping technique to infuse flavor and finish the cook on another source of heat.

The humble Beetroot

Prepare your beetroot steaks by peeling the (uncooked) beetroot (using latex gloves if you are worried about not being able to wash off the red color). From a beetroot with a diameter of 10-12 cm (4-5 inches) you can easily cut two steaks of 2 cm (0.8 inch) thick. Don't through the rest of the beetroot away but consider making a borsht with it.

Sprinkle two tablespoons of wood chips onto the bottom of the smoker.

Place the beetroot steaks on a rack  inside your smoker. Make sure to put some aluminum foil under it to catch any drippings. 

Put the lid on but leave a little crack. Put on a medium heat. Once you see whisks of smoke coming out, close the lid and turn the heat down. Once in a while, crack the lid open to see if there is still enough heat to continue the smoking process.

After 30-45 minutes of smoking, turn of the heat and open the lid. Brush the tops with some olive oil and transfer to a grilling skillet or other appropriate grilling utensil.

Grill for at least 15 minutes on each side. Check with a toothpick or similar the inside firmness. The steak should still have a bite.

Serving

Serve one or two steaks per person. Brush the tops with some balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with finely chopped chives. Enjoy!