How to Make a Homemade Stovetop Smoker
Smoking food was once a common method of preservation. Uncooked food was exposed to the smoke from smoldering material, such as wood or dried plants. The chemical composition of smoke is a natural, but limited, antimicrobial which helps slow the process of food spoilage. Nowadays, most people enjoy smoked food for its flavor. Smoking enhances food's natural taste and tenderizes meat, turning less expensive cuts into outstanding meals, but our modern smoking methods evolved directly from the old preservation techniques. Following the directions below, you can create a simple, stovetop smoker from your wok. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wok Aluminum foil 2 tbsp Smoking material Water, beer, or wine Round wire cooking rack Vegetable cooking spray
Instructions
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1
Line the lid of the wok with a layer of foil, leaving 3" extended from the sides. Use more than one piece of foil if necessary.
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2
Line the wok bottom with several layers of foil, leaving 3" extended from the sides.
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3
Sprinkle smoking material into the bottom of the foil lined wok and moisten with your choice of liquid. Wait five minutes to allow the material to soak up the liquid. This will cause the material to smoke rather than burn.
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4
Place a round wire rack into the wok- such the rack from an indoor grill or a cake rack- making sure the rack is at least 1 ½ to 2" above the smoking material. Spray the rack with vegetable cooking spray, or line with foil if cooking foods that will melt (such as cheese) or are very wet (such as tomatoes).
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5
Place the wok on the stove and set the heat on medium and set the lid on 2/3 of the way closed. This keeps the heat inside, but allows you to see when the smoking begins.
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6
When the smoking material has begun to smolder, place your food on the rack. The longer you wait to add the food, the smokier the finished product will be.
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7
Place the lid on top of the wok. Crimp the foil from the top and bottom of the wok together to seal in the smoke. This is what gives the food the smoked flavor and should also keep your smoke alarms from going off.
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Tips & Warnings
Turn the stove exhaust fan to the highest setting as cooker, by design, creates a lot of smoke. For food with a long cooking time, place the smoker in the oven after 20 minutes on top of the stove.
