Smoking Meat (26 page)

1 1/3 cups lightly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup 2% milk

PREPARATION

Remove 1 thawed piecrust from its pan and knead it into a ball; divide the ball of dough in half. Form each half into a ball, then roll both out ¼ inch thick on a floured surface. Line the bottom and sides of a 4-inch ramekin or ovenproof dish with one of the halves. Using a pastry or pizza cutter, cut the remaining half into ½-inch strips and set aside. Repeat for all piecrusts.

In a small bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon; add to the apples and toss to coat. Pour one-quarter of the apple mixture into each piecrust in the ramekins. Lay the reserved dough strips across the top of each pie in a lattice pattern.

When you’re finished, press the edges of the strips and the piecrust together around the edge of each ramekin. Use a knife to trim off the excess crust around the outer edges, and brush the top of each crust lightly with some of the milk to help with the browning process.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 275°
F
. If you are using a gas, an electric, or a charcoal smoker, make sure to have enough wood chips or chunks on hand to produce smoke for about 30 minutes.

Once the smoker is ready, place the ramekins directly on the grate and smoke cook until the apples are soft. The apples can be checked with a toothpick after about one and a half hours, but it may take as long as three hours to get the texture you desire. Serve the pies warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Smoked Apple Pie with Cabot Cheddar Cheese

Apple pie finished with Cabot cheddar cheese on top is a little different, but I think you will find it so tasty you will want to try it again. It can also be baked in the oven in the same manner for a quick and easy everyday dessert.

4 
apple pies

Four ¼-inch-thick slices sharp Cabot cheddar cheese (or other sharp cheddar)

PREPARATION

Assemble the apple pies in the ramekins according to the instructions on the
Smoked Apple Pie
recipe.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 275°
F
. If you are using a gas, an electric, or a charcoal smoker, make sure to have enough wood chips or chunks on hand to produce smoke for about 30 minutes.

Once the smoker is ready, place the ramekins directly on the grate and smoke cook until the apples are soft. The apples can be checked with a toothpick after about one and a half hours, but it may take as long as three hours to get the texture you desire.

About 15 minutes before the pies are finished cooking, evenly distribute cheese slices on top of each pie. Keep the pies warm until ready to serve.

Smoked Bananas

I experimented with these for a while until I got them how I like them. With a hint of smoke and the caramelized flavors of brown sugar and honey, this is a dessert you won’t soon forget. Use these in a banana split if you are so inclined.

2 ripe bananas

¼ cup honey

½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

PREPARATION

Slice the bananas in half lengthwise, making sure to leave the peel attached to each piece so you are left with four long banana boats.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 200°
F
. If you are using a gas, an electric, or a charcoal smoker, make sure to add enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the bananas directly on the grate, skin side down, and smoke for one hour. Immediately remove from the smoker grate, discard the peels, and place the bananas on a greased cookie sheet. Preheat the broiler to high heat.

FINISHING
Brush enough of the honey to coat the entire top of each banana half, then top each half with about 2 Tbsp of the brown sugar. Dot with the butter, then broil the bananas for about four minutes to allow the honey, brown sugar, and butter to caramelize.

Serve immediately topped with vanilla ice cream (you can make your own if you’re feeling industrious). For added flavor and texture, sprinkle on some chopped almonds or pecans.

Don's Apple-Smoked Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

My good buddy Don Meadows sent me this recipe and, true to his word, it is delicious to the last bite. Peaches, honey, and ice cream: what more could you ask for? The wood plank used in this recipe does not have to be soaked since it is placed in the smoker and not over a hot grill fire.

1 cup honey

1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

6 fresh peaches, pitted and cut in half

PREPARATION

Mix together the honey and brown sugar and set aside. Place the peach halves on a smoking plank and drizzle the honey/brown sugar mixture liberally over the peaches.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 250°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, an electric, or a gas smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks on hand to produce smoke for about 30 minutes.

Once the smoker is ready, set the wood plank on the grate and smoke cook the peaches for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Jeff’s Ganache-Injected Chocolate Cake

Using a meat injector in a dessert recipe is probably not a profoundly new idea, but it produces a cake that is profoundly moist and delicious—almost sinfully so. Ganache is so good and so easy to prepare that once you learn how to make it I am certain you will never use cake icing again. I usually do not make my own cake from scratch; I have found that the quality of boxed cake mixes these days is very good, and they make my life easier when the mood for something sweet strikes. With a little creativity, this can also be done with cupcakes if you prefer.

1 chocolate cake mix

12 oz pkg white chocolate morsels

3 cups heavy cream (35% milk fat)

12 oz pkg semisweet chocolate morsels

Bake the cake in the oven according to the package directions. Make sure you don’t overcook the cake. I usually remove mine from the oven about five minutes before it’s finished baking, since it continues to cook a little after it has been removed from the heat.

While the cake is baking, place the white chocolate morsels into a small mixing bowl. Heat 1½ cups of the heavy cream in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, and let it come to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once the cream is boiling and the foam rises to the top of the pan, remove it from the heat and pour it over the white chocolate morsels. Wait about 30 seconds, then blend the cream and white chocolate using an electric mixer on medium speed, just until the mixture is smooth and silky. This is the white chocolate ganache.

Repeat this process with the remaining cream and the semisweet chocolate morsels, and set aside. This is the dark chocolate ganache.

After removing the cake from the oven, use a sterilized 1 oz (or larger) meat injector to inject the white chocolate ganache into the cake at 1-inch intervals. To do this, hold the injector at a 45-degree angle, insert it deep into the cake, and gently squeeze the injector until the ganache starts to ooze out of the hole you have made. I usually start at one corner and move across in rows 1 inch apart. Use all of the ganache if possible. Don’t worry if it gets messy; the holes will be covered by the dark chocolate ganache in the next step.

Once you’ve injected all of the white chocolate ganache, pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top of the cake (or cupcakes) and let it cool on the counter. Once cooled, cover the cake and let it sit for another four to six hours before eating. This allows time for the ganache to thicken a little and for the white chocolate to moisten the inside of the cake completely. Store leftover portions of the cake in a covered cake dish on the counter.

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

These cookies have become such a staple in our house that I felt compelled to add them to this book. They are a deliciously sweet and satisfying treat after any meal, for a snack, or while waiting on the smoker. It is not uncommon for me to have a stack of these with a large mug of milk during one of my all-night brisket smokes. Follow the recipe carefully and be sure to lick the pot when you’re done!

3 cups quick-cooking oats (regular oats won’t work)

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2½ cups sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

½ cup whole milk (or 2% milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Measure out the oats and peanut butter, and set aside. Lay a couple of long strips of waxed paper on the counter or on a table.

Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar, cocoa, and milk. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Once melted, bring the mixture to a full boil, and allow to boil for two minutes, stirring often. Use your kitchen timer and be sure to boil for the full two minutes.

Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, whisking until blended. Fold in the oatmeal until evenly coated with chocolate, and drop by large spoonfuls onto the waxed paper. (If you want to measure, try using a ¼-cup scoop for medium-large cookies.) Allow to cool completely before serving.