Thank You For Smoking

A stovetop hack that brings the bbq inside

Issue 25: From Dana

I started smoking early in my kitchen career, and I’ll never quit. I blame my habit on the fact that when I first started writing about food, I was following and fascinated by the barbecue beat. I’d travel to competitions around the country to interview cooks and sample their slow-smoked creations. I’d plan reporting trips to research regional styles, driving for days to check out barbecue joints across the South. To this day, nothing makes me happier than sitting around a pit of smoldering hardwood, tending ribs, pork shoulders, and chicken on their path to perfection.

But barbecue is a serious commitment, and unless you’re ordering it takeout, it’s the furthest thing from a weeknight endeavor. Enter the stovetop smoker, one of my all-time favorite kitchen hacks that makes it possible to smoke dinner after work whenever your darn please.

I first started smoking foods on my stovetop when I realized that chefs were doing it in their restaurant kitchens.I bought a Camerons stovetop smoker and used it so often, it turned black and warped and ultimately couldn’t contain the smoke. So I started rigging up stockpots and hotel pans to work the same way: I’d put some wood chips in the bottom, add a layer of foil, then set a rack or steamer insert to hold the food overtop. Then on with the lid, crumble foil around the edges, and set it over medium high to start smoking. 

It really is that easy. Yes, you will set off the fire alarms in your kitchen. Yes, your clothes will smell like a fire pit. But that’s a small price to pay for turning out some of the most incredible, smoke-kissed food from your kitchen. 

There are other benefits of smoking on a stovetop as compared to doing it outdoors on a grill: in this concentrated space, the smoky steam cooks the food quickly, keeping it incredibly juicy while infusing it with flavor. After blasting it with smoke for 20 minutes or so, I’ll often shut off the stovetop and finish the meal in the oven if the ingredients need more time. (Too much smoke can make food taste acrid).

I smoke everything: ribs, pork butts, sides of salmon, chicken, you name it. But you don’t have to stick to classic barbecue fare: vegetables like cauliflower steaks, corn on the cob, peppers, and squash benefit from the smoke treatment, too. I parboil them first, then smoke them in a single layer. You can even get creative and smoke cheeses, maple syrup, cream and more. Go wild! 

This kind of cooking has a science-project vibe to it, so it’s a great way to engage the kids. My son, who grew up joining me on my barbecue adventures, gets excited when he sees me haul out my smoking set-up. He likes to smell the different types of wood chips and pair them with whatever we’re cooking (Alder for salmon; Hickory for most everything else.)

Sometimes, he searches for flavorful things to add to the chips: when we do chicken thighs, we add loose leaf tea, orange peels, and spices like star anise and cinnamon that lend aroma and tongue-tingling spice to the smoke. If we’re doing salmon, I’ll often send him out to the garden to get some rosemary sprigs to add a woodsy flavor to the fish.

Like all the best kitchen projects, stovetop smoking inspires experimentation and it’s easy to become obsessed once you get started. I hope it becomes a habit in your home, too. 

Tea-Smoked Chicken Thighs with Hoisin-Pomegranate Glaze
Serves 4

1 large orange
2 teaspoons loose leaf black tea (I like Earl Gray)
3 tablespoons wood chips (I like Hickory or Alder)
8 star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
1 teaspoon Kosher salt and a few cracks freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
Sriracha, to taste

Using a peeler, zest the orange in long strips; reserve the zest. Cut the orange in half around the center and juice into a bowl.

In the bottom of a stovetop smoker, scatter the reserved orange peels, tea, star anise pods, and cinnamon sticks.  Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and a rack. Place the chicken thighs on the rack. (It’s good to leave room between them so that the smoke can fully circulate.) Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the smoker over medium high. When the first curls of smoke appear, lower the heat to medium and cover the smoker with the lid and foil. Smoke for 20-25 minutes, then shut off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, combine the hoisin, pomegranate molasses, sriracha, and half the reserved orange juice. 

Preheat the broiler. Remove the lid from the smoker and drizzle the remaining orange juice over top of the thighs. Brush some of the sauce on both sides of each piece of chicken and broil, skin side up, for 3 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with extra sauce.