Key Ingredients for Smoky Flavor
When barbecuing any cut of meat, the goal is to develop deep, smoky flavor and tender, falling-off-the-bone texture. The typical cuts for barbecue are tough and fatty (think ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder) and this transformation typically takes several hours over low heat—hence the barbecue adage: “Low-and-slow is the way to go.” These meats love to absorb the smoky flavor that comes naturally from an outdoor grill or smoker setup, and we love the crust or bark that develops. But with the right ingredients and technique, our favorite barbecued meats can take on similar flavors and textures in the oven.
Liquid Smoke
Liquid smoke is made by channeling smoke from smoldering wood chips through a condenser, which quickly cools the vapors, causing them to liquefy (just like the drops that form when you breath on a piece of cold glass). The water-soluble flavor compounds in the smoke are trapped within this liquid, while the insoluble, carcinogenic tars and resins are removed by a series of filters, resulting in a clean, smoke-flavored liquid. Add a few drops to braising liquid or barbecue sauce to amp up the smoky flavor in your barbecue.
Bacon
Since bacon is smoked as part of processing, wrapping meat in bacon and cooking it will allow the meat to absorb some of that smoky flavor. The bacon is usually discarded at the end of cooking, but the flavor remains.
Espresso Powder
This may sound like an off-the-wall ingredient in a barbecue recipe, but the toasty, fruity bitterness of espresso powder can help approximate some of the charred flavor that comes from cooking over coals. It can also offset the sweetness in barbecue sauce, adding unexpected complexity. We add it to the braising liquid and the barbecue sauce for our Smoky Indoor Ribs. You can substitute super-strong brewed coffee in a pinch.
Chipotle Chiles
Jalapeños that have been smoked and dried, chipotle chiles are potent flavor bombs. They are sold three ways: as whole dried chiles, as powder, and in tangy adobo sauce in cans. Chipotle powder adds heat and intense smoke flavor to chilis, rubs, and sauces. The canned chiles are great too; try stirring a little of the spicy adobo sauce into barbecue sauce for smoky-tangy heat to balance the sweetness.
Smoked Paprika
Paprika is made from dried, ground ripe red chiles. The Spanish and Hungarians are masters of sweet paprika, and there are great versions made in California too. When you smoke those peppers before drying (or as part of the drying process), you get smoked paprika. As with regular paprika, smoked paprika can be mild (often labeled "sweet") or spicy, depending on the variety of chile used. This smoky spice is great in rubs for roasted poultry or meats, stirred into vinaigrettes, and in barbecue sauce.
