[Suzanne F]

I just got my new toy: a stovetop smoker.

Now, how do I use it?

A recipe booklet came with it, but it doesn't have instructions for the first thing I want to do: a small rack of lamb. It's 14 ounces/412 grams. I've got it marinating with rosemary and pomegranate molasses, but don't know how long to smoke it. Help, please?

TIA

[hollywood]

I just got my new toy: a stovetop smoker.

Now, how do I use it?

A recipe booklet came with it, but it doesn't have instructions for the first thing I want to do: a small rack of lamb. It's 14 ounces/412 grams. I've got it marinating with rosemary and pomegranate molasses, but don't know how long to smoke it. Help, please?

TIA

Sounds like you need one of those digital thermometers and a temperature chart.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

10-15 minutes under medium heat. Any longer or hotter you will overcook. You will have to finish in the oven. I have a Camerons model.

[Suzanne F]

Thanks, C/W S -- that's the one I have. Some new acquaintances made the pork tenderloin a couple of weeks ago in theirs, and that's what gave me the courage to try it.

Hollywood: You can be sure that I've got all that. Nothing like stealing personal experience, though.

[hollywood]

I should have known better with a girl like you....

[fentona]

I would say you could get away with smoking for longer than 15 minutes: in my experience up to 30-40 minutes is fine with a Cameron's. But after that it can get an unpleasant acrid taste.

I regularly use mine for smoking smaller items: duck breasts, chicken wings, fish, vegetables. It works reasonably well, and is a lot easier than breaking out the big outdoor smoker.

[flyfish]

Must keep Mr. Fly away from this thread. That man is a smoker collector but he hasn't heard tell of these yet. I can tell he hasn't, or we'd have one.

[Suzanne F]

Golly -- these have been around for years. I just never had seen how they work, so I was nervous about getting one.

Well, if you do tell him about it, neither of you will regret it. This can be used even when there are umpteen feet of snow outside, without his freezing his, um, whatever. Or the food getting cold even as it cooks.


So here’s what happened:

I set up the smoker according to the directions that came with it, using cherry wood chips (actually very finely ground wood, cubes maybe 1/10 inch). Smoked the lamb for 30 minutes, let it rest still closed for 10 minutes. It cooked to medium – more than we like – but remained very moist. Good smoke flavor, not at all too strong. I had the almost-totally-useless range hood going the whole time. But very little of the smoke smell escaped into the apartment. What did is rather pleasant, and not enough to set off the smoke alarm.


This is all very exciting to me. Something to take the boredom out of cooking (almost) every night! And with quite satisfactory results. What a nice present to myself this turned out to be. We already discussed some of the other items I might smoke, such as duck breasts. Mmmmmm, smoked duck.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

The one small issue with the Camerons (I found this out today when I smoked pork butt) is you have to use those finely ground chips. I chucked a small handful of regular sized hickory chips under the drip tray and smoked up the house. The lid isn't design to hold the volume of smoke back created by the larger chips. Other than that it's an great toy to play with.

[Suzanne F]

But it takes so little of them at a time. So what came with (cherry, oak, hickory, and mesquite) should last me a long time.

Have you tried using something like rosemary stems? I have some that I thought about using, but decided to "follow the recipe" the first time. (How unlike me! )

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

Rosemary stems? Too Grant Achatz for my old school butt. I'm partial to the alder--especially for salmon. It adds a nice sweet element. But any of those chips are great.

[joiei]

But it takes so little of them at a time. So what came with (cherry, oak, hickory, and mesquite) should last me a long time.

Have you tried using something like rosemary stems? I have some that I thought about using, but decided to "follow the recipe" the first time. (How unlike me! )

Your question makes me wonder about using tea leaves.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

Here's a fun thing to do with your smoker. It's a take on the traditional pozole.

Smoke some bone-in pork blade roast for about 15 minutes on medium.
Put the roast in a stock pot with chicken stock, mirepoix, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, thyme
Simmer for a few hours until tender. Pull the meat and return it to the pot/discard the bones
Dump in a can or two of tomato puree, couple cans of hominy, a couple crushed cloves of garlic
Simmer 20 minutes. Garnish with chipotle Tabasco/more Mexican oregano/raw cabbage julienne/sliced radish/tortilla strips (freshly fried).

It's best to let this thing sit overnight to let the flavors meld.


You can also smoke cooked Idaho Russet potatoes and combine with your normal fats (cream butter) for a killer mash. Smoke em about 5-7 minutes, any longer and they'll be bitter. Use hickory.

[fentona]

But it takes so little of them at a time. So what came with (cherry, oak, hickory, and mesquite) should last me a long time.

Have you tried using something like rosemary stems? I have some that I thought about using, but decided to "follow the recipe" the first time. (How unlike me! )

Your question makes me wonder about using tea leaves.

I've done it (tea-smoked duck); it works well.

Stovetop smokers are terrific fun, especially if you live in an apartment and don't have access to an outdoor smoking space. Even now that I've moved to a bigger place with an outdoor smoker, I still use it from time to time.

The chips do indeed last a long time. I ordered three more (pint?) containers-- alder, apple and hickory-- which have lasted me a couple of years so far.

[memesuze]

oh, great, another toy I just have to have - thanks for everyone sounding so positive - now what must I eliminate from the cupboards to add this?