Stovetop smoker (Still better than pellets or liquid smoke)

I’m certainly not the guy who came up with this method but I’ve damn sure used it extensively over the years. While it’s not perfect, it’s great for doing small batches of stuff and way better than using a pellet smoker or liquid smoke plus you can use it in a small apartment (just make sure you have a good vent). And you can build one for less than $75.

It comes down to three basic components.

The first is a 6-inch deep hotel pan,

Then a 4 inch deep perforated half hotel pan.

The last part is a lid with a slot for a spoon. The wood you use is up to you. 

Once you have everything, all you need to do is soak your wood for a bit and put it in the front of the hotel pan while turning the burner on high. Once it starts to get the wood going, place your product in the perforated half pan and place the lid on with the spoon slot in the rear and turn on the vent. 

What’s going to happen is that your hood vent is going to suck the smoke from the front of the pan up and over the food. Now, because it’s wood, it’s a bit tricky so you need to keep an eye on it and this is where the art comes in. You want it to be smokey and rich but not too hot and make sure that the wood doesn’t actually catch on fire. In other words, you’re really going to have to pay attention to what you’re doing. 

In regards to how long you should smoke what at what temp, that’s a whole other article. If you have any doubts at all or don’t cook often, buy a digital thermometer and make sure you err on the side of caution.

Again, it’s far from perfect but it gets the job done, plus you’re actually using real wood, not pellets or God forbid liquid smoke (throw that shit out). Throw a few tomatoes, onions, and some garlic in and add some body and depth to your BBQ sauce. Chicken thighs turn golden delicious in this with a little mesquite and you can even smoke cheese in this if you keep the temp low enough. 

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