The original liquid smoke controversy (it's fine, btw)
video description
Would you ever consider doing a video about Boston Creme cake/pie? I. e making one or the other, and going into depth about it's history and/or talking about the fundamentals of making either a good fudge icing or making a substantial and well made vanilla pudding/creme patisserie? Better yet, how these making creme patisserie/pudding works? You've mentioned briefly in some of your videos where you actually make these. Even better, mix this all into one long marathon of knowledge, all the while showing us your variation on this New England dessert classic.
Kind regards.
Date: 2023-05-19
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 14
Dale
Here's my personal opinion on liquid smoke. It absolutely tastes kind of like whatever was made to use it, but it's not nearly as good as actually smoking your food low and slow for an extended period, at least when it comes to my experience making good Texas style BBQ (with a California twist of course. I like liquid smoke well enough on it's own, especially on a sous vide steak as an additional flavor note, but if I have to pick between the two, I would much rather take the real smoke any day of the week. That said, actually smoking meat is a lot of work, and takes a long time if you want the flavor to get really rich and penetrate deeply into the meat, and you need a proper sized smoker to do a good job. I have also not made my own liquid smoke before, like you are currently, so I cannot say if something in naturally made liquid smoke is somehow different. I don't soak my wood when I smoke meats either, I just use them as fuel and let the whole thing run low and slow with limited oxygen to fuel the fire. I'm just about to get a nice big multi-rack offset smoker as well, i've been working on a modified weber grill so far and it's a pain, but it absolutely works better than just using liquid smoke, by a long shot. I can replicate (sort of) what you get on much larger bbq pits in terms of flavor penetration and smoke ring production on the meat, but my bark quality just isn't as good yet because that really does come from a proper big smoker and hours of waiting while it forms. Sooooooon! And thank you Adam as always for doing this video, whenever I suggest using liquid smoke to people who are familiar with actually smoking foods, they look at me suspiciously, because they're so used to actually smoking meat themselves, but it makes total sense IMO, just learn how much to use in certain things since the vinegar can be offputting in certain dishes. It's best directly on the meat as part of a marinade before cooking, especially if you're cooking sous vide.
reply
Here's my personal opinion on liquid smoke. It absolutely tastes kind of like whatever was made to use it, but it's not nearly as good as actually smoking your food low and slow for an extended period, at least when it comes to my experience making good Texas style BBQ (with a California twist of course. I like liquid smoke well enough on it's own, especially on a sous vide steak as an additional flavor note, but if I have to pick between the two, I would much rather take the real smoke any day of the week. That said, actually smoking meat is a lot of work, and takes a long time if you want the flavor to get really rich and penetrate deeply into the meat, and you need a proper sized smoker to do a good job. I have also not made my own liquid smoke before, like you are currently, so I cannot say if something in naturally made liquid smoke is somehow different. I don't soak my wood when I smoke meats either, I just use them as fuel and let the whole thing run low and slow with limited oxygen to fuel the fire. I'm just about to get a nice big multi-rack offset smoker as well, i've been working on a modified weber grill so far and it's a pain, but it absolutely works better than just using liquid smoke, by a long shot. I can replicate (sort of) what you get on much larger bbq pits in terms of flavor penetration and smoke ring production on the meat, but my bark quality just isn't as good yet because that really does come from a proper big smoker and hours of waiting while it forms. Sooooooon! And thank you Adam as always for doing this video, whenever I suggest using liquid smoke to people who are familiar with actually smoking foods, they look at me suspiciously, because they're so used to actually smoking meat themselves, but it makes total sense IMO, just learn how much to use in certain things since the vinegar can be offputting in certain dishes. It's best directly on the meat as part of a marinade before cooking, especially if you're cooking sous vide.
reply
Semechki
it makes sense that liquid smoke can be made to be much less unhealthy. but I'm still inclined to agree that it doesn't quite taste right. though this could also well be because any time we knowingly taste food made with liquid smoke, those are all around cheaper products than directly smoked foods we know. and of course a lot of the directly smoked stuff is made fresh before we eat it, whereas liquid smoke is only used on industrially processed foods that are weeks or months old by the time we eat them. besides all sorts of other tasty compounds in the food, parts of the smoke flavour itself likely to off-gas or break down. I'm sure that freshly smoked food in particular contains volatile compounds from the smoke that evaporate rapidly, which makes them very noticeable.
I tried to find wood vinegar once because I was told it makes for a good wood stain for violins. I only found beech wood tar (creosote, but that stuff is outrageously stinky. I bought it in a little plastic bucket, and I couldn't even keep it indoors because the stuff was stinking through the plastic so strongly that it might have filled the whole home. I'm considering soaking rags in it and drying them to drive off the volatile compounds and then redissolve the remaining mass as a stain or varnish colour, but I'm concerned that the neighbours might think that there is a fire because of the smell.
reply
it makes sense that liquid smoke can be made to be much less unhealthy. but I'm still inclined to agree that it doesn't quite taste right. though this could also well be because any time we knowingly taste food made with liquid smoke, those are all around cheaper products than directly smoked foods we know. and of course a lot of the directly smoked stuff is made fresh before we eat it, whereas liquid smoke is only used on industrially processed foods that are weeks or months old by the time we eat them. besides all sorts of other tasty compounds in the food, parts of the smoke flavour itself likely to off-gas or break down. I'm sure that freshly smoked food in particular contains volatile compounds from the smoke that evaporate rapidly, which makes them very noticeable.
I tried to find wood vinegar once because I was told it makes for a good wood stain for violins. I only found beech wood tar (creosote, but that stuff is outrageously stinky. I bought it in a little plastic bucket, and I couldn't even keep it indoors because the stuff was stinking through the plastic so strongly that it might have filled the whole home. I'm considering soaking rags in it and drying them to drive off the volatile compounds and then redissolve the remaining mass as a stain or varnish colour, but I'm concerned that the neighbours might think that there is a fire because of the smell.
reply
Honkie_Kong
As a note. When you walk into a bad BBQ joint, you can tell. It smells like what I can only describe as wet smoke it's obvious at the first breath. Liquid smoke smells the same. Adam I wish I could send you some photos. I've been smoking meat for 25 years in Kansas City. The liquid smoke does not penetrate the meat. there is no pink smoke ring and yes, you can tenderquick it, but then you get that metallic taste. Smoking is more than just a flavor. You seem pretty brilliant, so I'm sure you've learned about the chemical reactions that take place with heat, smoke and carbon monoxide. Liquid smoke just doesn't get the job done. If the meat looks different, it tastes different. If you have a gas or charcoal grill. Go to the hardware store. Get a bag of cherry wood pellets. Grab a smoke tube. Light that thing and put it in the grill. cook your chicken and compare it to the liquid smoke. Even the least BBQ of BBQ (pellets) Is night and day from liquid smoke. You know why smoked food causes cancer? Because it's worth it!
reply
As a note. When you walk into a bad BBQ joint, you can tell. It smells like what I can only describe as wet smoke it's obvious at the first breath. Liquid smoke smells the same. Adam I wish I could send you some photos. I've been smoking meat for 25 years in Kansas City. The liquid smoke does not penetrate the meat. there is no pink smoke ring and yes, you can tenderquick it, but then you get that metallic taste. Smoking is more than just a flavor. You seem pretty brilliant, so I'm sure you've learned about the chemical reactions that take place with heat, smoke and carbon monoxide. Liquid smoke just doesn't get the job done. If the meat looks different, it tastes different. If you have a gas or charcoal grill. Go to the hardware store. Get a bag of cherry wood pellets. Grab a smoke tube. Light that thing and put it in the grill. cook your chicken and compare it to the liquid smoke. Even the least BBQ of BBQ (pellets) Is night and day from liquid smoke. You know why smoked food causes cancer? Because it's worth it!
reply
Christopher
Okay, I won't dispute most of your points here. Most of what you said is good. I would almost prefer to cook most of my foods with liquid smoke. But you can't call food prepared with Liquid Smoke Smoked food. Smoking is a preparation method wherein the food is heated over time by direct exposure to combustion byproducts. The heat generated during combustion moves the combustion byproducts past the food, depositing heat and combustion byproducts, or smoke. Again, if you only use liquid smoke and not a smoker, your food is still good, maybe even better in some ways, containing that genuine smoke flavour and smoky goodness, but it is not smoked food. You can't cook BBQ in an oven. You can't cook tandoori on a wok. You can't grill in a microwave. You can't smoke without a smoker. These words describe the method of preparation, not the end result.
reply
Okay, I won't dispute most of your points here. Most of what you said is good. I would almost prefer to cook most of my foods with liquid smoke. But you can't call food prepared with Liquid Smoke Smoked food. Smoking is a preparation method wherein the food is heated over time by direct exposure to combustion byproducts. The heat generated during combustion moves the combustion byproducts past the food, depositing heat and combustion byproducts, or smoke. Again, if you only use liquid smoke and not a smoker, your food is still good, maybe even better in some ways, containing that genuine smoke flavour and smoky goodness, but it is not smoked food. You can't cook BBQ in an oven. You can't cook tandoori on a wok. You can't grill in a microwave. You can't smoke without a smoker. These words describe the method of preparation, not the end result.
reply
Uwe
I still do prefer to traditionally smoke my meats and fish. That said I do have a bottle of liquid smoke which I made in a quickly put together still from a old cooking pot with a tight fitting lid, some copper pipe and a bucket with ice water as well as a single burner electric cooktop I also use to heat my garbage can smoker to the desired temperature when I hot-smoke something. Liquid smoke is a great shortcut to smokey flavor without the smoking process. The difference is what smoking does to meat and fish and while a slow smoke BBQ may be easier to emulate with a smokey marinade and an oven, a cold smoked salmon is a different story. Liquid smoke misses the drying process. But for many applications it's convenient and less contaminated than real smoke.
reply
I still do prefer to traditionally smoke my meats and fish. That said I do have a bottle of liquid smoke which I made in a quickly put together still from a old cooking pot with a tight fitting lid, some copper pipe and a bucket with ice water as well as a single burner electric cooktop I also use to heat my garbage can smoker to the desired temperature when I hot-smoke something. Liquid smoke is a great shortcut to smokey flavor without the smoking process. The difference is what smoking does to meat and fish and while a slow smoke BBQ may be easier to emulate with a smokey marinade and an oven, a cold smoked salmon is a different story. Liquid smoke misses the drying process. But for many applications it's convenient and less contaminated than real smoke.
reply
Knutt
My husband's Japanese aunt is famous for her chocolate muffins. She brings them to every family gathering, and they are always a hit. This past Christmas, however, my sister-in-law took a bite of one and found it so nasty she had to spit it out. Everyone else surreptitiously tasted the muffins and all agreed that something was horribly, horribly wrong with them. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that she must have mistakenly used liquid smoke instead of vanilla extract. Her husband was barbecuing at the time, which is probably why she didn't notice. We never had the heart to tell her, but the story of those chocolate liquid smoke muffins will go down in family history.
reply
My husband's Japanese aunt is famous for her chocolate muffins. She brings them to every family gathering, and they are always a hit. This past Christmas, however, my sister-in-law took a bite of one and found it so nasty she had to spit it out. Everyone else surreptitiously tasted the muffins and all agreed that something was horribly, horribly wrong with them. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that she must have mistakenly used liquid smoke instead of vanilla extract. Her husband was barbecuing at the time, which is probably why she didn't notice. We never had the heart to tell her, but the story of those chocolate liquid smoke muffins will go down in family history.
reply
David
As a Kansas Citian, admittedly I do use liquid smoke a lot in my cooking. It's no replacement for BBQ and smoking meat. But, it's perfect in a curing brine for beef; marinades; chili; tacos; stews; Chinese dishes; and pretty much everything else you can think to put it in. Smoke is the ingredient so many recipes are missing (especially old recipes) because it's how people used to cook. And yes, you can replicate (or surpass) BBQ by brining (corning) beef in spices & liquid smoke for 1-2 weeks; then curing for 24 hours with pink salts; and then cooking 20 min/pound at 350 degrees. I cook roasts all the time using this method.
reply
As a Kansas Citian, admittedly I do use liquid smoke a lot in my cooking. It's no replacement for BBQ and smoking meat. But, it's perfect in a curing brine for beef; marinades; chili; tacos; stews; Chinese dishes; and pretty much everything else you can think to put it in. Smoke is the ingredient so many recipes are missing (especially old recipes) because it's how people used to cook. And yes, you can replicate (or surpass) BBQ by brining (corning) beef in spices & liquid smoke for 1-2 weeks; then curing for 24 hours with pink salts; and then cooking 20 min/pound at 350 degrees. I cook roasts all the time using this method.
reply
Kari
There was a product, cat food, that claimed they were low ash. This was supposed to be a selling point, versus other brand's high ash (ash, in this case, being mineral waste, not wood ash. The problem is that people didn't know other cat foods were high in ash, so they didn't buy it. You see the point, I hope. Claiming your liquid smoke is low in carcinogens just makes people think your liquid smoke has carcinogens in it. But, but, I hear you say, you can claim you have fewer carcinogens. Sure, but you still have them. And that just turns people off. Better to not mention it at all.
reply
There was a product, cat food, that claimed they were low ash. This was supposed to be a selling point, versus other brand's high ash (ash, in this case, being mineral waste, not wood ash. The problem is that people didn't know other cat foods were high in ash, so they didn't buy it. You see the point, I hope. Claiming your liquid smoke is low in carcinogens just makes people think your liquid smoke has carcinogens in it. But, but, I hear you say, you can claim you have fewer carcinogens. Sure, but you still have them. And that just turns people off. Better to not mention it at all.
reply
TLMuse
Re: Your liquid smoke barbecue attempt, I do something similar via sous vide, using a recipe from ChefSteps. You cook chicken pinwheels sous vide in a simple marinade that includes liquid smoke and molasses (10 g liq. smoke, 30 g molasses, 5g black pepper (opt, and salt. You just briefly finish it on the grill to sear the surfaces, starting skin-side up so the skin dries a bit before you flip it. Optionally sauce it on the grill, or just serve it with sauce. It comes out great! And no burnt skin from having to grill it too long to get the interior done. Tom
reply
Re: Your liquid smoke barbecue attempt, I do something similar via sous vide, using a recipe from ChefSteps. You cook chicken pinwheels sous vide in a simple marinade that includes liquid smoke and molasses (10 g liq. smoke, 30 g molasses, 5g black pepper (opt, and salt. You just briefly finish it on the grill to sear the surfaces, starting skin-side up so the skin dries a bit before you flip it. Optionally sauce it on the grill, or just serve it with sauce. It comes out great! And no burnt skin from having to grill it too long to get the interior done. Tom
reply
CRAnger
Liquid smoke has something or captures something normal smoke does not. I can almost always taste it, but even trace amounts of it will make me sick. I also don't believe you can make a barbecue chicken that I can't taste the difference, unless it's mostly sauce. I can always taste the difference between smoke and liquid smoke though, possibly just because it makes me sick and my palate has really honed in on it. But if something tastes smokey I can tell the difference. Only way to hide liquid smoke from me is to use so little you can't taste it.
reply
Liquid smoke has something or captures something normal smoke does not. I can almost always taste it, but even trace amounts of it will make me sick. I also don't believe you can make a barbecue chicken that I can't taste the difference, unless it's mostly sauce. I can always taste the difference between smoke and liquid smoke though, possibly just because it makes me sick and my palate has really honed in on it. But if something tastes smokey I can tell the difference. Only way to hide liquid smoke from me is to use so little you can't taste it.
reply
APR1L
I manage a local Hawaiian joint in Phoenix where we make a decently traditional Kalua Pig. We use liquid smoke to make it smoky before roasting it for 12 hours, low and slow. We ran an experiment where we traditionally smoked our Kalua pork instead of the liquid smoke and found that it not only was several times cheaper and easier to do it with liquid smoke, it flat out tasted better since the slight acidity in the liquid smoke brought out more of the pork flavor.
reply
I manage a local Hawaiian joint in Phoenix where we make a decently traditional Kalua Pig. We use liquid smoke to make it smoky before roasting it for 12 hours, low and slow. We ran an experiment where we traditionally smoked our Kalua pork instead of the liquid smoke and found that it not only was several times cheaper and easier to do it with liquid smoke, it flat out tasted better since the slight acidity in the liquid smoke brought out more of the pork flavor.
reply
chadoftoons
The reason advertising doesnt claim it has less bad byproduct is that such a claim means you have bad byproduct. If you state nothing it is as if you had no byproduct and you dont have to care during production until somebody gets sick and sues them loudly enough for it to be something marketable
Sad how that works in society but its spending money educating people over your product that people dont want to spend.
reply
The reason advertising doesnt claim it has less bad byproduct is that such a claim means you have bad byproduct. If you state nothing it is as if you had no byproduct and you dont have to care during production until somebody gets sick and sues them loudly enough for it to be something marketable
Sad how that works in society but its spending money educating people over your product that people dont want to spend.
reply
Bryan
Excellent vid, very informative. I am sold on the stuff and when I want to make pulled pork in the slow cooker, once my cut of pork shoulder has its dry rub and is sitting on top of some chunks of sweet potatoes, I'll add a splash of liquid, perhaps cider vinegar, and then add the liquid smoke. As that cooks, I can smell the hickory and taste it in the finished product. Please do work on that BBQ Chx recipe and thanks.
reply
Excellent vid, very informative. I am sold on the stuff and when I want to make pulled pork in the slow cooker, once my cut of pork shoulder has its dry rub and is sitting on top of some chunks of sweet potatoes, I'll add a splash of liquid, perhaps cider vinegar, and then add the liquid smoke. As that cooks, I can smell the hickory and taste it in the finished product. Please do work on that BBQ Chx recipe and thanks.
reply
JD
They filter out the carcinogens? With what, paper towels? Ragusea's credulity is touching. But you're a damn fool if you believe him. As someone presently in remission I can tell you that however delicious homemade or bottled liquid tars & polycyclic combustion products might be, they aren't worth surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. You are what you eat, and you can die from it, too. Idiot.
reply
They filter out the carcinogens? With what, paper towels? Ragusea's credulity is touching. But you're a damn fool if you believe him. As someone presently in remission I can tell you that however delicious homemade or bottled liquid tars & polycyclic combustion products might be, they aren't worth surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. You are what you eat, and you can die from it, too. Idiot.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
