Smoking without wood chips
I am smoking baby back ribs using an electric vertical smoker.
Given that most food absorbs smoke for an hour or two before saturating, what will happen if I stop adding wood chips after about two hours? Will I get the same result as if I continued to add wood chips, given that the ribs are unlikely to absorb appreciable amounts of additional smoke? In other words, does the smoke serve a useful purpose once the meat is saturated with smoke flavor?
Note that I am not asking about changing the cooking method (e.g. transferring to an oven or grill) or temperature, nor am I asking about meat other than ribs. All I am curious about is if I stop adding wood chips after two hours in the smoker, but continuing to smoke for the full duration.
I have been smoking ribs (and other meat) for years, but I have always added smoke chips up until an hour before finishing. I am curious if I am literally burning money by wasting wood chips.
Related question: How much time do I need to achieve a smokey flavor in bbq? Please note that this question is different because I am specifically not switching cooking methods, nor am I asking when smoking is more effective.
Best Answer
The meat doesn't really "absorb" the smoke, as much as the smoke sticks to the meat, for the most part.
The real answer here is strictly what your preference is. While there are some preservative qualities that are delivered through smoking food, you should consider smoke a spice no different than salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. Smoking food for two hours should be plenty for most people's palates. It is better to be a little light on the smoke than a little heavy (I know this from my own mistakes in the past).
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Can you use a smoker without wood chips?
Smokers are optimized for smoking meats at a lower temperature than a traditional oven or fire. They use a combination of smoke and water moisture to make great moist smoked meat. You could easily make your own ham by taking a pig's leg bone and "smoking" it with or without wood chips.What can you use instead of wood chips for smoking?
While wood chips were once the most popular, there are now many fuel sources for smokers. Simply put, you do not have to use wood chips in a smoker or grill. Instead, you may choose other fuel sources such as wood pellets, charcoal, or even wood chunks.Do you need wood for smoking?
Oak \u2013 Burns slow and even, has a mild flavor, and is generally a good wood for smoking. Hickory \u2013 Also good for smoking, with a stronger flavor than oak....Types of wood you should never smoke with.AspenLocustMangroveElderberryRedwood (Conifer)YewElmSprucePoisonous Walnut (other walnut wood is fine)5 more rows•Feb 12, 2018How to Smoke Ribs without a Smoker.
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Answer 2
I have also successfully smoked my food (fish and game meat) successfully with green and black Chinese tea... It imparts a different flavor to the meats. However, as the tea begins to dry it sometimes start to burn, and imparts a different (often unwanted) flavor and smell to the target. So there IS such a thing as over smoking. Smoking on salt and sugar beds should be really carefully monitored as the caramelized mess often leaves an unwanted texture to the target.
I do suggest trying a salt, sugar and tea smoke one day... This is a quick process that imparts flavor and aroma rather than colour to the target.
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