Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen

Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen

Barbecue enthusiast and BBQ TV host Steven Raichlen offers Project Smoke as a guide to perfecting the craft of smoking meat (and other things). Raichlen spends the early part of the book outlining various smokers that are appropriate for everyone from beginners to those looking to head out on the competitive circuit, and rigs that are appropriate for those in dense urban settings (like apartments) to those with plenty of land to work with. These also get longer explanations and larger photographs in the final pages of the book. He outlines various types of wood and what they’re best used for, and plenty of potential tools, gadgets, and attachments for the BBQ smoker. Raichlen spends a few pages on basics of lighting fires, creating smoke, how to get the best smoky flavor, and a brief section on cleaning your smoker.

Just 32 pages into the book, Raichlen dives into recipes. Appetizers start, and just like in his forthcoming companion book Project Fire 

(a review will be posted April 3, 2018, the book hits stores May 1, 2018), the recipes here are certainly something different and far more original than what your neighbors are grilling on their porch. The first recipe is for smoked eggs (p. 35). Smoked cheeses make an appearance (p41, camembert, p. 42 mozzarella). Smoked versions of bar food staples like nachos, chicken wings, and jalepeno poppers all get appealing recipes for the smoker.

Main course highlights include Big Bad Beef Ribs (p. 62) that weigh in at about 2.5 pounds per rib, and look like something I absolutely have to fire up the smoker to try. Smoked brisket gets six pages. Pork recipes range from tips on smoking the whole hog to specific parts, such as shoulder, ribs, and belly (ie, bacon). A ‘healthier’ bacon alternative, Irish Bacon or Canadian Bacon (p. 115) features a preparation from Alex Pope of Kansas City’s Local Pig (home to Pigwich, the incredible walk-up sandwich shop reviewed here). Raichlen discusses tips on smoking and shares recipes for lamb, burgers, sausages, chicken, duck, and seafood.

Vegetable recipes include the smoked vegetable cassoulet (p. 220). Side dishes like the double-smoked potatoes (p. 209) or smoked slaw (p. 202), and desserts like smoked bacon-bourbon apple crisp, (p. 228) or smoked cheesecake (p. 237) round out the book. The final section is dedicated to smoked drinks, featuring a smoked manhattan (p. 246) or bacon bourbon (p. 257).

There are numerous suggestions and how-to’s throughout the book and embedded as side-notes to various recipes. Overall, Project Smoke offers a basic introduction to smoking and a nice assortment of recipes for anyone looking to unbox a smoker and get going as soon as possible. Raichlen touches on the science of smoking, and even how to build a smokehouse (p. 179), but doesn’t go very far in-depth.

Give this book to anyone who has just bought (or is looking to buy) a smoker, or to someone who’s been smoking for a while but would enjoy some interesting ideas for new things to put on the smoker. If Raichlen has his way, he’d eat every meal from throughout the day with food from the smoker (or the grill), and provides recipes and tips to do just that.

For a much more detailed look at the science of smoking meat and building or adapting your own smokers, check out Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto.