SMOKEY AND SAVORY PERFECTION Indulge in flavors infused by the billowing smoke that envelops the meat on the grill

We are all familiar with braising, steaming, frying, baking, roasting, stewing, cooking en papillote (wrapped in paper), confit-style (slow-cooked in its own fat), and their many variations. But only a few among us have experienced the joys of one of the oldest cooking methods—smoking over a coal fire.

Smoking is fast becoming the hottest food trend these days, replacing pork belly lechon, its distant cousin. Restaurants specializing in smoked meats have opened at malls and business centers. On the internet, serious enthusiasts post mouth-watering photos of their specialties available for home delivery.

There are two types of smoking—hot and cold. Cold smoking is advisable only in cold countries, where the room temperature is low enough to keep the food from spoiling during the long cooking process. In tropical countries like the Philippines, hot smoking is what we are most familiar with. Even our smoked fish (tinapa) is hot. Smoked salmon is a product of cold smoking.

The long chase

Grilling and smoking have always fascinated me, but it has been frustrating. There are very few cookbooks devoted to smoking. Until very recently, smokers or grills were not sold in Manila even by high-end homeware shops. Over the years, only a few units were sold by HMR, Duty Free Shop, and Rustan’s. Thanks to the internet, smoker or grills and restaurants offering smoked dishes are now available for amateur or serious cooks.

In 1978, following advice from reliable food writers and cookbooks, I searched for a Weber smoker, which they all said was the best. I found none in Hong Kong, then still a British Crown colony famous as a duty-free territory, which sold everything under the sun. My fruitless search for a smoker disproved Hong Kong’s claim. My brother, who ran a restaurant in Japan, could not locate smokers in Tokyo or Osaka. Indiana Jones had an easier time locating the Holy Grail.

My long search ended when on our honeymoon, Vic took me to New York City, saying, “If you can’t find it there, you can’t find it anywhere.”

Bazaar de la Cuisine in the heart of the Big Apple answered my prayers. It had, on stock, Weber kettles of every size and color. For family meals, Vic selected the tabletop size, which is the smallest but could accommodate a whole chicken or two kilos of pork ribs or chops. My choice was bigger, a bright red 22-inch kettle with two large grill racks that could smoke five whole chicken per rack. That’s 10 whole smoked chicken per hour, depending on the recipe (stuffed or not). Perfect for entertaining hordes of hungry photographers, journalists, news sources, and hangers-on, who gathered for my monthly parties in Malate and at the National Press Club.

The Rolls Royce of smokers

The Weber Kettle, first launched in the 1950s, became one of the most iconic grills in America. It has been much sought after despite the steep price tag, for which there are a few good reasons.

The unique shape, which evenly reflects heat, is difficult to manufacture and requires really big presses that draw steel into the desired form. The porcelain-enameled bowls and lids are fired at 1600 F to withstand both the heat of burning charcoal and the long-term effects of exposure to weather. The cooking grates are made from heavy-grade stainless steel or porcelain-coated cast iron to facilitate heat transfer.
Other features that copycats do not or cannot replicate are the air-tight vents at the bottom to let in fresh air (thereby increasing heat) as well as on the cover to prevent smoke and heat from escaping (thus regulating the heat and preventing flare-ups). The vents could be opened or closed anytime while cooking.
Beginner’s beer can chicken

“Can you really cook a chicken with a beer can inside?” To convince a group of unbelieving photo-journalists, we headed off to Steve Wallace’s weekend farm in Barrio Alulod, Indang, Cavite.

His wife Jen graciously took time off from writing her first historical romantic novel set in the Philippines at the turn of the century. The dressed fowl was sprinkled inside and out with a dry rub mix of salt, ground black pepper, paprika, and grated lemon rind. More dry rub was massaged on the meat under the breast and thigh skin, along with a mixture of celery, onion, and garlic minced to a rough paste in a food processor with 1/4 cup butter.

The opened can of beer was placed upright on the grill, which had been preheated with charcoal. The seasoned bird was positioned over the beer can which fit snugly in the cavity. The kettle was closed, making sure the air vents were shut. We checked after 20 minutes to make sure the chicken drippings were not killing the coal, which we had covered with a handful of fresh guava leaves. Another 40 minutes of smoking and we attacked the chicken.

It was heavenly! Speckled with paprika and bits of chopped herbs, the skin and meat melted in our mouths. There was no trace of beer in the scent or taste. The tender meat was moist and buttery. We spent the afternoon sucking juicy chicken bones and mopping drippings with Arabic flatbread. Salad greens straight from the garden were perfect with pineapple, mangoes, and bananas from neighboring farms.

Inspired, Oarhouse barkeep Ben Razon vowed to install a smoker at his popular Malate bar. He found an imported smoker at HMR months later. It is such a hit with the UP-PGH crowd that he now has a second smoker, one that he helped design.
Locally-made smokers I have seen are mostly custommade from thick steel drums cut in half crosswise or lengthwise and finished with metal hinges, locks, grills, and wooden handles for easy handling. They are not cheap and therefore are for serious cooks. With care, they should last long enough to be enjoyed by several generations.

My Weber Kettle, which has provided my family and friends with good food and fond memories for 40 years, is still around. My children borrow it when they take their kids camping or when they smoke ham or ribs for special occasions and gifts.
Recipes and tips

The internet is swarming with recipes for smoked beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and vegetables. Do not be discouraged if you don’t have one or two specific herbs and spices the recipe calls for.

When smoking large cuts of meat or whole chicken and turkey, chefs on the Food Channel use large syringes with long needles to inject the curing mixture. I found them at Mercury Drug in Bambang, Sta. Cruz, Manila. There are dozens of drugstores in the area. Look for veterinary supplies. After injecting the meat with a curing or seasoning mix, massage it gently to evenly spread the mixture.

Instead of hard-to-find and expensive imported wood chips, use local charcoal briquettes and fresh guava leaves. I learned from experience that smoke from lemon grass and pandan make the meat bitter. In the provinces, use coconut shell charcoal, which is sustainable.

To shorten cooking time, cut along the chicken or turkey’s backbone from the neck to the tailbone and spread the body in what is called a butterfly cut. This doubles the area exposed to heat. Clean all parts of the smoker as soon as cool enough to handle. Do not leave outdoors exposed to the elements.
Smokers or grills are strictly for outdoor use.

Be considerate. Make sure the wind does not drive smoke into neighbors’ doors and windows.

Avoid overloading the smoker with a mountain of coal. Unlike ordinary ihawan, the smoker needs only a layer of lit coal or briquettes. Should more fuel be needed, add only two or three pieces at a time.

After taking the chicken out of the smoker, wait 20 minutes (30 minutes for whole brisket and one hour for bone-in ham and whole turkey) to allow juices to settle before slicing.

To control flare-ups, use water guns or sprayers. Keep a pail of water on hand for emergencies.

Indispensable tools are long-handled BBQ brushes (to add flavor and seal in moisture), BBQ forks, and tongs.

Use a scarf or hat to keep hair from absorbing smoke and food odors. Wear an old loose man’s shirt with sleeves to protect clothes from greasy BBQ stains, which are difficult to wash off.
Happy smoking!