“Project Smoke” aims to elevate your barbecue



Are you just getting into barbecue or do you consider yourself a seasoned pitmaster? Either way, grilling guru Steven Raichlen’s new PBS series called “Project Smoke,” which debuted last weekend, aims to boost your barbecue IQ. Thirteen 30-minute episodes feature “recipes, ingredients, tools, tricks and techniques that aim to lead the audience on a smoke-filled journey to new flavors.”

“I call smoke the umami of BBQ,” Raichlen told Yahoo! Food. “It enhances the intrinsic flavor of beef, pork, fish and vegetables the way umami does. Smoke has the ability to give food such a depth of flavor without denaturizing the original product.” The show is aimed at both novices and experts. “If you’re a beginner, you’ll learn how to smoke on every smoker and how to use every ingredient. If you’re more advanced, you’ll learn some tricks and dishes that aren’t part of your repertoire,” he said.

In addition to behind-the-scenes footage of how food programs are put together, Raichlen will emphasize ethical eating by encouraging cooks to use grass-fed beef, heritage pork, organic poultry, and wild seafood, as well as locally sourced produce. The show will cover many different techniques, such as cold smoking (salmon), smoke roasting, rotisserie smoking,  and hay smoking. He’ll also offer advice on the best smokers to buy – and for the dedicated, instructions on how to build your own.

Photo of Coffee-rubbed Texas-style brisket  from  Cooking Light Magazine by Steven Raichlen