| No need to fire up your propane or charcoal grill. Your | | | | liquid smoke should be plenty. |
| oven can be used to make delicious BBQ! You can | | | | Achieving juiciness and tenderness is easily done in |
| achieve a smoked charred flavor without having to | | | | the oven. You can use either of two methods, |
| use a smoker or by having to char. You will also be | | | | braising or steaming. Braising usually consists of |
| able to attain tenderness and juiciness using your | | | | browning in oil or animal fat and then slow cooking in |
| oven. Using your oven in this way is especially | | | | a small amount of liquid. Using the oven barbecue |
| advantageous when it is not practical to use your | | | | method you will skip the browning stage and go |
| outdoor grill. | | | | straight to slow cooking in a small amount of liquid. |
| One of the most important aspects of cooking oven | | | | Steaming is cooking a food item with steam created |
| barbecue is temperature. An oven temp of 325° | | | | by hot liquid in an enclosed in vessel. You do this by |
| is perfect. To make sure your internal oven | | | | placing a steaming device inside of a pot or other |
| temperature is truly 325° do not rely on your | | | | vessel to hold the food item above liquid and placing |
| built in oven temp meter rather use an oven | | | | a lid or other device on top to trap steam. When the |
| thermometer that either sets on or hangs from one | | | | liquid gets to a simmer enough steam is created to |
| of the oven racks. These types of thermometers | | | | cook the food. Which ever method you decide to |
| can be purchased at most department stores and | | | | use you will need baking dish big enough to |
| even some supermarkets and are usually inexpensive. | | | | accommodate the item/s you are braising without |
| You will not be smoking or charring as when using a | | | | stacking. Fill the dish with your cooking liquid to about |
| smoker or an outdoor grill so you will need another | | | | a ¼ inch up the side of the dish. Steam or |
| way to get that good smoked/charred flavor. The | | | | braise it's up to you however you will gain a fuller |
| way to do this is by using liquid smoke. Liquid smoke | | | | smoke flavor by braising. You can place a roasting |
| is concentrated smoke flavoring that can be | | | | rack inside the baking dish if steaming to use as your |
| purchased at your local grocery store. There are a | | | | steaming device. Cover the dish tightly with foil and |
| couple of different brands out there so be sure to | | | | cook for approximately 2 hours. Remove pan from |
| read the label to make sure you are buying "real" | | | | the oven, pour off liquid, sauce and return to the |
| liquid smoke and not an imitation. The ingredients | | | | oven for approximately 25 minutes, just to heat the |
| should be water and smoke concentrate and nothing | | | | sauce through. |
| else. There are also a couple of different smoke | | | | Oven barbecuing is great during the winter when it is |
| flavors my favorites being "Hickory" and "Mesquite". | | | | not practical to BBQ outside on your outdoor grill, or |
| Liquid is used sparingly and is usually diluted with | | | | anytime. Oven barbecuing will allow you to always |
| some other liquid when using it for cooking. You can | | | | achieve tenderness and juiciness and that rich smoky |
| make up your own liquid concoction or find a recipe | | | | flavor BBQ lovers crave. You will find that oven BBQ |
| for one or you can just use water along with the | | | | is easy, convenient, and down right tasty! |
| liquid smoke. A teaspoon to a tablespoon or so of | | | | |