Test Kitchen tips: Stove-top smoking

Sometimes nothing beats smoking a nice cut of meat outdoors on a lazy, hot day -- that is, as long as the weather cooperates. But the great outdoors can get a little testy, especially during these winter months. Even in Southern California.

Next time you’re hankering for a smoked rack of ribs, consider smoking in the great indoors, right on your stove top. Stove-top smoking is certainly not a new concept: Scatter some wood chips in a roasting pan, put the meat on a rack to sit above it. Loosely cover the pan with foil, and heat. Watch for the chips to start smoking and cover tight, then smoke to desired doneness. Voilà.

There’s nothing complicated about stove-top smoking, and I’d even argue that it’s probably easier to master than smoking outdoors. You don’t have to mess with charcoal or vents, deal with chambers or manage chips or pellets for hours on end.

You can purchase a stove-top smoker (such as the one pictured below), or construct one from odds and ends in your kitchen. You can even convert a wok into a smoker (pictured at left) to make your own tea-smoked birds.

If you’re new to smoking foods, and/or have never tried to smoke foods on your stove top, it can be surprisingly easy. Check out this article for more information. We also include recipes:

• Hickory-smoked baby back ribs
• Alder-smoked scallops with fennel salad
• Tea-smoked game hens

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.