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Whiskey smoked brown sugar

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    Whiskey smoked brown sugar

    I made a rub this weekend using this stuff:



    I am really imprecise when I cook (I'll never be a baker!), and I don't really keep close track of what I am doing, but here is an approximation of the recipe:

    2 tbsp Whiskey smoked brown sugar
    1 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    1/2 tsp ginger powder
    1 tbsp salt
    1/2 tbsp paprika

    Something like that... it was really good. Could use a little tweaking; perhaps a bit more of the ginger and/or chili powder. Something to give it a little more snap. But I was surprised how good it turned out... really rich. I used it on some pork belly I smoked, and it played nicely into the unctuousness of the meat. Anybody else used this stuff?

    #2
    Never used it. Where can you get it? When I read the title of the post I thought you soaked brown sugar in whiskey. Now that would be interesting. Shots, one for the brown sugar and one for me and so on. Sounds to me like it would work.

    Comment


    • mayapoppa
      mayapoppa commented
      Editing a comment
      That definitely sounds like a recipe for some sort of success...

      There should be a link to Amazon in my original post, but I got it at Harris Ranch, while driving up the 5 in CA. It's called Darkhorse Whiskey Smoked Brown Sugar. Strong stuff, but not alcoholic.

    #3
    I made this again for some country-style ribs, and tweaked it a bit. It is really getting good... Here are the updated details:

    2 tbsp Whiskey smoked brown sugar
    1 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    1 tsp ginger powder
    1/2 tbsp paprika
    1/2 tsp mustard powder
    1/4 tsp black pepper

    There was salt in the original version, as I wasn't able to separately dry-brine, but this time I was able to, so I left the salt out of the rub.

    Comment


      #4
      I use too much rub to be buying brown sugar that expensive, but it sounds great. I was going to smoke some salt this week and not I guess brown sugar too! What kind of wood do you taste, I think hickory or oak would go well.

      Comment


      • mayapoppa
        mayapoppa commented
        Editing a comment
        Not sure my smoke palette is sophisticated enough to tell what kind of wood, but it is gentle. Probably not mesquite!

      #5
      You could make smoked brown sugar yourself! There are whiskey chips and Jack Daniel's pellets that would make a whiskey smoked brown sugar. Spread the sugar out on a pan, get smoke rolling at a low temp and cook the sugar, stirring occasionally. This produces a super dry brown sugar that's really good to use in rubs -- cuts down on clumping.

      Comment


      • mayapoppa
        mayapoppa commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks for the tip! I am going to have to try smoking some myself... I am just about through this bag, and yes, it is too pricey to keep re-upping. What are you thinking when you say low temps?

      • CandySueQ
        CandySueQ commented
        Editing a comment
        Under 180, for sure. Cold smoking wouldn't be out of line either. You don't want to make a mass of cooked sugar (i.e. brittle)!

      #6
      Curious to hear how the homemade smoked brown sugar goes mayapoppa. I hope you report back!

      Comment


        #7
        FWIW mayapoppa I dry my brown sugar for my Huskee's Rib Rub in the oven, very thin layer spread on paper plate. Dry it at 225 for 20-30 min. My oven seems to cycle 10deg below set temp, then up to set temp so I'm probably baking at at 215-225 in reality. As it cools it hardens and makes crackling noises. Then I roll it with rolling pin in a Ziploc or grind in food processor. I dried it at 250 once and that was not good, I think it started to burn there and had a kind of a caramely cooked taste, so def don't go that high. Never smoked it though, but I'd imagine very similar could be done on a smoker with several plates worth. I've also used regular plates covered in parchment paper, and my baking stone covered in parchment paper. The p.paper helps you break the sugar "cookie" into the food processor or the Ziploc to grind it/roll it up. It sticks something terrible to regular stoneware plates after it cools.
        Last edited by Huskee; September 30, 2015, 09:31 PM.

        Comment


          #8
          If you are lazy (like me!) try www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com They have Bourbon Smoked Salt, Bourbon Smoked Pepper, Bourbon Smoked Suger, all types of spices with a bourbon kick. I dry brine my pulled pork with the Bourbon Smoked Salt and it really works out great!!

          Footnote: Been lurking on this site for a year and the two posts I do make are both connected to Bourbon..........

          Comment


            #9
            Well, this has created an interesting exercise. My cookers are a PBC and a Weber Spirit gasser. And an oven. I can't get the little gasser down below 200, and I can't smoke in my oven. So I am going to have to figure out how to get temps down in the PBC that low. Might just be something to do at the end of a long cook. Which means I'll have to cook something...

            Thanks for all of the input... I will definitely report back. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try this weekend.

            Comment


              #10
              EDIT: I realize this is regarding whiskey smoked brown sugar, but I decided to try the smoked brown sugar method myself, using my usual procedure to dry it, except doing so on my smoker. I got my stickburner to ~225, laid a piece of parchment paper on the grates, and fanned out 1 C of brown sugar to a thin layer on the parchment. I let it "smoke" for 30 min at an average temp of 230. (I dry it in my oven @ 225 for 20-30 min).

              Result? It dried perfectly, but has zero smoke flavor. Doing a side by side w/ regular brown sugar there may be a teeny tiny bit, but you might as well say nada. CandySueQ your method of <180, does that simply increase the exposure time compared to a higher temp, giving more flavor?

              Comment


                #11
                Yes, I think that might be the case. Taking a tip from Dr. Blonder, I wonder what would happen if you spritzed the brown sugar with just a shot of water???

                Could be that your fire is just too efficient in your stickburner. I think I'm going to try it with the Smoke N Sear with limited charcoal and add packets of Jack Daniel's pellets over the course of time. I was wishing I had some Whiskey Smoked Brown Sugar making Bacon Jam last night!

                Comment


                • LangInGibsonia
                  LangInGibsonia commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Or a shot of bourbon?

                #12
                So I had a chance to do little experimenting this weekend... I set up a full load of charcoal on the PBC, and cooked a rack of ribs for dinner (using the afore-mentioned rub, and no sauce... they were soooo good. Holy moly!) I then cracked the lid and stirred the coals to bring the heat up, pulled a rebar, and put on a chicken to eat for the week.This way I could burn through the remaining coals without wasting them. When the chicken was done, I left the lid off for a bit, then threw a handful of mesquite chips in. As this was an experiment, I wanted to try to get the strongest smoke flavor possible, thus the mesquite. I then replaced the rebar, closed the lid, and foiled two of the rebar holes. With the coals nearing exhaustion, and the rebar holes blocked, I was able to get the PBC below 200. I then put an aluminum foil tray of dark brown sugar on the grate, and let it smoke for about 45 minutes. The result? Well... there is a slight smoky flavor, and sort of a campfire smell to the sugar. It definitely had some effect, but I don't know that it is strong enough to make a difference if used in a rub. If this could work, I don't think the PBC is the tool to make it happen. It seems like it would need some significantly smokier environment than the PBC can generate while running that low.

                I might just have to order another bag while I continue to ponder this!

                Comment


                  #13
                  All the talk about Meathead's Meat Dust made me think about making some with some whiskey smoked brown sugar. Friends made some and gave me about a pound, which was so smoky smelling that it ended up in a quart mason jar tightly sealed. I believe they spread the brown sugar out on a sheet pan and smoked it low and slow with Jack Daniel's pellets in an FEC100.

                  Comment


                    #14
                    The commercial method may involve passing the smoke through the sugar (or salt or whatever) as it sits on a screen or maybe in solution, in which case it would have to be dried, of course.

                    Comment


                      #15
                      Well, doggone, CandySueQ , you had me at Whiskey and Smoked. Whiskey Smoked Brown Sugar would sure give a whole new pop to my cinnamon rolls for the family...

                      Let us know when you figure this out. I'm definitely in.

                      Kathryn

                      Comment

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