The Secret Ingredient (Liquid Smoke): Smoky Bison Sandwiches
Note: Throughout October, Kerry's secret ingredient is liquid smoke.
[Photographs: Kerry Saretsky]
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of liquid smoke is how it's made. It may seem like some magic potion corked inside a bottle, since how could smoke ever become a liquid? But in fact, the process is so sensible and straightforward that I am not surprised by how inexpensive the product is, but rather by how obscure it remains.
Liquid smoke starts with wood. The two most popular varieties are mesquite and hickory, but apple and pecan woods are also used. The wood is heated to a slow smolder until smoke begins to waft from the hot wood. The smoke, and its flavor, is trapped in tiny particles of water vapor. Once cooled, the water vapor condenses back into liquid form, still containing all the flavor. Liquid smoke is then aged, and finally filtered before being bottled.
I have been raving extensively about the benefits of bison meat, and in this recipe, I marinate the bison in liquid smoke, then crust it in spicy black pepper. Then, I simply roast the steak, slice it, and place it in a French roll with horseradish crème fraîche and baby arugula.
The result is, as with last week's experiment, fascinating. The peppery spice comes through from the black peppercorns and the arugula leaves, while a cold heat comes from the horseradish crème fraîche.
But in that background of the meat is this sweet, subtle smokiness, and yet the meat has the tenderness of just being roasted high and fast in the oven, not crusted on a grill. The whole sandwich takes on a delicacy and complexity that I know you'll admire, and will have those you feed demanding, "what's in there?"
Smoky Bison Sandwich
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
1 1/2-pound buffalo/bison top loin steak 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke Salt 1 tablespoon chunky-ground black peppercorns Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons crème fraîche 1 teaspoon prepared white horseradish 2 French rolls, sliced in half horizontally 1 handful baby arugula leavesProcedure
1. Place the bison steak in a baggie with the liquid smoke, and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the boiler.
3. Season the bison steak with salt, and then crust it with the smashed peppercorns. Drizzle with vegetable oil, and place on a small baking tray.
4. Broil the bison 5 to 6 minutes per side, right up under the boiler. Allow to rest 10 minutes, then slice about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
5. While the bison is broiling, whisk together the crème fraîche and the horseradish.
6. To assemble the sandwiches, slather both sides of the rolls with the horseradish crème fraîche. Arrange the sliced bison on the bottom of the roll, and top with a smattering of baby arugula leaves. Crown with the top of the roll.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way. She also writes the French in a Flash series for Serious Eats.
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4 Comments:
Liquid smoke is one of the most revolting substances known to man, and anathema to any real cook.
jozersky at 1:09PM on 10/16/09
Liquid smoke used incorrectly is disgusting, used correctly it can be quite good. Most of your commercially prepared processed meats use liquid smoke as either an internal application to the meat, or through a variety of different topical applications. This is due to environmental laws around the US making it illegal or extremely expensive to naturally smoke meats.
For this recipe, I would cut the liquid smoke with water and shorten the marination time. Also, as liquid smoke is quite acidic, you can cut the acidity with a little baking soda to make it a little less harsh. Run it through a coffee filter to remove any tars that have formed in the smoke due to storage, this is where much of the bitterness comes from.
Meat guy at 1:49PM on 10/16/09
As I commented on another one of your liquid smoke articles, I think the stuff is great and have been using it (SPARINGLY) for years. Most recently I've used it in faux barbecue (that's the noun "barbecue," sometimes called "pulled pork" by Yankees). I've also made many holiday gift salamis in my oven that had been smoked with liquid smoked mixed in the meat. Few people can tell the difference.
I wonder whether meat, such as sausage, made with liquid-smoke would have more or fewer carcinogens in it that the same product that was naturally smoked?
Lorenzo at 2:59PM on 10/16/09
Liquid smoke needs to be used (very) sparingly in order to be effective. Otherwise, too much will absolutely ruin a dish.
I'll just wet my finger with it and rub lightly on a steak or burger I'm cooking indoors.
I like making a hickory sauce for burgers using, mayo, ketchup, sweet relish and a small amount of liquid hickory smoke to to complete the sauce.
My brand of choice: "Figaro" Hickory liquid smoke.
Twinwillow at 12:45AM on 10/17/09