Onion Smoke?

[Homercidal]

Saw a guy with a smoker catering service this weekend at a local town. I was checking out his fancy homemade smoker and he started showing me his technique.

He opened the side door and I incorrectly guessed he added the wood chips there.

No wood in my meat! he says. He had a bucket with a mixture of chopped onion and some secret liquid that he soaks them in. He tosses a bunch of those onions into the smoker instead of wood.

Anyone else heard of substituting wood with onion?? I didn't no get a taste of that since I was very full from lunch, but he lives just a couple of miles down the road from me and he says he plans on building another smoker soon. He invited my to come check out the build. Sure smelled good though! Some friends had some of his pork and said it was awesome!

 

[Cyclman]

I don't know instead of wood, but whole smoked onions to top a steak sound incredible!

 

[passedpawn]

Hmmm, that's a new one. I'd like to hear more if you get more.

 

[adiochiro3]

Closest I've come is smoked onions for consumption. I core them and pack the inside with butter, garlic powder, and a splash of beer. Really tasty buggers!

Throwing them on the coals seems like a waste of good onions. Don't know that I would bother when I have such good results with woodsmoke...

 

[brewingmeister]

So what's providing the heat for this smoker?

 

[Homercidal]

He was using briquets. I did not want to get into the whole briquet vs chunks, but he seemed to be doing quite good with it. He also had some advice about how to cook it without that nasty charcoal bite.

His onions were just chopped onions in a 5 gallon pail swimming in a liquid of some sort he did not want to reveal. It looked like an oil/vinegar mixture with spices added. Like Italian dressing maybe.

His firebox was a long pan with briquets in it, topped by a steel plate he could remove. He tossed the onions right on top of the plate after making sure they were well coated with his secret sauce.

The smoker was shaped like a fuel oil storage container. It sat in a small trailer base for towing. The top opened up and the fire pan pulled out through the side.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Let me know if you figure out how it works. I am definitely interested.

 

[Homercidal]

I'm assuming the onions just char and smoke. I'm willing to try it. I have a small amount of chips left, and plans to smoke some ribs or a butt next week (I will be busy in Da UP this weekend, eh!)

Maybe I could take some homebrew over to the guy and get him drunk enough to tell me his secret recipe...

 

[satph]

I believe the onions are there for aroma, gets people hungry so they buy from him. Carnival food vendors do that with onions on the griddle even if they don't put them on any menu items.

 

[fantomlord]

I believe the onions are there for aroma, gets people hungry so they buy from him. Carnival food vendors do that with onions on the griddle even if they don't put them on any menu items.

^that. onion skins smell fantastic when you put them on/over your charcoal, but they don't give much flavor to your food.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Maybe I could take some homebrew over to the guy and get him drunk enough to tell me his secret recipe...

I like the way you think!
Regards, GF.

 

[Homercidal]

I believe the onions are there for aroma, gets people hungry so they buy from him. Carnival food vendors do that with onions on the griddle even if they don't put them on any menu items.

That is the first thing that crossed my mind when I walked by, but he claims he doesn't use wood chips. Unless I mistook him.

There didn't seem to be enough onions in that bucket to make much smoke, though.

Still, I would be worth playing around with. Grilled onion do smell good!

 

[kstone803]

Closest I've come is smoked onions for consumption. I core them and pack the inside with butter, garlic powder, and a splash of beer. Really tasty buggers!

Throwing them on the coals seems like a waste of good onions. Don't know that I would bother when I have such good results with woodsmoke...

I know what's going in the smoker next time I pull it out. Just made a chicken yesterday that those would have gone great with.

 

[Bensiff]

Some folks toss onions on the coals for extra flavor.

Here is the technique being used on a backwoods smoker:

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I bet his secret sauce is Colbins and the vaporizing onions are the transport mechanism.

 

[unionrdr]

I've saved onion cuttings, skin & all & soaked them in water for a bit to top the coals with. I think it gives a bit of grilled onion sort of aroma & a bit of flavor if you use enough. Also reminds me of this poor man's barbecue my in-laws showed me that they did in their day. It's a hungarian thing I think. My wife grew up with it. You take a long stick & skewer chunks of onion & bacon on it. Have some bread on your plate & hold the stick over the fire till the onions & bacon start dripping. Drip the stuff on your bread. Repeat till bacon & onions are done. Then it's sammich time!:rockin: