The Best Way To Give Your Pulled Pork Smoky Flavor Without A Smoker

A smoky pulled pork sandwich filled with tender, savory meat is hard to beat, especially during tailgate season. But let's face it — not all of us are lucky enough to have a smoker ready to fire up and slowly cook that meat to succulent perfection. So how can we add the flavor of smoke if we're not barbecue pros? Chris Stark, director of culinary operations at Hill Country Barbecue Market, tells Tasting Table that there a few ways to do this, and it's not using the first thing that comes to mind.

"To begin, 'liquid smoke' is not, and will never be, the answer," says Stark, who is participating in City Harvest's signature fall fundraising event, BID 2024: CHTV! on October 29. Instead, he recommends using a specially designed smoker that works on the grill or stovetop. "There are several stovetop, oven, and home grill adaptors that allow the home cook to produce home-smoked pork," Stark says. 

While it is easy to make a pulled pork recipe in the slow cooker, it will not have the richness of flavor that it could achieve by adding a little wood smoke. "A slow cooker may be able to get the desired texture, but devoid of smoke," says Stark. Instead, he recommends shopping for a tool or appliance that can add real smoke flavor and can be used indoors on a stovetop or outdoors even on a very small grill. Aside from perfect pulled pork, you can also smoke meat like a classic brisket, chicken, fish (try this smoked salmon recipe), vegetables, or anything else your heart desires — even salt.

From a simple stainless steel Camerons tray that doubles as a steamer, poacher, or roasting pan to a fancier Zwilling smoker that can even work on an induction stove, there are many products out there that will give you better results than a jar of liquid smoke, and you can choose a variety of wood chips (like this Camerons multi-pack) to achieve the flavor you seek. Most of these portable smokers can be used on any heat source (gas, electric, barbecue grill or even on the campfire) and once you try them once, you will use them so often that they will be worth the investment.