What do you put in your wood box?

I've never tried this approach. Mesquite to me adds a spicy kick, but not hot so much as peppery.

What will work is an injection of your favorite hot sauce. I actually made buffalo chicken legs with an injection of Texas Pete, celery seed, and vinegar. Blend it up and pump away. All thats missing is blue cheese.

For butts, I think vinegar blended with chipoltes or just red pepper would add a good bit of kick.

Not having tried it, just thinking, makes he start thinking about Pepper Spray.

If you smoke, and if the capsian gets airborne and you breath it in...

I'm just not sure, since the heat is inside the pepper (on the veins and seeds) how much you'll add to the flavor.

And I know lots of people go with the rosemary/garlic for PR, but I've not had much success of that. Maybe it's my nose or tastebuds.

There are SOME many ways to get heat, I think trying to smoke/heat would just get lost in all the other flavors.

So, to your question. I only put wood in my woodbox, but we have some VERY adventuresome people in the forum, so maybe someone will have some thougts.

Like Smokin' says,there are some creative/inventive folks out there.

Personally,I go with what the old cooks try to teach me.

You've heard Todd say-"put some salt and pepper on it and cook it"

That tends to be the advice from experienced cooks.

Sometimes,we keep looking at things that might make 1%-2% of the cook,before we learn the cooker and how to cook the meat.

Like Smokin' says,and most of us that cook with any product containing capsaicin can attest,the first thing that happens is the cook is unable to breathe.

Drop a habenero down your garbage disposal,or sprinkle some Tabasco sauce directly on your hot skillet.

Bring your shrimp water to a boil,with a handful of cayenne in it.

Take a deep breath,as you add the shrimp.

Smokin' and I had an old friend named Kevin Taylor[Stogie],that cooked and made many things.

He decided to dry habs,on the many racks of his house convection oven.

He left the door cracked open to help the drying,and stretched out on the couch to watch the ballgame.

We almost lost him,when his lungs seized up.

Just a thought.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom:

Like Smokin' says,and most of us that cook with any product containing capsaicin can attest,the first thing that happens is the cook is unable to breathe.

I was looking forward to making Chipotles for my next adventure. Sounds like this may be a concern. I read on another post about smoking as many as 10lb at a time? I guess common sense says to do this outside with plenty of ventilation and don't stick your nose over the smoke hole. Or do the oils stay with the pepper?

I'm also still curious about my second question. Putting rosemary in the smoke box infused the flavor in my prime rib (although rosemary in the rub may have done the same thing?) Wondering if anybody has tried something else.

The recipe, that Stuart uses for his standing rib,is low temp,and pretty short cook time.

Fresh herbs virtually disappear, in long cooks,i.e.,pork shoulder.

Yep,chipotles are almost a sun/time dried process.

Do a FIND and we have years of threads.

Dave DeWitt,our friend from Fiery Foods is probably the best resource around.

Fiery Foods Magazine

Small foods will allow marinades,larger will require brines/injections.