The Smoking Gun – A Kitchen Must + Hickory Smoked Basil Goat Cheese Recipe

The Smoking Gun was designed by PolyScience and is only $99, and comes with everything you need to get started. Harold Import Company sent me one to review as well as Wood Chips package that has Hickory, Mesquite, Apple Wood and Cherry Wood Chips. Each wood will impart a unique flavor on your meat, veggies or cheese.

Using the Smoking Gun is extremely easy. It will come with two small canisters of wood chips to get you started. It also comes with a stand, so you don’t have to hold the smoking gun while embers burn inside it, batteries and an 18 inch hose for special applications. As long as your batteries are good you’re able to smoke whatever you want!

Setting up the Smoking Gun is extremely easy. Once the gun is in the stand, you simply sprinkle the wood chips you want to use in the reservoir and light it on fire with a match or a lighter (not included, but we all have at least one in the house!) Just flip the switch on the back and smoke will start coming out of the nozzle and where ever you direct it.

But you have to be sure to prepare your food as well! The smoking gun should be used where it is pointed in an enclosed space. Basically choose a bowl or a crock pot with a lid, but if it doesn’t have a lid be sure to tightly cover the top with plastic wrap. Why? Because smoke will only go where you direct it! If you don’t have a closed container, your room will be completely filled with smoke in no time at all. Even using plastic wrap isn’t a guarantee that smoke wont escape into your kitchen, so be sure it is well ventilated so you don’t have the smoke detector going off!

Because you’re directed smoke on your food of choice, it doesn’t take very long to get a good smokey flavor. Only about three minutes total! After only a few minutes, turn off your Smoking Gun and let the smoke dissipate. The smoky flavor will be happily married to your food. You can do shorter amounts of smoking for just a hint of smoke, or even longer for a stronger flavor.

After your gun is cool to the touch, dump out your ash (in a safe container) and store it until your next use. It’s never been this easy to smoke your own food, or affordable!  I love the easy of using the Smoking Gun, and that in between uses, it can sit on the shelf and not take up a ton of space like a large smoker would.

If you would like to get even more serious with your smoking, you might like to upgrade the smoke gun to a proper offset smoker. Learn more about them by checking out these offset smoker reviews.

So what did I make with my Smoking Gun? Hickory Smoked Basil Goat Cheese! It’s simple, easy to make and great on salads or even on top of a fresh seared steak. It was also a great start to try out home smoking – and it will lead to many more fun recipes soon.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Soft Goat Cheese
• 1 tsp Dried Basil

Directions: 

1. In a small bowl use a fork to combine your goat cheese and basil.
2. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and insert the tube for the Smoking Gun.
3. Place a pinch the Hickory chips in the vessel and light it with a lighter. Turn on the Smoking Gun and let it run for 3 minutes.
4. Turn it off and let the remaining smoke dissipate.
5. Mix again and serve!

The flavor of the goat cheese a mix of earthy and a little fatty from the Hickory. It has a hint of bacon flavor included which makes it perfect to pair with salads or meat.

As an added bonus, if you do use your Smoking Gun in your kitchen – the house will smell like a fresh camp fire for a little bit! It’s a nice smell this time of year.