Smoke Signals: Gifts for the indoor smoker

Looking for a last-minute gift for the barbecue nut in your life? You’re in luck. Here's the final installment in the three-part Smoke Signals Holiday Gift Guide.

The first installment recommended three of the year’s best barbecue books. The second suggested presents for classic outdoor smoking and grilling. This one is aimed at the apartment-dwelling guy or gal who loves the flavor of grilled and smoked foods but doesn’t have a back yard. We offer three ideas to get any kitchen smokin’ -- and we'll even throw in a bonus fourth idea for barbecue locavores.

It’s late, yep, but not too late to get something to light the hardwood coals of that special someone. Some items you may find at brick-and-mortar stores. Others, you’ll need to order online.

The Smoking Gun. It works like this: You light flavored wood chips (cherry, apple, mesquite, whatever) in a recession in the cooking chamber, which propels smoke through a tube directly onto meats, fruits and vegetables. The idea is cool, and New York’s Wylie Dufresne is reported to use it in his WD-50 kitchen. $99.95, plus $24.95 for a set of four jars of wood chips (applewood, hickory, mesquite, cherry); available at Williams-Sonoma.

Smoke Signals will return to the blog on Jan. 4.

Grilling Papers. No grill? No problem. Wrap your fish or meat in these thin lengths of natural alder, pecan, hickory, mesquite, cherry, maple and white oak. Cook on the grill – oh, right, you don’t have a grill – or in the oven. Food takes on the subtle flavor of the hardwood. Around
$17 for a set of 10 papers; available at Barbecue Wood.

Stovetop Smoker. Basically, this contraption is a baking dish that smokes. You sprinkle wood chips in the bottom of the rectangular smoker, place a drip tray over the chips, then add your chicken or salmon on a wire rack atop the drip tray. Slide on the lid. Cook on top of your gas or electric stove. Voila! Indoor smoking. $54.95; available at Camerons Cookware.

Local sauces and rubs. A gift basket of condiments from area 'cuemeisters is welcome by indoor and outdoor ‘cue hounds alike. Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. sells three sauces: original (tangy), citrus (lemon-orange), each $4.99; and global warming (tamarind-chipotle), $6.99. Pork Barrel BBQ offers two sauces: original (smoky, zippy) and sweet, each $5.49; plus a spicy ancho chipotle-imbued rub, $5.99.