For Out Of This World Barbecue, Start Smoking Your Sugar

In the decades since the 1950s invention of the modern grill, the art of great barbecue has birthed many diverse regional styles and philosophies: Carolina, the oldest of the styles in which pork — often slow-roasted — is featured prominently, Kansas City barbecue, which features all kinds of meats and what's known today as the classic barbecue sauce, Memphis style barbecue, acclaimed for its savory spice rubs, and of course, Texas barbecue, which is centered around beef brisket. But there's one thing grill-masters from each of the diverse styles can agree on: Really good barbecue comes down to great flavor.

But what if we told you smoked sugar was the key to elevating the flavor of your barbecued meat? That's right, whether you have an actual smoker, you're using a backyard charcoal grill, or you DIY your own, smoking your sugar will add a delectably rich, smoky flavor to your meat rub for an elevated essence that will totally change the game.

If you have a smoker, smoking your sugar is fairly easy. Simply spread a layer of sugar on a baking pan and place the pan into your smoker for 30 minutes to an hour, and you'll have created delicious sweetness with a subtle smoky flavor. Don't have a smoker? You can create your own with a cardboard box — just set a pan of smoldering wood chips on a rack, then place it inside the box next to the pan with the sugar and close it for 30 minutes to an hour. Alternatively, you can capture that striking smoky essence through cold smoking your sugar, a process using colder temperatures (no higher than about 80 F so that your sugar does not melt.  While cold-smoking meats and cheeses comes with safety considerations due to potential bacteria growth, sugar is the perfect candidate for this variation on the process. 

The key to cold smoking is controlling heat exposure. To use your charcoal grill, you'll want to smoke your sugar covered, between two pans filled with ice, to keep the heat from getting too high. Smoke for two to three hours, depending on how strong of a flavor you want, and stir occasionally, so your sugar becomes evenly smoked. Once you've finished, then comes the fun part: using it to make a delicious dry rub for your barbecue meat. Add your smoked sugar to your paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and other ingredients, and you're in business. 

You can use smoked sugar to elevate an array of delectables, from cocktails to cookies. If you're looking for a fun, bold riff on a bourbon cocktail, add 1/4 cup of water to 1/4 cup of your sugar and simmer until the sugar dissolves to make a smoky simple syrup to sweeten your drink — the vanilla, oak, and caramel flavors of the bourbon will pair beautifully with the smokiness of your sugar. And don't forget to add some of that smoked sugar along the rim for an elevated presentation. For a unique take on a batch of ginger snaps, go ahead and substitute the brown sugar in the recipe for your smoked brown sugar, and watch your taste buds rejoice at the unexpected woody notes. You can also roll your dough balls in more of the sugar before baking for an additional flavor boost. 

But if you're looking for more ways to take that family barbecue to the next level, go ahead and substitute smoked sugar for the sugar in your barbecue glaze or barbecue sauce, and add an extra element of that smoky essence. You can smoke any type of sugar (even raw sugar), so be creative. Once you start using smoked sugar in the place of regular, you might never look back.