As a notorious hypo-taster and chili head, I’m always on the lookout for ways to add intense flavor to everything I cook. Nothing beats bacon, smoked ham, or other smoky pig-parts for adding flavor to soups, chilies, stews, fritatas, etc. But since moderation has never been one of my strong points in food (paraphrasing Aristotle…”Everything in moderation….even moderation”), I tend to overdo the “bacon-thing” as my wife calls it. Not exactly good for the health either.

A terrific alternative to actually using fatty pork parts is the use of pure, natural, liquid smoke. Zero calories and fat, no nitrates, no salt…but all the flavor of bacon, and then some. I started out just sprinkling a few drops in my soup and stew base (I don’t know how they make money on this stuff, it lasts for years!), but then graduated to making smoky salt and pepper rubs, homemade BBQ sauce, and even adding some to Chinese stir-fries. There is no limit to what you can do with this stuff.

Colgin has a nice little primer about how this stuff is made and you can even order on-line. Most regular grocery stores carry the stuff too.