Smoked Garlic Powder or Onion Powder

Smoked onion and garlic can add a taste of the outdoors to your indoor cooking. They are great for rubs, sauces, dips, spreads, oils, compound butters, flavored mayonnaise, and more. The procedure is pretty much the same for onion and garlic.

Makes ¼ cup

Takes 1 to 2 hours smoking time, plus 4 to 8 hours to dry

• 4 whole heads garlic
• or
• 2 large onions

1. Prep. For garlic, break the heads into individual cloves, cut off the roots, and peel them. For onion, cut off the ends, peel, cut into quarters, and break the quarters into slices.

2. Fire up. Set the smoker to 225°F or set up your grill for smoking in a two-zone configuration.

3. Cook. Put the garlic cloves or onion slices on a grill topper (see page 103) or a sheet pan on the indirect-heat side to keep them from committing suicide by jumping into the fire. Keep the smoke rolling for 1 to 2 hours.

4. Remove the garlic cloves or onion slices and let them cool. Cut the pieces in half and place them in a pan in the indoor oven on the lowest setting for 2 to 4 hours, or until dry. If you have a dehydrator, use it.

5. Pulse the dehydrated garlic or onion in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder until no large pieces remain.