So this year, we won’t be getting dressed up and spending Valentine’s Day wining and dining at our favourite restaurant. Whether you’re into grand romantic gestures or tend to mark the occasion more casually, it’s time to think about how to celebrate from home.
Why not use your smoker to bring this dinner above and beyond the ordinary? You’d be surprised by the variety of refined courses you can prepare!
From succulent meats to smoked shellfish, from unexpected appetizers to mouthwatering desserts, the options are indeed endless!
A Word on Smokers
Any of the following delicious ideas can be prepared using an offset pellet grill (such as any of the Traeger Pro Series models) or a Kamado grill like the incomparable Big Green Egg. You can also use a vertical propane smoker and achieve much the same effect.
If you’re working with an electric smoker, on the other hand, beware! The lack of real combustion makes for a noticeable difference in flavour.
The low-and-slow smoking style also makes it difficult to get a crisp finish on meats. However, an electric smoker’s moist environment is ideal for handling foods you’d want to give a more delicate smoking, such as fish, sausages, vegetables, and cheese.
The takeaway: electric smokers are great at what they do and provide a low-maintenance, low-mess cooking experience, but don’t expect to use it on meats and get crispy chicken skin, crusted ribs, or grill-lined steak.
Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes to Cook on Your Smoker
Make it Fun and Interactive—Homemade Pizza on The Big Green Egg
Cooking something different together can be a great date in itself! Homemade pizza is always a fun option, especially if you want to involve the whole family. While relatively easy to do, making pizza from scratch shows that special care has been taken.
It also allows you to get creative with toppings, so you can keep it classic or go as funky as you’d like.
Here are some recipe ideas to inspire your from-scratch creations (feel free to pretend you invented them!)
Mrs. Buddha’s Mushroom Onion & Pesto Pizza
Stephen Schmitt’s Pizza on The Egg
Roasted Garlic & Clam Pizza
Sourdough Pizza
Useful Pizza Grilling Accessories:
The Big Green Egg pizza baking stone
The Big Green Egg deep-dish stone
Promising Beginnings—Starter Recipes from Traeger Grills & The Big Green Egg
Sometimes all it takes to make an at-home meal memorable is to break it up into courses like they do at restaurants. Having an appetizer course, however modest, is precisely the sort of extra effort that adds pomp and circumstance to a home-cooked dinner.
Smoked Bruschetta
Smoked Mushroom Salad
Smoked Olives
Guacamole!
Surf – Seafood on the Smoker Grill
We’d be hard-pressed to find a “Valentine’s Day Specials” menu that didn’t have seafood on it. If your Valentine is a fan of fish and seafood, wow them with the enhanced flavour from your Big Green Egg or Traeger Grill.
Smoke-Roasted Florida Oysters and Clams
Grilled Lobster Tail with Smoked Caper Cream
Smoked Crab Legs
Vodka-Brined Smoked Wild Salmon
Steamed Mussels
Useful Fish Grilling Accessories:
A grill basket
A shellfish rack (ideal for smoked oysters!)
Turf—Mouthwatering Meats On your Traeger Grill or The Big Green Egg
It’s not for nothing that fillet mignon and osso buco are Valentine’s Day menu staples. A beautifully cooked cut of meat is a treat to make any occasion memorable.
If you’re a meat-lover (or trying to impress one!), your biggest menu hardship will be the burden of choice. There are just SO MANY excellent options to explore. Here’s a quick list of some slightly-elevated recipes to make the meal feel extra special:
Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Smoked Spanish Chicken
Lamb Leg con Salsa Verde
Smoked Duck Legs
Porterhouse Steak with Creamed Greens
Useful Meat Grilling Accessories:
The Chicken Throne
The Instant-Read Thermometer
Herbivores—Vegetarian Mains on The Big Green Egg or a Traeger Smoker
Smokers aren’t just for meats! In addition to making a vast array of vegetarian appetizers and sides, your smoker can also boast some delicious and satisfying meatless main-events.
Smoked Tomato & Basil Sauce With Homemade Pasta
Justin Cogley’s BBQ Celery Root
Smokey Triple Mac N’ Cheese
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
How sweet it is—Smokey Desserts Courtesy of Traeger Grills & The Big Green Egg
Just as including an appetizer course signals a departure from the everyday dinner, indulging in dessert is sure to make the whole meal more memorable.
You may not associate your smoker with sweets. Still, many dessert recipes will allow you to tie the whole dinner together with those smoky flavour notes.
Smoked Apples
Molten Chocolate Cake
Chili Hot Chocolate
Smoked Banana Pudding
Cherry-Bourbon Ice Cream
A Boozy Side-Note—Smoked Cocktails!
Does a smoked plum and thyme fizz sound good to you? A grilled grapefruit cocktail? Or maybe a smoked Bloody Mary with grilled garnishes? Thirsty yet?
These are just a few among the many cocktails you can prepare with the help of your smoker! For a tall and variegated list of amazing smoky-cocktail recipes, click HERE.
Whether you’re preparing a romantic meal for two or a feast for your family, we hope that you and your loved ones enjoy your smoked spread! We know we will!
Thank you to our friends at Traeger Grill and Big Green Egg for supplying us with these mouthwatering recipes.
Your Fireplace, BBQ & Patio Experts Since 1952
The Fireplace Center and Patio Shop is your one-stop-shop for all your indoor and outdoor essentials. With one of Canada’s largest showrooms, we have over 200 fireplaces on display. With extensive knowledge in BBQs, heating and cooling, and patio furniture, you can trust our team to provide expert advice, quality assembly and installation.
