Most home cooks want a smoky flavor, but most don’t have a dedicated smoker to get it. That gap has pushed plenty of capable cooks to settle for whatever comes off a gas grill or a charcoal setup, assuming real smoke depth requires equipment they don’t own; it doesn’t. With the right techniques, a standard grill, a stovetop and even a finishing salt can all deliver genuine smoke flavor without a pellet rig or a purpose-built smoker in sight.

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