High on my list of coveted cooking equipment is a smoker, preferably a free-standing one that I can install in the back garden (when I acquire a garden) of my house (when I acquire a house). I have smoked foods in a wok, but that works only for things that can be smoked quickly, not for meats that need a long time over a very low fire. So, when I make my own "smoked" bacon, I cheat, and use liquid smoke. Wright's Hickory Liquid Smoke (HK$22 from City'super, Times Square, Causeway Bay, tel: 2506 2888) was recommended by a chef friend, who says it's the only brand he knows of that captures and condenses real smoke, so it doesn't taste artificial. A little goes a long way - use just a few drops and mix them into a salt and sugar mixture that's then rubbed over the pork belly.
