Hell, I’d read this column for the headline alone. And I’m the guy that wrote it.

At first glance of my built-in spice cabinet, you might scratch your head at a few of items. Methocel, Isomalt, calcium chloride, Pectinex, Glucomannan, etc. But before you drop a dime on me and call the Waterford PD, Methocel isn’t what you think it is. And I’m not Walter White, even though I have a Breaking Bad sticker on my freezer.

Over the years, I’ve picked up quite a few food additives/preservatives/emulsifiers and whatnot in the pursuit of better food and molecular gastronomy. The latest addition is Isomalt, a powdered sugar alcohol that is included in a new ChefSteps.com recipe for BBQ Bark Builder. Being a huge fan of BBQ brisket burnt ends, I had Isomalt on order before I was even finished reading the recipe. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s take a look at some of the other “questionable substances” in my cabinet.

MSG

Monosodium glutamate, the savior and scapegoat of Chinese takeout, provides a savory umami taste that brings all the flavors forward onto your palate. That’s pronounced “Ooo-mommy,” which might be the best Japanese translation of what it actually does to the flavor of food. Ooooh, Mommy! Accent brand flavor enhancer was introduced to the U.S. market in the 1960s and it’s pure MSG. Wanna make takeout-quality pork fried rice or wake up pale, out-of-season tomatoes? A tiny sprinkle of MSG is your best friend.

Citric acid

Originally derived from actual citrus fruits, this powder has a wide variety of uses in my kitchen. I use it in homemade hickory syrup to help prevent crystallization as well as in jams to provide a slight tang to cooked fruit and help gel the pectin. Can be used to add a sour note to any dish without making it taste lemony.

Thickeners & emulsifers

Remember the early Breyer’s ice cream commercials? The ones where the Garrison Keillor-type narrator is intoning the unnatural ingredients in their competitor’s ice cream? GUAR GUM! CARRAGEENAN! As a kid, I didn’t really care, but I did make a mental note that these ingredients were bad. As an adult, I know that both of these ingredients are derived from plants and are vital in keeping commercial ice cream less icy and more creamy. Depending on what ice cream I’m making, I keep xanthan gum, three types of carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, Methocel (methyl cellulose), agar agar and good ole powdered gelatin at the ready.

As an aside, in the decades since they put the fear of GUAR into me, Breyer’s was devoured by the multi-tentacled conglomerate, Unilever, and those “unnatural” ingredients are now used in their ice cream. And their half gallons aren’t even a half gallon anymore. So there.

Isomalt

Isomalt is new to me, but you’ve probably seen it on “Cake Boss” and “Great British Baking Show.” It’s the sugar (derived from beets) that they use to make domes, decorations and spun sugar centerpieces. Its superpowers are: it’s half as sweet as regular cane sugar and it resists crystallization. Which means you can melt it, mold it, and it will hold the shape without reverting back to crystals when it cools. Awesome. Which makes it a perfect ingredient for a powdered coating to build up a crusty bark on a oven brisket. Here’s how:

Bark Builder (from ChefSteps.com)

100g Isomalt

50g Nonfat dry milk powder

20g Baking soda

10g Citric acid

Combine isomalt, milk powder, baking soda, and citric acid in a spice grinder, and grind into a fine powder, about 15 seconds. Transfer to an airtight container.

Bark Builder is now ready to use, or can be stored in a cool dry place until the expiration date on the milk powder.

Oven BBQ Brisket

3 1/2 lb brisket point, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 thick

1/4 cup molasses or mustard

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ dry spice rub

Bark Builder (you’ll probably use 3 to 4 Tbsp)

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack on the second to lowest height. Line a 9x13 casserole/cake pan with parchment and place a roasting rack into the pan.

Brush all surfaces of the brisket evenly with the molasses or mustard. Then season all sides of the brisket with an even layer of dry spice rub.

Use a small strainer (I used a spoon type wire tea strainer) to apply an even coating of Bark Builder to surfaces that have been seasoned with rub.

Place brisket into into the pan centered on the roasting rack, fat cap side up, and put a half cup of water into the bottom of the pan.

Carefully wrap pan with foil, making sure to create a domed top so the foil doesn’t touch the brisket. (Bark Builder has an acid/alkaline reaction between the citric acid and the baking soda that can make holes in the foil and let moisture escape.) I skipped the foil and placed a second inverted pan over the top of the brisket.

Transfer pan to oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lower oven to 275 °F to cook until brisket is tender and jiggles when you shake the pan, about 5 hours.

Remove pan from oven and carefully remove foil; discard. Using tongs, carefully remove wire rack with beef. Drain off and discard liquid in bottom of pan. Return to oven, and cook until brisket looks dry and matte in color, about 30 minutes.

Transfer brisket to cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, slice brisket against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices (or in my case, 1/2 inch chunks to recreate the Chester’s BBQ Burnt End sandwich I seem to order every time I walk in their door).

Note: I have tested this same recipe with a couple of well marbled chuck roasts and the bark was identical. I used those for sandwiches, a barked-up chunky chili and a blazing wok of fried rice. And yes, I used MSG in the rice. Now, on to a pork shoulder to see if I can make a pig bark.

Rich Swanson is a local cook who has had numerous wins in nationally sponsored recipe contests. He is also the layout specialist here at The Day.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Rich Swanson can be reached at TheSurlyTable@gmail.com