Basic and additional smoking methods. Smoking meat at home

Experienced cooks know that the recipe for smoked beef and pork has slight differences. Overall the process is very similar. Any type of meat is first marinated and then placed in a smokehouse.

The smoke temperature is the same - for cold smoking the degree should not be higher than 25, and for hot smoking about 100 degrees.

The time it takes to prepare the product varies. In general, young pork can be cooked faster than beef. In order to smoke cow meat, on average it will take from 3-4 hours to 8-9 hours. But pork can be cooked in 2-3 hours, a maximum of 5. If the product was pre-cooked, then the smoke treatment time should be reduced by about half.

Which smoking method is best for pork and beef? In general, it is acceptable to use both hot and cold. But some people note that beef tastes better if it is treated with chilled smoke.

Preparing meat for smoking

Before you cook a product in a smokehouse, you should prepare it. It is not enough to just buy a fresh piece; you will need to make a brine for it. But first you need to wash the meat and, if necessary, peel the skin. If desired, the skin and excess fat can be trimmed off. The pieces themselves do not have to be divided into several parts. This will only be needed if they are too large. And so, there is no need to make it smaller than the palm of your hand.

Always choose fresh meat

You will need the brine to prepare your beef and pork for the cold or hot smoker. It will help make the product softer, more delicate and spicy. There are different marinade recipes, and each is interesting in its own way. You can also use the standard one.

To do this you need:

Pour water into a saucepan. Add spices to taste, a few slices of lemon, bay leaves, onion rings, a glass of soy sauce and a couple of tablespoons of salt.
Light the fire and wait until the brine boils. After this, you can either turn it off and cool, or throw in pieces of meat to cook.
If you don’t want to cook beef or pork, you should pour cooled brine over it and put it in the refrigerator for several days. Those who decide to cook the product need to boil it for 30-45 minutes and then put it in the refrigerator.
After the product has been pickled, it can be hung in the fresh air for about 5-8 hours, or can be kept for about a day. After this it should be smoked.
You should not greatly reduce the marinating time, since it would be correct to keep the beef or pork longer in the brine. It must have time to absorb all the spices to become aromatic.

Hot smoking of meat

As already mentioned, there are several ways to prepare the delicacy. Hot smoking of meat is the simplest and fastest. To do this, you will need to get a special smokehouse or make it from a metal container with a lid.

Having built a fire, you need to place a smoking container on top of it. Place chips of fruit trees on the bottom and place grates on them. The recipe requires that the pieces of meat on the racks are not right next to each other. This way they will be better prepared. Now you need to close the lid and leave the product to process the smoke.

Leave space around each piece

How long does it take to check the meat? About half an hour later. It will need to be turned on the other side so that it smokes evenly. The action should be repeated approximately once every 30 minutes.

The recipe will take about 2-3 hours for pork and about 5-6 for beef. Hot smoking of meat will go faster if the pieces are pre-boiled. When the dish takes on the desired appearance, the fire will need to be extinguished, and the product itself will need to be hung in the fresh air. In a few hours it will be ready to eat.

The recipe for cold smoking meat is more complex and time-consuming. In this case, the pieces must be treated with chilled smoke. This happens as follows. Cooled smoke enters a special metal compartment, inside of which the carcasses hang on hooks. It can come from a fire or, for example, from a barbecue. The temperature inside the compartment should be maintained up to 25 degrees, but not lower than 20 degrees.

How long does the cold method take? At least two days, and preferably 5-6 days. Beef can even take a week to cook. It will be more convenient to store such a product, since it remains suitable for food longer.

You can prepare a recipe for smoking meat using the cold method only if you have special equipment. Without it, it will not be possible to do everything as it should.

Homemade meat smoking without a smokehouse

Smoking meat can be done not only in a smokehouse, but also using liquid smoke. It is a flavoring agent that gives the dish the desired taste. If you marinate meat in it, it will become almost the same as after processing hot or cold.

Using liquid smoke is easy and accessible to everyone. On average, a bottle costs about 100 rubles, and it lasts several times, or even more. You can cook smoked meats with it if you follow the recipe.

Liquid smoke allows you to do without smoke and fire

Ingredients:

meat – 2-3 kg;
liquid smoke - 6 tbsp. spoon;
Bay leaf;
onion peel;
spices.

You need to pour a liter of water and add liquid smoke, salt and spices. You can also add bay leaves and onion peels. The last ingredient is needed for the smoked meat to acquire its characteristic color. Next, turn on the heat and wait until the liquid boils.

The meat should be thrown into hot water, brought to a boil and reduced heat. Cook for about an hour, maybe a little less. After this, you need to let the product cool and then hang it in a ventilated area or outside.

If desired, you can grate with pepper, garlic and other spices. Can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film or foil. In general, liquid smoke gives a good aroma and taste. By the way, nowadays it is often used to prepare smoked meats, which are then sold in the store. Of course, it cannot be classified as a useful ingredient, but if you do not use it often and in large quantities, then there will be no harm from it. Although, according to experts, it is still better to cook beef and pork in a smokehouse.

How to store smoked meat

Cooking meat in a smokehouse using a recipe is only half the task. It is equally important to know how to store it correctly so that it does not spoil. This question is not relevant only for those who are going to eat the delicacy either immediately or within a week. But the rest should find a place where it will be best stored.

To keep the product fresh and healthy longer, it should be left in a dry and well-ventilated area. The sun's rays should not reach there. It is advisable that the temperature be 5 degrees, maximum 8.

It is better to store smoked meats in a ventilated and cool place.

Some people prefer to cellar the product. However, it is not recommended to store the delicacy in it, since the air is too humid and the temperature is lower than expected during the cold season. All this will contribute to the fact that pork or beef will become moldy earlier than expected.

Of course, if there is no attic or suitable pantry, you can store the product in the refrigerator. It is even permissible to freeze it if you need to extend the shelf life.

As for the shelf life, it can vary greatly. It is influenced by the method of preparation, the type of meat, its original quality, and storage location. On average, a product can remain edible from several weeks to six months. It should be checked from time to time. If a foreign smell or a slippery coating appears, the smoked meat should be thrown away.

In order to prepare hot and cold smoked dishes, different technologies are used. Accordingly, the structure of the smokehouse will be different. If smoking in a smokehouse is supposed to be done outside, then you can install a cold smoked smokehouse. Of course, it will take longer to cook in it, but the shelf life of the product is much longer.

Currently, the industry produces many options for smokehouses: for home and outdoor use, electric, gas and simply wood-burning. You can also set up a camp smokehouse yourself. To properly prepare dishes in each of them, you need to know certain nuances.

Types of smokehouses

Smokehouses are classified according to the method of preparation:

cold smoked;

hot smoked.

Smokehouses are classified according to heating method:

wood-burning These are smokehouses for installation on a personal plot. Wood shavings in the heating chamber are ignited in an open way.
electric. The best option for apartments. Fuel is heated by heating elements (thermal electric heaters)
gas. Also used in apartments. Installed directly on the gas burner of the kitchen stove.

The most popular are outdoor and home hot smoked smokehouses. The process of preparing the product in them is much faster. In addition, due to the special cooking technology at high temperatures, the raw materials almost do not lose moisture, so the finished dish turns out to be quite fatty.

In cold smokehouses, the product is processed with cold smoke at low temperatures, and the moisture gradually leaves it. This dish will last longer, but it will also take several days to prepare.

Therefore, most often, recipes for various smoked delicacies are created for hot smoked smokehouses.

Preparing a hot smoker

In order to properly prepare smoked delicacies, you need to prepare a smokehouse. To do this you should:

assemble the device and check the serviceability of the firebox;
clean the smokehouse from combustion products, baked seasonings and other contaminants;
Heat the device to 200˚, then cool to 100.
pay attention to the choice of wood chips. The type of wood greatly affects the taste and smell of the prepared product. It is best to choose sawdust from fruit trees, willow, linden, walnut or alder. It is strictly not recommended to use softwood fuel for smokehouses.

Factory chips for smoking

Food preparation

Hot smoking process

Smoking time

meat is cooked at a temperature of 100-150 degrees. The estimated time is about 2.5 - 3 hours per kilogram of product.
The lard will also have to be cooked for about two hours at the same temperature. Its readiness can be easily determined by its golden color.
fish up to 25-30 centimeters long are cooked for about an hour. The temperature in the smokehouse should be very low at first, 60-70 degrees, and after half an hour it should be raised to 100.
the chicken, depending on its volume, will be smoked for about 1.5 hours at a temperature of 110 Celsius. Its readiness can be easily checked using a special thermometer. At its thickest part, the cooked bird should reach a temperature of 80 degrees.

Smoked products are easy to make yourself at home. Their cost will be very low, and the process will not take much time and effort. The benefits of smoked products cooked on natural sawdust or coals, without the use of chemical smoking liquids, are undeniable. After all, with this method of cooking meat, fish, poultry or seafood, significantly more useful substances remain in them than when frying. Smoked meats do not provoke the appearance of excess cholesterol in the blood. They retain almost all the vitamins and beneficial properties of protein.

The hot smoking method gives a lot of scope for experimentation. Indeed, in addition to classic dishes of meat or fish, you can smoke hard cheeses, fruits, vegetables and even eggs. A variety of marinades and brines will allow you to prepare new dishes from familiar products, and a variety of special seasonings for smoking will decorate any delicacy.

By following simple rules for operating smokehouses and preparing semi-finished products for smoking, you can easily create real culinary masterpieces at home.

Smoking, the basics of which we will now tell you, allows meat products to be preserved for a very long time. At the same time, any product becomes very piquant in taste and pleasant in smell. You can smoke hams, brisket, sausages, lard, poultry carcasses and any fish. Only large pieces of meat or fish are suitable for smoking - the juiciness of the final product depends on this. If you take meat or lard in small pieces, they will dry out and become tough under the influence of smoke.

The simplest smokehouse involves placing several metal pins in the chimney on which sausage or meat can be hung. When the stove is fired, smoke comes out through the chimney, which smokes the food.

The second way to build a smokehouse is to attach an additional pipe made of boards, lined with metal sheets on the inside, to the main pipe. The size of the attached smokehouse-pipe should be as follows: cross-section - 1 by 1 meter, height - 2 meters. In this case, both pipes, the main one and the attached one, must have one common inner wall. In the main pipe, it is necessary to provide two dampers - upper and lower. In the future, they will need to regulate the flow of smoke into the smokehouse from the main pipe. This method allows you to regulate the amount of smoke entering the chimney in a more standardized manner, which will have a positive effect on the quality of smoking of a particular product.

Another way to set up a smokehouse is to use two metal barrels (the top one without a bottom). The barrels are stacked on top of each other. In the lower part of such a smokehouse, it is necessary to cut a window with an autogen for storing firewood. In the top barrel, at a level of 10 cm from the top, you need to weld several metal crossbars, on which you can then hang meat and fish products. From above, such a smokehouse is covered with a metal sheet with holes through which smoke will escape. If there is no such sheet, then you can use old burlap - it also allows smoke to pass through well.

Taking the structure of a homemade smokehouse from barrels as a basis, it can be built from bricks or even boards. The inside of such a smokehouse must be covered with metal, and a tray, also metal, must be built at the bottom. It is needed so that coals are formed on it during the fire, which are then covered with sawdust.

See also video: Cold smoking of fish and meat. Smokehouse 18+!!!

What kind of firewood and sawdust are needed for smoking?

How to smoke in a smokehouse

To start the smokehouse, thin twigs and larger trimmings are first laid on its bottom, covered with metal. The bottom layer is ignited with matches and when the upper large fractions burn out well, dry sawdust is poured onto them. In order for the smoking to be slow and even, you should not pour a lot of sawdust at once. Only when the first part is almost burnt out can you add the next portion. To prevent smoke from leaving the smokehouse very quickly, its outflow can be regulated by closing the damper or covering the holes in the lid.

Requirements for meat for home smoking

Any products must be well salted before smoking - this can be done dry or wet. Before smoking, it is advisable to remove dry salt from meat or lard using a knife.

Smoking methods and how long to smoke

Processing products with smoke at home can be done either cold or hot. During the first one, and it can last up to several days, the smoldering of the sawdust should be very slow. This will ensure a low smoke temperature, up to only 20 degrees. Hot smoking involves very fast preparation of the product, even in an hour or a little more. The smoke temperature with this method must be kept quite high.

We will tell you everything in order. I would like to note right away that the taste of the products largely depends on where you want to smoke: in the courtyard of a private house or in the kitchen of a multi-story building.

For smoking in an apartment, it is better to buy a factory smokehouse; there are many of these on sale. This way you will protect yourself from fires and excess smoke. But let’s say right away that the taste of smoked meats in such devices is not the best - it’s much more pleasant to smoke chicken or sausage in the open air, using the technology of our grandfathers.

The most delicious smoked meats are those that you prepare yourself, using hot or cold smoking.

Smoking methods are divided into two main groups: cold and hot. Using them, you can smoke fish and meat, but each product has its own nuances and temperature conditions. Depending on which method you choose, some preparation of the products will be required.

You can prepare mouth-watering delicacies in any container - it all depends on your requests and the amount of products produced in a certain time.

Rules for delicious delicacies

To prepare delicious delicacies, it is not enough just to know how to choose a smoking method (cold or hot), you need to delve into the general rules, following which your smoked meats will turn out really tasty.

To make smoking easier and the result to exceed all your expectations, you need to:

About meat and fish

Goldfish

Fish can be smoked either hot or cold. The most common option is smoking with a smoke-air mixture.

It is worth noting that the quality of the finished fish depends not so much on the smoking method, but on maintaining the temperature, time and selected wood. It is best to use fruit sawdust. Coniferous trees are not recommended because they produce a lot of resinous substances. In addition to proper preparation and cooking of fish, it is important to learn how to store and serve it. On our website you can read secrets and much more.

The meat is to die for

At home, you can smoke meat cold or hot, and quite easily. So, the refrigerator or any other one is ready. It remains, but before that, rinse it properly. Once you have decided on the method, you can start smoking. Don’t forget to take into account all the points that we talked about at the beginning of the article, and the meat will turn out delicious, and most importantly, healthy, because it is prepared without the use of liquid smoke and other unnecessary ingredients.

If you want to get first-class smoked meat, smoke it yourself

Let's sum it up

Whatever smoking method you choose, remember that it will be delicious in any case. By choosing a hot method, you will spend less time on smoking, but a cold one will make fish and meat more flavorful, and such delicacies will last longer. So, it all depends on your goals and preferences.
and enjoy the process itself: preparing the smokehouse and products. Then it will certainly turn out delicious!

After the slaughter of domestic animals, every owner is concerned about how to preserve the meat, what to do so that it does not lose its beneficial properties for as long as possible. One of the methods of processing meat, and by far the most effective, is smoking.

Naturally, in any case, the yield of the product and the amount of labor and materials expended largely depend on the design of the smokehouse. We will tell you today where, how and with what you can smoke meat and which smokehouse to choose for this.

Smoking is the processing of salted and weathered meat and fish products with smoke that is formed by the slow burning of firewood or sawdust of certain tree species.

Parts of pork, beef and lamb carcasses are smoked: ribs, shoulders, briskets, loins; sausage, fish, poultry carcasses and more. Smoking has a preservative effect. At the same time, the products acquire a pleasant, unique aroma, delicious taste, golden color, and most importantly - the ability to be stored for a long time.

You should not get too carried away with smoked products, since the smoke used in the smoking process contains carcinogenic substances that contribute to the development of certain diseases. The golden rule is everything is good in moderation!

Not all wood and sawdust are suitable for smoking. Typically, oak, ash, aspen, alder, and beech wood are used for this purpose. The best taste and aroma of meat is obtained by smoking the wood of fruit trees - apricot, cherry, cherry, apple, pear, etc.

Products acquire a beautiful brown color and specific aroma when they are smoked with juniper smoke.

Firewood and sawdust should be moderately dry so that they do not burn quickly and create smoke. Intense burning leads to excessive melting of fat. If the firewood becomes very dry during storage, it must be moistened.

The combustion temperature and the amount of smoke released are regulated by the selection of firewood and sawdust, their humidity and air access. To avoid strong burning, the firewood is sprinkled with wet sawdust.

At home, two smoking methods are used: cold and hot.

Cold smoking- slight heating at a temperature of 18-25 ° C and long-term (2-3 days) processing of products, large parts - up to 7 days.

Cold smoked products are stored for quite a long time, due to the fact that during the smoking process, moisture evaporates from them, the surface dries out, the fat is not melted or lost, but partially penetrates into the product.

Hot smoking- the method is faster (12-28 hours) and is used more often at home. Smoke temperature is 35-50 °C. In this case, relatively little moisture is removed, but the product is well saturated with fat. True, smoked meats are less shelf-stable, but they have an excellent taste, aroma, are soft and juicy.

Preparing for smoking

Products to be smoked must be salted and slightly dried in a draft. Hams, for example, are kept rubbed with a curing mixture for 10-12 days, then they are transferred to a container (preferably a wooden barrel) with marinade.

Compound marinade for smoking: for 1 kg of ham - 130 g of salt, 1 liter of water, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 0.03 g of saltpeter, 0.2-0.3 g of allspice and cloves, bay leaf and other spices - depending on taste. Boil the brine for 3-5 minutes.

Soak the ham in brine for 15-20 days, then remove it, hang it in a dry, cold room, if the weather permits - under a canopy or in the shade in a draft, and let it stand for 3-5 days, after which you can start smoking. The ham must first be wrapped in 2-3 layers of gauze.

If meat products turn out to be too salty, they need to be soaked (5-10 minutes) in clean water at a temperature of 20-30 ° C.

Before smoking the ham, twine is pulled through the tendon slits near the joints, a loop is made and hung in the smokehouse, the loins and briskets are tied with twine lengthwise and crosswise, the bacon is tied crosswise, and additionally in the upper part, piercing holes through which the twine is pulled and made loops.

Sausages for smoking are tied in rings or figures of eight.

The cheeses are tied crosswise 2-3 times, and a loop is made at the top. It is better to smoke all products sewn in gauze.

Smoking process

You can smoke not only in the attic, but also in a cellar located not very close to the house and outbuildings. In this case, a hanger is made under the ceiling of the cellar, and wood with sawdust is lit on the floor on the opposite side from the exit. Combustion, amount of smoke and temperature are regulated by opening the cellar door.

A smokehouse can be made from barrels or tubs without a bottom, placed one on top of the other. A filter is pulled between them - wet burlap, which cleans the smoke from soot. In the lower barrel (tub) a firebox is made, where wood with sawdust is burned on a steel sheet. A hanger with meat products is placed on the top of the second barrel.

Cover the top with burlap, which is used to regulate the amount of smoke. Burning wood in the stove is unacceptable; it must constantly smolder.

For quick smoking of products not intended for long-term storage, the temperature is maintained within 50-60 °C. In this case, the smoking time is reduced to 12-24 hours.

There are several designs of smokehouses. But not all of them are economical; not all of them allow you to obtain consistently high quality smoked products with minimal losses. Let's look at the most practical ones.

In Fig. 1 shows a smokehouse made from an iron box measuring approximately 110x60x60 cm. The box is open at the top and bottom. It has corners welded at a height of 10 cm from the bottom for installing a pallet. Slots are provided between the walls and edges of the pan to allow smoke to pass into the chamber.

At the top of the chamber, pieces of corners are welded onto which rods or suitable tubes are laid, and products are hung on them.

Smokehouse: 1 - brickwork; 2 - metal box or cylinder; 3 - semi-finished meat products; 4 - rod with hooks; 5 - corners; 6 - burlap; 7 - pallet; 8 - grate; 9 - firewood in the firebox

In Fig. 2 - underground type smokehouse, it is easy to install on a personal plot or in a country house. It has a firebox built into the ground and an underground chimney. A metal barrel or box of the required size is installed on the brick or stonework at the end of the chimney.

Underground smokehouse: 1 - firebox; 2 - burning wood; 3 - chimney; 4 - brickwork; 5 - grate; 6 - box; 7 - products suspended for smoking; 8 - metal rods with hooks; 9 - burlap; 10 - firebox door

A mesh is installed at the bottom of the barrel or box, which filters smoke and protects products from falling into the coals if accidentally dropped. The top of the chamber is covered with matting, burlap or a metal sheet.

The box is placed on bricks and covered on top with a metal sheet or burlap (to regulate traction).

Alexander Didichenko