Methods for smoking meat in a smokehouse. Smoked meat at home without a smokehouse is real! Cold smoked beef recipes

We present to your attention an overview of the secrets and tricks that will improve the taste of ➤ hot smoked dishes.

What is smoking?

Smoking is called a method heat treatment products in combination with fumigation with smoke from smoldering wood chips (as a rule, chips of fruit trees or alder are used). Besides cooking and improving the appearance and taste product, smoking allows to increase the shelf life due to dehydration and bactericidal effect.

At the same time, smoking, unlike other popular methods of thermal processing of food, allows you to save up to 90% of useful compounds and vitamins (the most effective method in this regard is the method of cold smoking, however, hot smoking will also save incomparably more nutrients in the product, compared to cooking or roasting).

Types of smoking

Depending on the processing temperature of the product in the smoking chamber, there are 3 types of smoking:

• Cold
• Hot
• Smoke baking

Due to its simplicity and affordability, hot smoked cooking is the most popular.

Cold smoking

It means cooking meat products at a temperature of 18-20 degrees Celsius for several days (the cooking time can be up to two weeks). Requires the construction of a large smoking chamber in which the whole carcass of the animal can fit. At the same time, smoldering of wood chips should be maintained throughout the entire cooking time. The place of smoldering chips is connected to the smoking chamber with a chimney. When passing through it, the smoke from the chips cools down to the required temperature, as a result of which the product is cooked exclusively due to fumigation with smoke (i.e. without heat treatment). As a result, the meat slowly loses moisture and becomes saturated with components of wood smoke, due to which in finished form can be stored for up to several months.

Hot smoking

The product is processed with hot smoke for a short time. Typically, products are smoked in a hot-smoked smokehouse for 1-3 hours (cooking time depends on the type of product and the characteristics of the smokehouse). The smoke temperature in the smokehouse is 60-80 degrees Celsius if products are used after partial cooking, or 80-100 degrees if raw products are used.

Hot smoking is used for cooking fish, pork (brisket, shank, shoulder blades, etc.), sausages, cheese, vegetables, fish and seafood.

Food prepared in this way does not have time to lose moisture and deeply soak in smoke, as in the case of cold smoking cooking, so the smoked meats are tender and juicy. However, food prepared in this way cannot be stored for a long time.

The optimal device for hot smoking of meat and other products is a factory smokehouse. A wide range of smokers of various shapes and sizes is available on the market. Models, the lid of which is equipped with a water seal system, can be used not only in the garden or outdoors, but also directly in the apartment, removing excess smoke from the smoking chamber through a complete hose to a window or hood.

In the absence of a factory smokehouse, you can independently make a device for hot smoking from an old barrel, large saucepan or metal bucket.

Smoke baking

A kind of hot smoking. It differs from classic smoking by a higher cooking temperature in the smoking chamber: 70-120 degrees Celsius instead of 50-70 degrees. At the same time, the product undergoes deep thermal processing than with classic hot smoking. The result is a smoked-baked dish that can be served as a stand-alone snack or used as an ingredient for cooking meat salads and soups.

Hot smoking secrets

• If you plan to store smoked meats for a long time after cooking, if possible, cut the meat into small pieces before placing it in the smoking chamber. When preparing food for long-term storage, use boneless meat.
• To avoid contamination and the ingress of soot on the surface of meat or sausages in a hot smoked smokehouse, you can wrap the food in canvas, burlap and thick paper (in the old days, straw or hay was used for this purpose). The breathable shell provides an even copper-red color to the finished delicacies.
• When smoking large pieces meat (shanks, hams, pork legs, shoulder blades, etc.), if possible, the product is suspended closer to the smoldering chips. Moreover, more small pieces can be placed higher, and at the very top can be placed small sausages. In this way, you can cook several pieces of meat of different sizes (and even different types of food) at the same time.
• In order to give smoked meats a spicy aroma in wood chips, you can add juniper fruits, a little pine needles, as well as bay leaves, calamus root, coffee beans, dried plums, cloves, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, thyme, sage. You can add other spices as needed. You can also add dill seeds, cumin, or coriander to smoldering wood chips. Juniper branches and berries give a special piquancy to meat products (during smoldering, volatile compounds are released from them, coloring the meat into a beautiful Brown color and giving it a characteristic aroma).
• So that the firewood under the smokehouse (or in the grill on which the smokehouse is installed) does not flare up too much, they can be covered with sawdust. The smokehouse can be kept on an intense flame until wood chips begin to smolder. Then it is recommended to reduce the fire.
• The cooking time of meat in a hot-smoked smokehouse differs depending on the part of the carcass used, the size of the pieces and the characteristics of the smokehouse itself (wall thickness, the presence of a water seal system, the height of the grill for laying products). The readiness of the product can be checked by color. The meat and lard should turn golden brown or golden reddish; when checking the readiness of the poultry, an incision can be made - clear juice will begin to ooze from the finished meat; the finished product acquires the characteristic smell and taste of a smoked delicacy.
• After smoking, the products are recommended to be hung to dry in a cool and well-ventilated area.

The benefits of self-smoking

• The cheapness of food preparation. Smoked delicacies homemade cost several times cheaper than purchased ones.
• Ease of cooking. Hot-smoked food preparation does not require special skills and experience.
• The ability to cook in any convenient place. There are mobile smokehouses on the market that allow you to cook mouth-watering delicacies not only in an apartment or on a personal plot, but also in any suitable place: fishing, on a hike, during a picnic in nature, etc. Modern smokehouses can be cleaned and folded compactly for storage if needed.
• Natural taste and no harmful additives. Unlike purchased smoked meats, products prepared in a home smoker are guaranteed to have a pristine taste and aroma. At the same time, they retain useful material... Most purchased smoked meats are surrogates prepared by soaking in food additive"Liquid smoke", which only imitates appearance and taste smoked products... In addition, this supplement contains carcinogens that, in large quantities, can lead to the development of serious diseases.

Choosing wood chips for smoking

Chips for smoking largely determine the appearance, taste and aroma of the finished delicacy. Chips from the following tree species are used for smoking: apple, pear, apricot, plum, sweet cherry, cherry. You can also use oak, beech and walnut chips. The most versatile and affordable is considered to be alder chips, which are suitable for cooking most of the products used for hot smoking.

A mixture of chips from different trees is allowed.

You can purchase wood chips for smoking from specialized kebab and barbecue stores. However, in the absence of it, you can make chips yourself. To do this, you need to take a part of the trunk or branch of a suitable species of wood and free it from the bark. Then, using an ax or a mechanical chopper, make required amount chips. If the wood is too dry, it can be slightly wetted before use: this promotes intense smoke production. The optimum size of a single chip particle is 2 × 2 cm.

If you have a smokehouse, join us right away because we are preparing something incredible. If you do not have it, then urgently buy it or make it yourself! This is exactly the thing that must be in every home. The smoked meat that we cook today is incredibly tender, insanely aromatic and so delicious that it just melts in your mouth!

How to choose meat and prepare it for smoking

You can take absolutely any product as meat for smoking. The main thing is that you can place it in the smokehouse. This can be beef, chicken, pork, duck, rabbit, etc.

For chicken, a marinade based on water with the addition of salt, sugar, lemon juice, garlic and your favorite spices. Can use coriander, basil, laurel leaves and ground black pepper.

With kefir marinade, it also turns out delicious if you cook everything correctly. In addition to kefir, you will need oil, honey, spices, onions and mint.

Pork will be unforgettable with lemon juice marinade. You can add salt, garlic, honey, oil and spices in the form of rosemary, paprika, basil and coriander to it.

Wine-based can also be prepared delicious marinade for any kind of meat. In addition to alcohol, you will need mustard, basil, salt, oil and ground black pepper.

Beef marinated from apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, a mixture of peppers, paprika, garlic, salt and sugar.

A hot sauce that works with any meat is water, salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and your favorite spices.

From mineral water you can also get tasty and very tender meat. Add citric acid, onions, salt, garlic, paprika and you will be delighted!

Another simple marinade that goes well with any meat is prepared with water. The composition includes salt, ground black pepper, sugar, laurel leaves and garlic.

If you want something especially original, we offer you fruit sauce, in which the meat will become simply incredible! The composition will include kiwi, tangerines, chili, salt, thyme and rosemary.

To prepare fresh sauce for meat, take herbs, salt, oil, lemon or lime juice, and spices. In our case, it will be ginger, basil and coriander.

With juniper, the marinade will definitely not be easy! Along with it, take water, salt, garlic, laurel leaves, sugar and some wine. You'll like it!

How long does it take to smoke

Meat is smoked for a different amount of time. It cannot be named here for sure, since everything depends not only on the size of the pieces, but also on the type of meat. For example, chicken can be smoked for forty minutes, pork will take all two hours, and lamb will take all three.

To make the meat tasty, we advise you to take it out periodically and check the middle for readiness. Unfortunately, this is the only way to determine the cooking time. This is good because next time you can already tell exactly how long it will take you to smoke.

Universal recipe

Here is a simple recipe for homemade smoked meat. We have pork, but you can replace it with any other type of meat. It will be no less tasty! The whole process will take 3 days.

How to cook:

Tip: to have more smoke, soak the chips in water beforehand.

How to smoke meat in a hot smoked smokehouse in an apartment

If you live in an apartment, do not worry, because apartment smokehouses have been on sale for a long time. Try to cook with us, the result is worth it!

How to cook:

1. Pour the wine into a saucepan, add laurel leaves, spices.
2. Peel the garlic and pass the cloves through the crush.
3. Pour in water, add dill.
4. Remove the husk from the onion, rinse and chop finely.
5. Add to the rest of the ingredients and mix.
6. Remove to stove, bring to a boil, cook for thirty minutes.
7. Then pour into a bowl or container where the meat will marinate.
8. Peel the pork and chop it coarsely.
9. When the marinade has cooled, place the pork in it.
10. Refrigerate for two days.
11. Then remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with dry napkins.
12. Pour sawdust into the smoker and install the meat grates.
13. Close the lid and leave the meat until tender. If there is a water trap, pour water into it to keep the smoke inside. If not, then open the smoker every twenty minutes.
14. Put the cooked meat for a few hours, then serve.

Tip: If the sawdust is too dry, sprinkle it with water.

How to cook hot smoked chicken

For lovers more tender meat we suggest smoking the chicken. It turns out to be very aromatic, light and really unforgettable!

INGREDIENTS	NUMBER
coriander	5 g
3% vinegar	140 ml
garlic	6 pieces
water	3 l
cinnamon	10 g
ground black pepper	taste
Chicken	4 things.
allspice peas	taste
sugar	15 g
laurel leaves	6 pcs.
salt	45 g
dry ginger	5 g
juniper	30 g
Cooking time: 7 days	Calorie content per 100 grams: 124 calories

How to cook:

1. Rinse the carcasses, dry them and set them aside.
2. Pour water into a saucepan, remove to the stove and bring to a boil.
3. Then add salt, coriander, vinegar, cinnamon, black and allspice.
4. There - sugar, bay leaves, ginger.
5. Rinse the berries, crush and add to the marinade too.
6. Peel the garlic and squeeze it through a press.
7. Then let the marinade cool down.
8. Place the chickens in a deep bowl, cover them with marinade.
9. Set the oppression on top and send it all to the refrigerator for four days. At the same time, turn the carcasses every day so that they marinate well and evenly.
10. Then dry the birds.
11. Soak the chips in water one hour before you smoke the meat.
12. Then pour them into the bottom of the smoker, place the chicken rack.
13. Lay them out and put them on fire with the lid closed.
14. After 45 minutes, open and let "go" for another quarter of an hour.
15. After that, hang the chickens and let dry for another two days.

Tip: Instead of hanging the chickens, you can send them to the refrigerator.

Depending on the temperature capabilities of your refrigerator, smoked meat can be stored for up to two days. This is provided that the temperature ranges from 0 to -3 degrees. If it reaches +5 degrees, then only a day, and if even higher, then no more than 12 hours.

If you want to store in the freezer, then things are much better here. At -8 ... -10 degrees can be stored for four months. Eight months - if -10 ... - 18 degrees and a whole year (!) - if up to -24 degrees.

To make your meat really tasty, don't be afraid to experiment with spices and marinades. For original taste We advise you to combine two sauces with each other, and then you will definitely get something unusual!

You can also serve ready-made meat as a full-fledged dish. It remains only to supplement it with vegetables, a salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, or some kind of refreshing sauce. As a last resort, ordinary ketchup with a slice of still hot and insanely fragrant bread will do.

Meat home smoked- it's insanely delicious! The result surprises with its real (!) Aroma, tenderness and richness of taste. If you love meat, be sure to smoke at your leisure!

Experienced chefs know that the recipe for smoked beef and pork has slight differences. In general, the process is very similar. Any kind 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 cook the product is different. In general, young pork can be made 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, for a maximum of 5. If the product was pre-cooked, then the smoke processing time should be approximately halved.

Which smoking method is best for pork and beef? In general, it is permissible 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 cooking a product in a smokehouse, you should prepare it. It's not enough just to buy fresh bite, you will need to make a pickle for it. But first, the meat must be washed and, if necessary, the skin must be peeled. If desired, the skin and excess fat can be cut off. The pieces themselves do not have to be divided into several parts. This is only needed if they are too large. And so, the size is smaller than with the palm of your hand is not necessary.

Always choose fresh meat

The brine will be used to prepare the beef and pork for a hot or cold smokehouse. It will help make the product softer, more tender and spicy. Exist different recipes marinade, and each is interesting in its own way. You can also use the standard one.

For this you need:

1. Pour water into a saucepan. Add spices to taste, a few slices of lemon, bay leaves, onion rings, a glass soy sauce and a couple of tablespoons of salt.
2. Light the fire and wait for the brine to boil. After that, you can either turn it off and cool it, or throw in pieces of meat to cook.
   If you do not want to cook beef or pork, then you should pour it with cooled brine and send it to 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.
3. After the product is marinated, it can be hung out in the fresh air for about 5-8 hours, it can be kept for about a day. After that, smoke should be made.
4. You should not greatly reduce the marinating period, as it will be correct to keep the beef or pork in the brine for a longer time. She must have time to absorb all the spices to become fragrant.

Hot smoking meat

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

Having made a fire, you need to put a smoking container on top of it. Put chips of fruit trees on the bottom, place grates on them. The recipe requires that the pieces of meat on the grates are not close to each other. This will make them better prepared. Now you need to close the lid and leave the product to 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 over so that it smokes evenly. The action should be repeated approximately every 30 minutes.

The recipe will take about 2-3 hours for pork and about 5-6 hours for beef. Hot smoking of meat will go faster if the pieces are boiled beforehand. When the dish acquires the desired appearance, the fire will need to be extinguished, and the product itself will 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 should be treated with chilled smoke. It happens in the following way. Chilled smoke enters a special metal compartment, inside of which the carcasses hang on hooks. He can go from a fire or, for example, from a barbecue. The temperature inside the compartment must 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 cook for a week. It will be more convenient to store such a product, since it remains suitable for food longer.

It is possible to prepare a recipe for cold smoking meat only with special equipment. Without it, it will not be possible to do everything right.

Homemade meat smoking without a smokehouse

Smoking meat can be carried out not only in a smokehouse, but also with the help of liquid smoke. It is a flavoring agent that gives the dish the desired flavor. If you marinate meat in it, then it will become almost the same as after processing it hot or cold.

Liquid smoke is easy to use 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 eliminates smoke and fire

Ingredients:

• meat - 2-3 kg;
• liquid smoke - 6 tbsp. spoons;
• Bay leaf;
• onion husks;
• spices.

You need to pour a liter of water and add liquid smoke, salt and spices. You can also put bay leaves and onion skins... The last ingredient is needed in order for the smoked meats to acquire a characteristic color. Next, turn on the fire and wait until the liquid boils.

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

If desired, you can grate with pepper, garlic and other spices. You can store it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap or foil. In general, liquid smoke imparts good aroma and taste. By the way, in our time it is often used to make smoked meats, which are then sold in the store. Of course, it cannot be attributed to the number of useful ingredients, 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 smoker using a recipe is only half the task. It is equally important to know how to store it correctly so that it does not deteriorate. This question is not relevant only for those who are going to eat a delicacy either immediately or in a week. But the rest should find a place in which it will be best to store.

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

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

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

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

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

One of the options for preparing meat is smoking. If you smoke the meat properly, it will not only become more flavorful, but it will also be stored for much longer. Do you want to know how to smoke meat properly at home and outdoors? Let's take a look at what is needed for this.

What do you need to have on hand for smoking meat?

In order to accumulate enough meat for yourself you will need:

• smoking equipment
• products
• fuel

Now, in order, what and why you need.

Grill or smokehouse

You will need specially designed cooking equipment. If you don't have a grill or smokehouse, don't despair. For the first time, you can borrow a smokehouse from good friends or relatives.

If it's a gas or electric smokehouse, consider yourself lucky because you don't have to monitor the temperature throughout the entire cooking process. It will be a little more difficult with a wood or charcoal smokehouse. They need constant supervision and tossing firewood. As a last resort, you can make a homemade smokehouse.

Firewood or fuel

Depending on the type of smokehouse, you will need fuel. To smoke in a wood smokehouse, you will have to use a lot of firewood. It is filled with chips, sawdust, previously soaked in water, and wood from cherries, maple, alder, apple trees.

Each of the types gives a special aroma and taste to the meat during the smoking period. Charcoal and wood are laid in a charcoal smokehouse. Charcoal burns longer than provides a strong and stable fire. This is perfect option smoking meat for beginners.

Meat

You can take any meat for smoking: pork, lamb, rabbit, venison, even fish. Each food has a different cooking time, so do not mix different types meat, choose only one.

Consider the cooking time of various products, for example, pork is smoked almost one and a half times faster than beef, but a rabbit can be smoked entirely quite quickly. Which way to smoke the selected meat product (hot or cold) is up to you.

Choosing meat, it is worth deciding on the type of smoking. Let us examine this issue in more detail.

All about the smoking process

Smoking is a special type of thermal processing of food. At home, two types of smoking are used: hot and cold. How do they differ from each other?

1. Hot smoked meat is treated with warm smoke from constantly burning fuel. Cooking takes several hours and is not particularly difficult
2. Cold cooking is more time-consuming and time-consuming - from a day to several days, which is why it is always problematic to do it. During the entire cooking time, it is necessary to release smoke and check the condition of the smoked meats, not forgetting to monitor the temperature. Fuel should not burn, but rather smolder

As mentioned earlier, smoking requires a special fuel, which will become the source of the aromatic smoke. If you want your dish to have a pleasant aroma, take care of the presence of sawdust from any fruit tree. Whole firewood can be used.

Here are some tips for cooking with a specific type of wood fuel:

• hickory is best for cooking red meat, it enhances the flavor of the dish
• if you want to smoke a lot of red meat at once, you can also use oak logs for the smokehouse
• beef and pork are best smoked on cherry wood and sawdust
• apple tree is suitable for pork, poultry and fish
• also for fish and poultry it is worth using alder
• shavings and firewood of each type of wood gives a certain aroma and can enhance the "haze" taste of the dish
• Mesquite imparts the most "smoky" flavor and aroma to dishes, so use it with caution

Water can be used while smoking to help control the cooking temperature.

We will discuss this issue in more detail later.

Smokehouse

The easiest option is an electronic smokehouse, you need to turn it on, set the temperature and wait. You do not need to monitor the flame, the device will do everything on its own. But from time to time, you still need to check the readiness of the meat. However, its operation requires a connection to the power supply network, which is not always convenient.

A wood-fired and coal-fired smokehouse is an option for those who want to smoke meat in nature. But be very careful, the dish will have to be checked more often. In addition, it is necessary to independently control the combustion of the flame, the release of smoke and prevent a drop or excessive rise in temperature.

Here you need to choose by yourself. A cheap option is a home-made smokehouse, but it still needs to be done, you can use a grill for smoking. Well, if you have enough funds, just buy an electronic smoking machine.

Meat preparation

For correct preparation smoked meats at home, follow some rules, namely:

1. Don't cook cold meat. The temperature of the product should be at least room temperature before starting the heat treatment, which will allow the heat to be evenly distributed during the cooking process. Place the workpieces before smoking for several hours in a place where there will be sufficient temperature
2. How much to smoke this or that type of meat depends on the type of smoking and the recipe for cooking. Focus on the recipe. The minimum cooking time for hot smoking is 3-4 hours, for cold smoking - about a day
3. The meat is laid out on the grill in the smokehouse, a tray is placed under it to drain the fat, it does not need to be covered with foil or other material
4. When smoking, the brisket and ribs can be lightly poured with water, this will make the meat softer, and the dish will taste juicier

Now let's talk about how to marinate meat for cooking in a smokehouse. Of course, it is not necessary to marinate the dish, but such preparation allows you to give the smoked meats different tastes.

• Poultry and ham are usually salted. Do it according to the recipe.
• Marinating is used for beef brisket and beef in general
• Spices are best for ribs

Follow the cooking technology. Some recipes mention that smoking is carried out in several stages:

1. open smoking for three hours
2. smoking in foil for 2-3 hours
3. last hour - open again

Choosing a recipe and cooking at home

Smoking meat in a hot-smoked smokehouse or in another way is worth only according to the recipe, so first of all, find a dish that you want to try. Prepare all ingredients, meat and smoker according to the recipe.

In the smoking process, do not forget:

• Turn meat from time to time
• Blow out smoke
• Add fuel if required
• Moisten the meat

Usually, how to properly smoke a particular dish is always described in the recipe, indicating the nuances. If there is no clue as to which fuel is best to use and in what form (dry sawdust or wet, for example), look for a more specific recipe.

At home, you can cook a dish using liquid smoke, that is, you do not need a smokehouse, but the meat will not taste at all, so do not put any special hopes on this type of cooking.

Conclusion on the topic

That's all the tips for smoking food. Finally, it is worth remembering the storage of ready-made meals. Cold smoked meat at home can be stored for weeks. Naturally, this period will vary depending on the type of meat, storage conditions and cooking characteristics. However, it is very convenient.

But hot smoked dishes should be eaten within a week, since they spoil much faster, although they can be suitable for consumption for up to two weeks.

The smell of smoked meat is the best you can imagine. Fragrant, delicate, ruddy, it will become a favorite delicacy of any man. Today we'll talk about how to smoke meat. You just need to know the technology, and the process will go like clockwork. You just need to have meat and a small smokehouse. For home needs, the simplest is also suitable. Most often, summer residents use several boxes with a lid welded together. You are guaranteed an excellent result.

Technology advantages

Since meat needs to be smoked at a high temperature, it cooks very quickly. The temperature reaches 95 degrees and even higher. At the same time, smokehouses do not exceed the dimensions of a conventional oven, are compact, and are easy to carry from one place to another. And of course, they are the best solution for a summer residence.

We can say that in such devices, meat is baked, and only the presence of smoke suggests otherwise. No, this cooking method is very different from what you get in the oven or in a frying pan. Having learned how to smoke meat, you can always provide yourself delicious snack all year round... Of course, such products are not stored for a long time, but this is not required. The fantastic aroma of the finished dish will delight you and your family. The rosy bite will be an excellent appetizer or base for first and second courses.

Option for an apartment

If you don't have a summer cottage, but you really want to try something delicious, then you can try the home version. Experienced chefs say it's not difficult at all. It is enough to put sawdust on the pan, set it on fire and darken it, covering it with foil so that it smolders slightly. Now place the pan on the bottom rack in the oven and the meat on the wire rack in the middle. The temperature is maintained at 150 degrees. Of course, you will need a strong extractor hood, but the kitchen will still be saturated with smoke. Therefore, it is very important to get a special apparatus and move the cooking outside.

Technology details

Now let's talk in more detail about how to smoke meat in a smokehouse. Important advantages of hot smoking over cold smoking are preservation of juice and unique aroma. The temperature that is maintained in the smokehouse allows you to get a perfectly tender product at the exit. At the same time, disinfection occurs.

The duration and intensity of exposure is calculated individually and depends on the thickness and quality of the original product. A piece of tender pork weighing one kilogram is cooked at a temperature of 90 degrees for an hour. Again, everyone has their own taste. Some people like a light shade, while others like a rich taste. Most importantly, do not forget that sawdust plays an important role. The taste and aroma of the final product depend on them.

Quality smoke - delicious aroma

So how do you smoke meat in a smokehouse? For this, hardwood sawdust is taken. This is an important point, as conifers give bitterness and can ruin the whole result. Please note that they do not have to be perfectly dry. The whole point of the process is in the slow smoldering of slightly damp sawdust. With dry raw materials, you will get a boiled rather than smoked product.

If there is no sawdust, then you can collect sprigs of raspberries and currants, cherries and pears. Don't throw them away after fall pruning. As in the case of kebab, the product will absorb the smells from the smoldering wood. It is not difficult to smoke hot smoked meat in a smokehouse, it is enough to try it once, and you will no longer want to give up this method of preparing the product.

If there is no smokehouse

Not everyone has the opportunity to install specialized equipment on the site. Most summer residents are faced with this. By the fall, the number of chickens grows up and you can start harvesting aromatic smoked meats, but the special devices that are sold in the store are very expensive. There is an exit. You can always find a metal barrel at the dacha. This can be a bucket or any other item with a volume of 3-5 liters. Do not take aluminum, the thicker the walls, the longer the heat will be saved. The second important indicator is tightness. Air should not penetrate inward and smoke outward.

Internal equipment

Smoking hot smoked meat in a home-made smokehouse is no more difficult than in an industrial one. Do not forget to equip it with a grate on which the food will be folded and a drip tray. The second attribute is optional, so if the design does not imply the presence of extra space, then you can do without it.

Nothing else is required, now it remains to prepare the product and engage in the direct cooking process. Let's look at how to smoke hot smoked meat.

Marinade

Its composition depends on the taste of each person. The standard brine is a glass of salt and a glass of sugar for 4 liters of water. You can add wine and spices, fruit juice... Depending on what kind of meat you took, the composition may also vary. For chicken, ginger and cardamom are great additions. Pork is very fond of curry, and beef is very fond of dried garlic. The amount of salt can also be changed at your discretion. In the brine, the raw materials must lie for at least four hours. Then you can smoke the meat in the smokehouse. The recipe is simple, everyone can repeat this on their site.

Final chord

Everything is quite simple here, and everyone can have their own signature recipe. You can smoke meat on birch or oak chips, but if there are branches of fruit trees, then it is better to opt for them. Now we take the meat out of the marinade and dry it properly. This does not require using a hair dryer or leaving the product in direct sunlight. A napkin or paper towel is enough. Now put a couple of handfuls of sawdust on the bottom of the smokehouse, and place the meat on the grill.

Important points

If you decide to cook several pieces at the same time, then they should not touch on the wire rack. Otherwise, you will get a half-baked product at the contact points.

Now you need to put the smokehouse on a stand and make a fire under it. You can install an electric or gas stove for heating. It is impossible to set fire to the sawdust themselves, they will perfectly start to smolder and so on. It remains to follow the clock and adhere to the time that the recipe suggests.

It is necessary to smoke hot smoked meat in a smokehouse depending on the thickness of the piece. Thin steaks will take about 20 minutes to cook. Large chicken may take several hours. It is recommended to turn the bird over on the other side after an hour and a half and continue cooking. It is not required to lubricate it with fat, it is quite juicy.

But if you are cooking beef, then it makes sense to cut it into small slices in order to shorten the cooking time and not dry it out. Overexpose - get meat-flavored croutons.

If you like meat with golden brown, then you can slightly change the cooking process. To prevent the dish from drying out, use a special thermometer, it will help control the cooking process. As soon as the temperature in the thickest place has reached 80 degrees, the smoking process can be stopped.

Removing the meat is optional. While the smokehouse cools down, it will gradually come down. And if you want the crust to crunch pleasantly, then you need to hold the meat a little over the fire source. So, how much meat to smoke will have to be studied empirically, depending on its type and the thickness of the piece.

Meat with bacon

This is a tidbit. Moreover, you can choose different options to your taste. How holiday dish you can serve the neck, where thin strips of bacon penetrate the tender meat. And as an economical option for an everyday snack, a loin is suitable, that is, a layer of bacon with meat.

Let's start with the brine again. To do this, take 160 g of salt and bay leaf, a few peas of black pepper and cloves, and a few cloves of garlic per liter of water. Place pieces of bacon in an enamel bowl and cover with brine. You need to withstand it for two weeks, sometimes turning it over. After the lard is removed from the brine, tie it with twine and leave it in a cool place for a couple of days. Sawdust for him is best suited apple or pear. Under the influence of smoke and heat, the fat should remain for 1-2 hours, at a temperature of 100-150 degrees. This is the most unpretentious product from the whole family of smoked meats. Its readiness can be determined by its beautiful golden color. When it cools down, brush the finished product with pepper and salt.

Storage duration

If the meat is being prepared for today's event, then you can leave it right in the smokehouse. It will calmly lie in it for up to 10 hours without losing its taste. In general, you need to remember that the shelf life of hot smoked products is less than that of cold smoked counterparts. They will stay in the refrigerator for three to five days. To increase storage time, vacuum packaging is required. At home, this is difficult to implement. You can freeze food, but they lose some of their original properties.

Instead of a conclusion

It's time for you to make sure that making smoked meat at home is a snap. The smokehouse is assembled from scrap materials, and the process itself does not take much time. Therefore, stock up on fruit chips and start creating. Soon you will have an increase in the number of guests, because everyone will want to taste a piece of delicious meat.