Smoked delicacies are a favorite delicacy of many people. There is nothing tastier and more appetizing than a juicy piece of tender meat with the aroma of smoke melting in your mouth. From the smell and look of products, beautifully laid out in the showcases of meat rows, many of us begin to increase salivation and rumbling in the stomach - we really want to feast on smoked brisket or fragrant fish. Meanwhile, many owners of a home-made smokehouse (homemade or purchased) can afford to eat the freshest smoked delicacies at least every day.
Features of home smoking
Proper smoking is the use of fresh, well-s alted and sometimes marinated meat or fish and suitable twigs, sawdust or shavings. Its essence boils down to the fact that the prepared product must be under the influence of wood smoke for some time. However, the wood in this case should only slowly smolder, but not burn. The fact is that, when ignited, any fuel begins to release toxic substances and carcinogens. This negatively affects the beneficial properties of processed products, and also greatly spoils the taste and appearance of cooked meat products or fish.
When smoking in homemadesmokehouse it is quite possible to achieve the necessary conditions for the preparation of a gourmet dish. The main thing here is to choose the right type of device, the dimensions of the working chambers and the temperature regime. If some rules are taken into account when designing and manufacturing the chosen model, then you can regularly pamper yourself and your loved ones with smoked delicacies of your own production.
Types of smoking in home installations
Many people know that there are three methods of smoking - cold, semi-hot and hot. When using cold technology, products retain their texture and taste. This method is often used in homemade smokehouses. This is a rather lengthy process that takes several days. However, you should not rush things in this case, otherwise cooked delicacies can cause serious food poisoning.
Technologies of hot and semi-hot smoking provide a faster way to get delicious food. A dish prepared in either of these two ways will have a softer and more delicate texture. The taste of such delicacies will also be somewhat different. Many gourmets claim that hot or semi-hot dishes are much tastier than cold-smoked dishes.
Secrets of cooking smoked meats: basic rules
To cook really tasty smoked meat or fish on your own, you need to follow certain rules. First of all, these are such technological moments as:
- Ensuring uniform heating of the chamber and fumigation of the product. Semi-finished products inside the device must evenly receive heat and smoke. In this case, it is important to exclude the occurrence of a burnt smell. Ideally, the smoke cloud should be light: it is desirable that the heavy fractions precipitate before reaching the product. It is under the influence of a light haze that smoked dishes acquire their characteristic taste, color and aroma.
- Any model of a homemade smokehouse (made by hand or bought in a store) should hold smoke well. Otherwise, the expected result will not be obtained.
- It is equally important to ensure the right temperature inside the working chamber. Please note that this parameter depends on the type of product, its weight and processing method. It should be remembered that:
- When cold smoking any food, the smoke is heated to 22-30˚C and the desired temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process, which can last from 6 hours to 5 days.
- Semi-hot smoking is carried out at a smoke temperature of no more than 60-70˚С. Using this technology, the desired temperature is maintained for about 4-6 hours.
- Hot smoking is the fastest process. In this case, the prepared semi-finished product is placed in a chamber of a home-made hot-smoked smokehouse with smoke, the temperature of which is 90-120 ° C. Cooking time using this technology can take from 15 minutes to 4 hours.
It is worth noting that the type of unit and the conditions that it can create for the preparation of the product depend on the taste andshelf life of the resulting delicacy: the longer the product has been heat treated, the longer it will last.
Homemade smokehouses: performance variations
Models of units used in home smoking can have a wide variety of types and designs. It can be portable, stationary, foldable, compact or large model, with or without additional accessories. The smokehouse can have an electric or gas heater, be made of brick, metal or some improvised means.
Depending on the type of device, it can be used in the country house, in the yard, in a separate room and even in the kitchen in an ordinary apartment.
Classic stationary model
A home-made smokehouse in a classic design is most often set up on the street: in the courtyard of a house or in a country house. As a firebox, a potbelly stove is most often used or a special hearth is made, and such a smoke generator is installed significantly below the level of the chamber or slightly away from the device. The chimney channel must have an angle of elevation for a more efficient supply of heated gas. Therefore, it is necessary to provide enough space for arranging an underground channel.
The working chamber is installed on some hill, most often artificially created. The device of the chamber must be provided with an exhaust pipe located on the roof of the building, providing the necessary draft.
Smoke coming from the hearth intochamber must have a certain temperature, so it is advisable to install a thermometer or temperature sensor in the chamber. The flow rate of the working gas can be adjusted using a valve system installed in the chimney. The more intense the smoke will circulate in the smoker, the higher its temperature will be.
It is desirable that the distance between the hearth and the camera be at least three meters. This will ensure the separation of soot and some cooling of the smoke, which will make it possible to use the unit as a home-made cold-smoked smokehouse.
If necessary, the rate of smoke supply to the working chamber can be increased. Thanks to the slide system mounted in the chimney, flue draft is regulated. The larger the gap, the more intense the circulation of the working agent.
A similar damper is installed under the working chamber. This allows you to shut off the supply of hot smoke. For its manufacture, it is better to use a piece of sheet metal with a thickness of at least 4 mm.
Manufacture and installation of the structure
When making and installing with your own hands, home-made cold-smoked smokehouses should be installed away from green spaces and any buildings. The fact is that a raging flame can cause serious damage to plants or cause a fire.
To equip a firebox in the ground, they dig a hole 40 cm deep and 70 cm in diameter, line it with bricks, but at the same time provide for air access. You can also use an ordinary potbelly stove.
The self-made working chamber itselfcold smoked smokehouses are equipped with metal grates. An excellent addition can be metal hooks located on top. If necessary, this will allow you to hang pieces of meat or fish.
Building Materials
Stationary home-made cold smokehouses, which can also be used to cook meat or fish delicacies in a hot way, are usually made of brick, metal or wood. For the device of the chimney, various types of metal pipes are used. However, asbestos-cement pipes are never used here, as this material is very toxic.
From improvised means
To cook smoked delicacies at home, it is not necessary to create a large stationary unit. Many craftsmen adapt any suitable improvised means for these purposes. Today you can find photos of homemade smokehouses from an old pan, a used gas cylinder or a galvanized bucket. The body of such devices can be an ordinary barbecue, a specially welded metal box or the box of an old refrigerator.
Since the principle of operation of such models is approximately the same, it does not matter at all what the working chamber for smoking will be made of. The main thing here is to take into account the basic rules for organizing the process. Therefore, no matter which final option is chosen, if properly made, a homemade smokehouse can be an excellent tool for preparing delicious meat and fish dishes.
The only difference in the various designs of do-it-yourself units isit will be that for small-sized models it is allowed to install a smoke generator directly in the working chamber. Unlike stationary devices with a distant hearth, the technology for cooking various dishes in portable and compact units involves only a hot method.
Smokehouse in a hurry
If you know how to make a homemade smokehouse, its basic principle of operation and the generally accepted rules for conducting the technological process, then you can build a similar design in haste. It does not require any special building materials. It is enough to have thick cellophane, strong rods or wooden poles and ingenuity.
Making such a smokehouse is not difficult at all. The main thing here is to ensure a low smoke temperature from embers.
This method is based on the principle of a tent built with strong rods and polyethylene. Products intended for smoking are attached to skewers. The source of heat is smoldering coal, located in a bucket or hearth. To get enough smoke, you can add branches with green grass or wet brushwood. However, when using such a home-made cold smokehouse, constant monitoring of the combustion process is required. As with any other method of smoking, an open flame should not be allowed here. Meanwhile, we must not allow the embers to die out altogether.
Smoker from a bucket
The ordinary galvanized bucket version can also be used wherewhatever: at the cottage, picnic or on a hike. To make such a device, you will need:
- ordinary metal bucket;
- cap;
- two metal gratings (grids);
- a bit of sawdust.
Place a small layer of wood shavings in the bucket. In this case, a layer of 2-3 cm will be sufficient. One of the gratings is fixed 10 centimeters from the bottom, the second - 5 centimeters from the previous one.
Small fish or small pieces of meat, pre-marinated or s alted, are laid out on the nets. The bucket is covered with a lid and put on fire.
This device is a home-made hot-smoked smokehouse (created with your own hands), because. the temperature of the smoke will soon become quite high. After 20 minutes, the dish to be prepared will be ready to eat.
Stainless steel box
To make this design, you will need stainless steel sheets and a welding machine. This model can be ordered or purchased from a specialized store. In appearance, the unit resembles a metal box with a lid and metal bars inside. Used on the same principle as the previous model.
With this homemade gas smokehouse, you can only cook meat, lard and fish in a hot way. The product processing technology in such a device allows you to get a finished dish in 20 minutes.
Regular barrel
This is another way to organize your homeunit for cooking delicious meat and fish delicacies with smoke. The universal design allows the device to be used for both hot and cold smoking technology.
To make a homemade smokehouse from a barrel, you should remove the bottom from the container, and then install grates for laying food. They must be installed on two levels. From above, you can attach hooks for hanging large semi-finished products. On the floor of the resulting working chamber, you need to install a tray to collect fat, providing for the presence of slots for the passage of flue gases.
The barrel is installed on some hill and attached to the smoke generator. The top of the barrel is covered with a piece of damp burlap. This will prevent dust and ash from getting on the food.
Airlock smoker: use in the home
The presence of a water seal in the smoking installation makes it possible to cook delicious meals even in a residential area. The principle of operation of such devices is no different from the operation of other smoking units: in order to ensure the smoking process, a device of this type is put on fire. When used at home, the role of the hearth is performed by a gas or electric stove. The presence of some design differences allows you to limit the exit of smoke from the working chamber.
In a homemade smokehouse with a water seal, first of all, there must be a special removable cover with a pipe. When smoking at home, a hose connected to the ventilation system is connected to the pipe. Sinceusing it, unnecessary smoke is removed from the working chamber.
The water seal itself is an additional water chute located around the entire perimeter of the upper part of the camera body. When the smokehouse is working, it must be filled with water.
The design of the lid should ensure that its ribs get into the space between the walls of the hydraulic seal device. It turns out that the water filling the gutter does not allow acrid smoke to escape through the gaps between the lid and the smoking chamber. Waste gas is purposefully sent directly to the ventilation system of the house.
The disadvantages of this type of device include the need to control the water level in the gutter. The fact is that as soon as the water has evaporated, the gas begins to escape through the opened cracks, which causes a very persistent and extremely unpleasant smell in the room.
Preparation of semi-finished products
Of course, the taste of smoked delicacies is largely determined by the correct observance of the cooking technology. However, the quality and freshness of the products, as well as their proper preparation, play an important role in this process.
Before smoking, meat, fish, lard or offal must be thoroughly washed and s alted. Fresh fish, as a rule, is freed from the insides. As a rule, the dry method is used for s alting lard, and the wet method is used for meat and fish. However, here it is very important to withstand the terms of the s alting. It must be remembered that meat and fish are s alted in 3-10 days, and lard in 2-3 weeks. To deleteexcess s alt, the product is washed in running water or soaked.
Sometimes bay leaves, allspice, coriander, cumin, juniper berries and garlic are added to the curing mixture. Such an ambassador is called spicy, and they use it when they want to get an exquisite dish with a unique taste and great aroma.
