People come to the country, of course, not only to work on the ground, but also to take a break from the noisy metropolis in the fresh air. And of course, various kinds of family gatherings are often arranged in suburban areas. In addition to the vegetables grown in the garden, some original products can also be served on the table - for example, fish or meat smoked with their own hands. It will be relatively easy to cook such country "delicacies" on your own. In this case, cold smoking technology can also be used.
Types of smoking
A person began to use this method of cooking fish and meat a long time ago. Scientists have discovered a lot of cave paintings with relevant plots. At the moment, there are only three main ways of smoking:
The first technology is primarily distinguished by its high cooking speed. According to this technique, fish or meat can be smoked literally in a few hours. An advantage of this method is that in this case, all harmful parasites or microorganisms die in the product. The semi-hot smoking method differs by approximately the same pluses. These two technologies are most often used by summer residents when they cook their own products “with smoke”.
However, sometimes the owners of suburban areas apply a more complex and costly method of cold smoking. Using this technology, much more delicious products can be obtained. At the same time, cold-smoked fish and meat can be stored for much longer. The main disadvantage of this technology is the length of the process. Smoked fish or meat by this technique can take several days.
The main rules of smoking
The technology of cold, hot and semi-hot smoking differ primarily in the temperature of the smoke used to process the products. The taste of fish or meat cooked in different ways can vary significantly.
A characteristic feature of cold smoking is primarily that the products in this case are exposed to already cooled smoke. Its temperature, according to the standards, should not exceed + 15-30 ° C for meat and + 20-40 ° C for fish.
At enterprises for such smoking, among other things, the following standards are provided, for example:
humidity of the smoke-air mixture - 40-70%;
smoking time - 20-72 hours;
smoke velocity - 1-8 m / s;
the salt content in the finished product is 4-12%.
What products can be smoked
One of the features of cold smoked, including with one's own hands, is that the product in this case is practically not subjected to heat treatment. In fact, this technique is a simplified drying technology. Therefore, parasites and harmful bacteria can be stored in meat or fish prepared in this way.
To use for cold smoking, therefore relies exclusively knowingly high-quality, past all kinds of checks products. It is impossible to cook, for example, freshly caught river fish using this technique.
Also, when choosing products using cold smoking technology, you should definitely pay attention to the degree of their fat content. Dry meat or fish for cooking by this method is absolutely not suitable. Such products in the process of cold smoking simply dry out and turn out very tough.
Of cold smoked meats, only pork or fatty lamb are mostly suitable. Still, in most cases, poultry and beef are cooked using a hot technique. From cold smoked fish can be a good fit:
acne;
sturgeon;
Far Eastern salmon;
whitefish.
Cold smoking technology is often used for mackerel smoking. Bream and roach for this method are also relatively good. Herring is usually smoked yet in a hot way.
Fish preparation
Very often, cold smoked technology is used to prepare such a product in smoke. In production, fish is cooked in smokers faster than meat. The same thing happens at home.
Preparing fish for smoking is allowed both by salting and pickling. Moreover, in both of these cases, different recipes for small and large fish can be used. In any case, proper salting or pickling are the prerequisites for the preparation of a high-quality tasty smoked product.
Salting Methods
In Soviet times, the technology of cold smoked fish in production was labor intensive. Used for the preparation of such a product, expensive, difficult to maintain equipment. But the fish in this case ultimately turned out to be very tasty and fragrant.
Today, such a product is smoked in production, unfortunately, in most cases, not according to GOST, but according to TU. Accordingly, and it turns out it is often not too appetizing. At home, if you wish, you can cook even more delicious fish than purchased. But of course, before smoking such a product must be salted correctly.
Small fish are usually not cut in preparation for smoke treatment. In some cases, it is not even gutted. Such a product is usually prepared as follows:
the fish are well washed;
a small amount of salt is poured into the bottom of the enameled pan;
rub each fish with salt, paying special attention to the gills;
at the bottom of the pan lay a layer of fish and fill it with salt;
repeat the procedure until the pan is full.
Stacked fish is subsequently left for 2 days. During this time, it is saturated with brine and will be ready for smoking.
Do-it-yourself cold smoking of large fish involves the use of the following preparation technology:
heads and entrails are removed from carcasses and washed thoroughly;
rub the fish with coarse salt and put in a pan;
leave the product to salt for a day;
prepare a brine of 2 liters of water, 25 g of sugar and 0.5 packs of salt and fill them with fish;
they leave the carcass to salt for another 5 days.
In the pickle for flavor, you can put a little pepper and lavrushka. Previously, it should be boiled on a stove and cooled.
Pickling Methods
When using cold smoking technology, pre-salting allows you to get quite tasty fish. However, when marinating, this product may ultimately turn out to be somewhat more tender and juicy. Prepare fish before smoking in this case, usually by the following technology:
carcasses cleanse, remove the head and entrails;
washed the fish and put it in the refrigerator for an hour.
Marinade is prepared in a large pan. To do this, pour into it:
Next, add a mixture of thyme and rosemary to the marinade. At the next stage, the brine is heated over a small fire, not brought to a boil, and the fish is put into it. Next, put the pan in the refrigerator for 10 hours.
Fish smoking technology
In the belly of a large salted or pickled fish, before starting the smoke treatment, spacers must be inserted. The technology of cold smoking of rudd and flounder, bream and roach, since they are relatively small in size, usually this procedure does not require. But in salmon carcasses, for example, struts should be inserted.
Sawdust in the smokehouse should be poured aspen, alder or oak. The fish are suspended in the chamber in an upright position. The term of cold smoked it with your own hands will depend on its size. Usually this procedure takes 1-6 days.
Cold smoked technology at home: meat preparation
This product is also cold smoked in the country often enough. Prepare the meat for processing, depending on what they ultimately want to receive. So for basturma you will need:
The garlic is pre-crushed, and then all the ingredients are poured into water. Pour meat with the prepared brine and leave the pan in a cool room for 4 days. Next, the fillets are removed, thoroughly wiped with a towel and dried during the day. Smoked such meat at a temperature of 25 ° C until cooked.
For the preparation of raw smoked ham use the following ingredients:
The fat thickness in the ham selected for smoking should not be less than 3 cm. In this case, chilled meat is rubbed with salt and placed in a container. Next, lay the load on top and hold for 1-3 days at a temperature of 4 ° C. The remaining salt is pre-poured onto the meat.
The pickled pieces at the next stage are poured with chilled brine and allowed to marinate for 10-15 days. After this, the meat is removed from the container and suspended in a cool room to dry for 3 days. Next, the ham is soaked for 2-3 hours, washed with water and wiped with a towel. Smoked meat prepared in this way should be carried out with thick smoke at a temperature of 35 ° C. In this case, to lay the pieces in the barrel for a period of 3 hours daily for a week.
Is it possible to cook beef
The technology of cold smoked pork meat at home is thus relatively simple. But if you wish, using this technique, you can also cook beef or poultry in the country. The meat of these varieties during long-term processing with cold smoke, as already mentioned, can become dry and harsh. To prevent this from happening, such products will need to be cooked before smoking. Typically, such meat is previously simply put in a pan and brought to a boil.
What kind of firewood is suitable for meat
When using cold smoking technology for such a product, it will be a very good solution to use fruit wood, for example, apple or pear. Also, meat is often cooked in this way on oak, ash or alder. It is not recommended to use birch firewood, wood chips and sawdust for smoking such a product. Otherwise, the meat will acquire a taste of tar.
Cooking sausages
The technology of cold smoking of meat and fish at home, therefore, does not differ in particular complexity. Quite simply it will be cooked by such a technique and sausage. To get such a smoked home product, you will need the following ingredients:
The meat for cooking sausages is salted and refrigerated for 4-5 days. Further:
the product is scrolled in a meat grinder;
thoroughly knead it with the addition of ascorbic acid, sugar and spices;
fat is cut into small pieces and added to the stuffing;
distribute the mass on the board with a layer no thicker than 10 cm and keep it in the cold for 2-3 days.
Then they stuff the cooked meat into well-washed guts and dress everything tightly. Before smoking, sausages are left in a cold room (+5 ° C) for a week. Next, the sausage is smoked at a temperature of 20 ° C for 2-3 days. At the final stage, sausages are kept in a cool, dry place (+10 ° C) for 4-6 weeks.
Is it possible to make a smokehouse
Such equipment is sold in almost every hardware store today. However, in our time it is possible to purchase ready-made products mainly only hot smoked chambers. In addition, such equipment is quite expensive. Therefore, owners of summer cottages in most cases prefer to collect smokehouses for cold processing on their own.
Arrange such a device in the garden or in the garden will not be particularly difficult. The most important thing that needs to be achieved in the manufacture of such a smokehouse is that the smoke is cooled before it reaches the fish or meat. This can be done, for example, by arranging between the campfire and the moat chamber about 3 m long.
You can make a home smokehouse, for example, using this technology:
a pit under a bonfire is being excavated on the site;
a trench 3 m long is laid from the pit;
at the other end of the trench an old metal or wooden barrel without a bottom is installed;
the trench is closed, for example, with slate and covered with 15 cm of earth.
For convenience, hanging products on a barrel on top should put the grate. In future, fish or meat will be attached to it. The technology of cold smoking at home, fish or meat using such equipment will not be particularly difficult. During smoking, the chamber from the barrel just needs to be covered with a piece of dense fabric.
Another way to make a smokehouse
You can also assemble such equipment at a summer cottage, for example, from an old refrigerator. In this case, a pipe with a cooler is attached to the pipe of the stove welded from metal sheets of the stove. The other end of the pipe is introduced into the refrigerator. It will continue to play the role of a smoking chamber. A flue pipe with a fan is fixed on top of the refrigerator.