We all love to eat, and this is especially true for deliciously cooked meat. But today, the preparation of meat by the factory method has become so poor in quality that it is simply dangerous to eat, and the taste is poor. And all the same, I so want to enjoy smoked brisket or root. But there is another option to give yourself pleasure: try smoking meat at home.
Smoked meat at home.
In order to smoke meat at home, you need a lot of smoke. The product must be exposed to heavy smoke for a long time. If you live in a private house, and you have a chimney, then the best way out is to arrange a smokehouse in the middle of the chimney. It should be equipped as a cabinet with shutters above and below so that the amount of smoke entering it can be controlled. If you do not have such an opportunity, you will have to organize a smokehouse. This device should have a place for firewood and, as I mentioned above, a metal cabinet on top with shutters about a meter per meter in size. A crossbar is installed inside, on which the meat will be suspended.
Smoked meat at home usually involves the use of deciduous trees, more often fruit is used to give the meat a pleasant aroma. In no case should you use the branches of resinous tree species, as they give the meat a bitter taste. To give a specific spicy taste, juniper, mint, caraway seeds and any other spices are usually added to the branches. For good smoking, it is important to ensure slow coal smoldering, then the smoke will be dense and dense.
Now about preparing meat for smoking.
Specific preparation is not required, only a simple salting of the product is necessary so that it does not deteriorate during smoking. In this case, the shelf life of products after smoking is significantly limited, and it must be consumed within a few days after preparation. In order for the product to be stored longer, there are other ways of salting and soaking.
In order to fix the meat in the smokehouse, you will need a hemp rope or ordinary twine in several layers, with which the meat is wrapped in two directions to make squares. A loop is made, for which the meat is suspended.
Next I will talk about types of smoking. Everyone knows that smoking meat at home is possible in two ways: it is hot and cold smoking.
Hot smoking involves processing meat in shorter terms with hotter smoke. Typically, smoke temperature during hot smoking reaches 85-95 degrees, and the time depends on the size of the piece. An average of two to eight hours. During smoking, a drip tray is placed in the smokehouse. After smoking, the meat must be cooled in air. If you want to cook cooked-smoked products, then after smoking they should be cooked for 4-6 hours. The readiness of meat is determined by a sharp long object, if it enters freely, then the meat is ready.
With the hot method of smoking, meat has a very short shelf life.
Cold smoked.
It usually takes longer, but the result is a longer shelf life. Cold smoking of meat at home is carried out at a temperature of 20-25 degrees for several days (2-3 days). In this case, the meat should be suspended higher from the wood, and for a greater density of smoke, the wood is sprinkled with a thick layer of wood chips. The meat is more dried, and after smoking it must be kept for another two weeks in a cold room.
However, it should be remembered that the timing of smoking products should not be exceeded, since smoke contains many carcinogenic substances, which also accumulate in meat. Therefore, adhere to the recommended smoking dates.