The special taste and aroma of smoked meats cannot be repeated. However, the preparation of such dishes requires special equipment. In industrial conditions and at public catering enterprises, dimensional stationary installations are used for this. But if we are talking about home use, then a mini-smokehouse is optimal, which can be used both in the kitchen and in camping trips.
Design and principle of operation
The task of any smokehouse is the technical organization of the process of cooking products “above the smoke”. As a rule, such units are all-metal structures with several tiers. The basis is, in essence, a mangal case, inside which a grill is installed.
An important distinguishing feature from grills and other appliances for cooking on the fire is the use of a sealed container into which wood chips are poured. In the process of burning and smoldering, the exhaust smoke impregnates the products placed on top, thereby providing the desired effect. In turn, home mini-smokehouses have a number of their own characteristics. Firstly, they are characterized by small size and the possibility of mobile movement. Secondly, the complete sets of modern household smokehouses include equipment for the output of combustion products to the street. As a rule, this is a silicone chimney with a hydraulic lock, which ensures the tightness of the equipment. That is, smoke with a smell does not penetrate directly into the room.
The benefits of a mini smokehouse
Such models are mostly used in apartments, which leads to the presence of an electric heating element. There are also gas and coal versions, but they are used less often. The advantages of electric compact smokehouses include the following:
- Ease of use. Unlike full-size models, the mini-smokehouse does not require a bonfire. It is enough to set the required temperature and wait for the product to be ready.
- Cooking speed. Traditional smoking recipes require aging for several hours, while this model allows you to cook on average in 30 minutes.
- A wide complete set. Additional accessories are also equipment for organizing the smoking process in the room, and special devices for handling equipment in the wild.
Hot Smoked Models
These are the simplest smokehouse options where you can cook meat, fish and lard. In the process of cooking, the ignition of chips from oak, alder and cherry is used. For work with a medium-sized case, 4-6 branches are enough. Products are usually placed on a special grill in a niche of a metal box. Also, for draining fat from the prepared products, a special pan should be provided. After ignition, it is necessary to wait 10-15 minutes to stabilize the decay, after which you can take the first sample. Experienced chefs advise experimenting with the intensity of burning wood chips - this will allow you to choose the optimal mode of preparation of the product in specific conditions. As for the principle of operation, in some versions the mini-smokehouse hot smoked also has an electric wiring and a gas burner. These versions are just for home use, but at a picnic it is better to use traditional designs that allow you to light an open fire.
Cold smoked models
In this case, the process technology is complicated due to the fact that the product is not processed by direct hot smoke, but, in fact, by cooled vapor from smoldering raw materials. The smokehouse device involves separation into two blocks - the so-called smoke generator and the chamber into which the product is placed. As for the smoke generator, it is the same burner in which sawdust or chips from deciduous wood smolder. Further, the generated smoke passes through a special channel (length is 1-2 m) into the target chamber, which contains meat, fish, vegetables with lard or other products. Moreover, the cooking time is the main disadvantage of cold smoking. The mini-smokehouse should maintain optimal smoke generation for 1-2 days. On the other hand, such processing allows you to prepare a better product that can be stored for a long period.
Smokehouse Tips
If you plan to buy equipment for hot smoking, the main requirement will be sufficient depth and the ability to place several levels of gratings with lids and pallets in the construction niche. The more functional the unit will be, the more possibilities the user gets to cook different products. If the stake is placed on a home mini-smokehouse for an apartment with an electric or gas burner, then attention will need to be paid to the controls. In modern models, including electronic control of the process, which facilitates the tasks of the operator. As for the models for cold smoking, they are calculated on a stationary installation, so the dimensions should be evaluated first. Also, the exhaust channel for the smoke generator in this case will be larger and longer. It is best to purchase such units with the expectation of operation in separate rooms of a private household.
How to make a smokehouse with your own hands?
The simplest design can be made of several sheets of stainless steel, a profile corner and a metal grill. The contractor is required first of all to prepare blanks for the main box. Its dimensions can be different depending on the volume of preparation, but on average the height is 20-25 cm, the length is about 40-50 cm, and the width is 30 cm. Accordingly, according to these parameters, blanks for walls, bottom and cover are formed. Sheet metal cutting is performed using a special tool. For example, at home, this operation can be done by a grinder. As additional elements, legs, handles and internal protrusions for holding the grids with a pallet are provided - the configuration of their placement will depend on where and how the future mini-smokehouse will be used. With your own hands, you can fasten the fittings with the help of conventional fasteners, having previously made holes with the corresponding electric drill for metal. But for greater reliability, it is still more advisable to make welding joints.
Home smoking rules
Throughout the entire cooking process, open the equipment lid as little as possible, since at such moments useful smoke comes out and the temperature drops. The average cooking time with hot smoking technology is from 30 to 40 minutes. The choice of raw materials for chips should also not be neglected. For example, conifers leave a specific and not the most pleasant smell that spoils the product. Use should be fresh, not rotten and dry chips of deciduous trees. In the case of an electric mini-smokehouse for the home, it is necessary to think over a method of collecting fat so that it does not get on the wiring. Usually, special containers are provided for this in the design of factory models.
Finally
The presence of a home smokehouse on the farm never hurts. You can, of course, stock up on smoked store products, but even taking into account the industrial method of preparation, they will not replace home analogs in their taste. A self-assembled mini-smokehouse will allow you to cook meat and fish products at no additional cost. But brand models should not be abandoned - especially when it comes to electric and gas versions for kitchen use. This is an ergonomic, functional and productive technique that with minimal effort will allow you to cook the same products without leaving your home. And on the contrary, in the country it will be appropriate to use a non-volatile home-made unit for smoking.