Winter is the ideal time for cold smoking. The ambient temperature is just what you need, and the process itself requires only a few trips outside in that cool, rainy, or simply unpleasant (to say the least) weather. The result is completely different from summer grilling, so why not try it? And for the beginning, we suggest preparing something that will not require much effort and advance preparation. We invite you to smoke... Cheese!
It's all simple - you just need a grill or smoker, wood to smoke with (dust, pellets, etc.), of course, cheese, and a little time and patience. Sound simple? But it's really easy, and the result will exceed your expectations. Shall we try? But let's start with the theory:
Cold smoking - what is it?
There are 2 ways to give the taste of smoke (i.e. smoking) - hot and cold. If additional heat is needed during hot smoking (temperature above 60 degrees and above), while it is not necessary for cold smoking: the one that is outside, and which is not too high, will suffice. Grill professionals say that it is easiest to do cold smoking when the environment is less than 16°C.
During cold smoking, the smoke, gradually penetrating the food product, preserves it, which makes the product safe for consumption and has a much longer shelf life. When smoking in a grill or smokehouse, the temperature should not exceed 25-30°C.
Cold smoking can be done using wood dust, chips, pellets or firewood itself. Which method is right for you will depend on your equipment and abilities.
For owners of Kamado grills, the easiest way to smoke with smoke generator and use trees dust. They are collected in a spiral grid, one edge of it is lit, and the dust is left to smolder. Grill louvers are only slightly opened for minimal air flow.
Gas or electric grills can also use smoking boxes or cylinders, and pour into them fine shavings or granules. They smolder easily, and when they are finished, they are extra.
You can cold smoke not only pork or salmon, but also many other products: butter, vegetables, nuts, etc. And this time we invite you to try smoking cheese.
What cheeses are best?
Any cheese can be cold smoked. Having a stronger structure is best for this. Soft ones can also be smoked, but at a slightly higher temperature they may no longer keep their shape.
Another reason why we recommend choosing harder cheeses, at least at the beginning: soft cheeses can be "smoked" much faster due to their structure and high humidity. The latter absorb the taste of smoke much faster, so you will have to be much more careful not to spoil it.
The most popular are mozzarella and cheddar. Also, the smoky taste goes well with Gouda, Brie, Swiss and other cheeses. Choose the one you like unsmoked: it will be even more interesting to taste it with an even wider range of flavors.
Preparation of cheese
Cut the cheese into smaller pieces: the larger the surface area, the faster and easier the smoke will penetrate, the less smoking will be needed.
The surface of the product to be smoked should be dry, dry, ideally at the same temperature as outside. In this way, condensate will not accumulate, the cheese will acquire a beautiful color, and will not have an extraneous aftertaste.
Place the cheese on the grill or hang it in socks (special ones can be bought for this purpose).
If you want, you can sprinkle the cheese with your favorite spices, thus giving it an even more interesting, unique taste.
Best temperature for smoking
Depending on the various countries, their characteristics and the strictness of the requirements of various institutions, the recommended temperatures for cold smoking differ. After deriving the average, a temperature of 20 - 25 degrees is usually recommended. 30 degrees is the maximum limit.
However, it should be noted that cheese, especially fermented cheese, is not as fast as meat, a perishable product. After all, it can be eaten even without heat or smoke treatment, pickling. Therefore, a slight deviation from time or temperature is not a big deal. Exceeding the temperature will rather risk melting the cheese.
What wood to choose for smoking?
For smoking, it is recommended to choose lighter, milder-tasting smoke-producing trees. All fruit trees are suitable for this, e.g. apple, plum, cherry, lemon tree, orange tree etc.
Each of them creates a unique combination of flavors unique to it (some are sweeter, milder, others are brighter, muffled, lower in taste), so we invite you to try smoking cheeses with dust or shavings from different trees. We guarantee - you will be pleasantly surprised to feel the difference in both taste and color.
As one of the more interesting options for smoking - it came from Spain olive tree, giving a sweet, mild taste that does not mix with anything. In Mediterranean countries it is the main wood for flavoring smoke.
It must be remembered that the same amount of dust or shavings from different trees creates a distinctive flavor and has different strengths. If e.g. lemon tree or cherry has a gentle smoke, it is difficult to spoil the product, while even 4x less amount of bright wood (e.g. alder, oak) can be too much. You will have to add less of it, smoke for a shorter time, or reduce the amount of smoke in the smoker even more by adjusting the air flow.
When it has been smoked for too long, too strong wood has been chosen, or too much of it, you will feel a bitter, sour aftertaste.
Smoking time
It is recommended to smoke the pieces of cheese for 2-4 hours. Of course, it can be shorter or longer, depending on the desired result, the size of the pieces and other factors.
It should be noted that softer cheeses will absorb smoke faster, so their smoking time should be shorter.
If you see that one side of the pieces is getting a brighter color than the other, turn them over during the smoking process.
I smoked. What's next?
Allow the cheese to cool completely. Wipe off any excess moisture from the cheese.
Grillers disagree on further recommendations: some suggest wrapping in butter or butcher paper (butcher's paper), others suggest immediately wrapping it in film, aluminum foil or putting it in a bag. We recommend leaving it lightly wrapped in buttered paper for a day so that the smell of smoke dissipates a little and the cheese "smells".
Whatever the option, you will have to be patient: in order to enjoy the full, established taste, you will have to keep the cheese in the refrigerator for at least 1, ideally - 2 weeks before eating. During this time, the taste of smoke will soften, it will mature, and it will spread throughout the cheese.
To keep the cheese even longer, you can vacuum pack it. You will keep it even longer - 4-6, maybe even 8 weeks. When unexpected guests arrive, you will have something to surprise them without any preparation.
What to use with?
Enjoy alone, combine with beer, wine or other drinks; grate on pizza, lasagna; slice into a salad like regular cheese - the limits are only your imagination.
Delicious discoveries!
