2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 05:33
People try to give products a special taste or extend their shelf life in different ways. One of the most popular is smoking. You can smoke meat, fish, cheese, as well as vegetables and fruits. The key to cooking this way is to have reliable smokehouses close at hand.
Types and purpose of smokers
Smoked food lovers know that there are two types of smoke products: cold and hot smoking. The key differences between them are the temperature at which smoking is carried out, the duration of the process, the duration and form of marinating before cooking, the taste and texture of the product at the exit.
Hot smoking is carried out at temperatures of 90-110 degrees , but in time it takes from 40 minutes to several hours. Meat or fish are baked in addition to a smoky aftertaste, which makes them especially juicy and tasty. You can store such goodies for a short time, for several days and only in the refrigerator. You can marinate in salt and spices for an hour or two before cooking.
A smokehouse for a hot process must have a number of characteristics:
- tightness (but there must be a chimney);
- the ability to maintain a stable temperature;
- absence of foreign smells and tastes (burnt fat).
Cold smoking is a lengthy process for any product . Fish or meat is cooked for 3-5 days. Marinating should be done for at least 2-4 days. The dry product is processed with low temperature smoke (up to 30 degrees), continuously fed into the smokehouse for at least 14 hours, and a maximum of up to 3 days. Sausages prepared in this way can be stored, meat can be stored in a dry room for up to a year.
A cold smoker should:
- maintain a constant supply of smoke;
- maintain a stable smoke temperature.
Craftsmen make hot smokehouses from barrels, large pots, and cold ones from brick, stone, wood. It is quite possible to cook quite tasty products with the help of such “homemade products”.
The disadvantages of the artisanal method include labor intensity, the presence of a too strong smell of smoke or burning, fat dripping, unregulated temperature, and most importantly, being tied to a specific place (most often outside the room).
Factory innovations from the Finnish company Hanhi help to prepare any smoked meat without artisanal drawbacks.
Short description
The unifying quality for all types of Finnish smokehouses is their versatility in terms of the place of use (picnic, summer cottage, apartment), ergonomics, reduction in the amount of resources spent on cooking (minimum time and materials), safety (no open fire).
The cold smoking procedure can be carried out using a technical novelty - a smoke generator . The device is capable of producing smoke for 12 hours (the temperature at the entrance to the smokehouse is 27 degrees) without additional throwing of chips. Through a hose, smoke can be supplied either to a Hanhi branded cabinet, or to any other device that stores food in it. The owners only have to properly marinate the smoked meats, fill in the chips once and turn on the machine.
Hot smoking is carried out using a device that looks like a pan. Chips are placed at the bottom of the container, then - a baking sheet for collecting fat and baking trays with smoked meats. The cover is equipped with a temperature sensor and a flue gas vent. The container can be heated over an open fire, gas burner or electric stove.
It is important that the basis for the device is the steel grade Aisi 430 ensuring correct and uniform heating. In addition, this type of "stainless steel" is completely safe for use in the kitchen: the dishes do not have any bitterness or off-flavors. Due to the fact that steel does not rust or oxidize, it can serve up to 10 years and retain its attractive appearance.
The bottom of the steel device can withstand heating temperatures up to 800 degrees and is equipped with a special ferromagnetic coating. This allows it to be used on various types of stoves and on an open fire. All Hanhi models also come with a 3mm rimmed grease tray. All the melted fat (and a lot of it is usually released during the smoking process) is collected in this pan.
The volume of food placed in the smokehouse can be different - from 3 to 10 kg . When choosing a smokehouse, this point should be taken into account: small volumes (up to 10 liters) make it easy to transport the product, but at the same time they can only hold about 3 kg of fish (this is hardly enough for a large group of tourists).
Prefabricated devices have a guarantee, are made of safe metals and are aesthetically pleasing (no welding seams, no rust). For different types of products, the manufacturer has provided different types of layouts: hooks and twines for fish and chicken, baking trays for meat and sausages.
Popular models
Among the most purchased models of Hanhi smokehouses, two can be noted: for hot smoking of the smallest volume and weight (food weight - 3 kg, total volume of the smokehouse - 10 kg) and a smoke generator with an additional 7 liter tank for wood chips. Let's consider both options.
Both amateurs and professionals are unanimous that the devices of this series greatly facilitate the way of home healthy smoked meats to the table.
Hot smokehouse
The walls are made of food-grade steel with a minimum thickness, which ensures a low weight of the structure. The bottom does not burn, chips can be poured directly onto it. A tray of aluminum is placed in the container, onto which the fat drips. A simple precaution is to remove the smell of burnt fat from the food. The number of trays and their configuration can be chosen by the user himself, indicating at the time of purchase which additional components he wants to receive.
Special attention should be paid to the hydraulic lock. Water is poured into a small depression along the sides of the pot, and when the lid is lowered, the moisture turns the container into a completely sealed container. Excess smoke and heat comes out through a special hole with a spout in the lid, to which a chimney pipe is connected. You can take it out through a window or ventilation holes if cooking takes place in an apartment.
Temperature control is carried out using a temperature sensor on the lid . If you reduce the heat under the smokehouse in time, you can help keep the smoked meats intact. The device is suitable for cooking any food for a small company in an apartment (using a gas, induction, electric stove), summer cottage, camping (open fire will not damage the smoking process or the appliance).
Cold smoking with a smoke generator
It breaks all popularity records. Probably, the fact is that the device can be connected to any home-made cabinet (saving on buying a branded cabinet), the cost-effectiveness of the installation (a small amount of wood for smoking).
The device consists of a flask into which chips are poured, a special filter for draining tar (minimizes unpleasant odors in smoked meats), a metal tube that cools the smoke to 27 degrees. If, nevertheless, there are concerns about too high a temperature, then a thermal sensor will help to correct the process. The smoke is supplied under pressure by an electric compressor. The chips are heated through an electric stand, which makes the smoking process itself safer (no need to watch an open fire around the clock). The smoke generator can have different volumes for filling with chips, which allows you to buy a device in exact accordance with the needs of the customer.
The small size of the device allows it to be installed anywhere where there is a smoking cabinet . The duration of work without adding chips to the container is up to 12 hours. This moment significantly changes the matter in terms of the laboriousness of the process, because you can not constantly throw up firewood and not sleep during the day, but simply fill the flask with fresh chips every 12 hours.
Both devices (a hot smokehouse and a smoke generator) in the complete set have instructions in Russian and a recipe book, which means that any user will be able to understand the intricacies of the device. However, consultants of the company will always be able to help in this.
Reviews
A personal smokehouse, as a rule, wants to have at home those for whom smoked meats are their favorite type of food. Sophisticated users claim that both types of smokehouses make the taste of dishes more delicate, and in appearance the finished products are very different from the store ones. Most likely, the differences are provoked by the fact that a huge amount of smoked meats in the markets are prepared using a chemical composition - "liquid smoke", which has nothing to do with the benefits of natural smoke treatment.
Among the advantages, buyers note the following points:
- dimensions of the device (can be used in the kitchen of a small apartment and in a fire by the river);
- low costs of wood and electricity;
- a small amount of time to create a blank (you can catch it both on a picnic and on a fishing trip);
- light pleasant taste of products without foreign impurities.
The disadvantages of installations include:
- a small amount of smoked meats that can fit in them;
- Smoke odor is present in small quantities in the cooking area.
Some buyers try to prolong the life of the smokehouse as much as possible by using foil or sand, which they cover the bottom of the container under the chips. This technique does not reduce the heating temperature of the bottom, but makes cleaning of wood debris easier. The most convenient are devices with a volume of 20 liters. Their weight is only 4.5 kg.
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