Winter is the ideal time for cold smoking. The ambient temperature is just right, and the process requires only a few trips outdoors in that cool, rainy, or just plain (to put it mildly) unhappy weather. The result is quite different from summer grilling, so why not give it a try? For starters, we suggest you prepare something that won't require a lot of effort and advance preparation. We invite you to prepare... Cheese!
It's easy - all you need is a grill or a smoker, some wood to smoke with (dust, pellets, etc.), of course cheese, and a little time and patience. Sound easy? But it's really easy and the result will exceed your expectations. Try it? But let's start with the theory:
Cold smoking - what is it?
There are 2 ways to impart the flavour of smoke (i.e. smoking) - hot and cold. While hot smoking requires extra heat (temperatures of 60 degrees and above), cold smoking does not: the temperature outside is sufficient and not too high. Grill professionals say that it is best to practice cold smoking when the ambient temperature is below 16°C.
When cold smoking, the smoke slowly penetrates into the food and preserves it, making it safe for consumption and giving it a much longer shelf life. When smoking on a grill or in a smoker, the temperature should not exceed 25-30°C.
Wood dust, chips, pellets or wood itself may be used for cold smoking. Which method is right for you will depend on your equipment and abilities.
For Kamado grill owners, the most common way to smoke with a smoke generator and use trees dust. It is placed in a spiral grid, one edge of the grid is burnt and the dust is left to incinerate gently. The flaps of the grill are only just opened to allow only a minimum air flow.
Gas or electric grills may also use smoking boxes or cylinders, in which the fine chips or pellets. They are lightly sanded and then replenished at the end.
Cold smoking is not only for pork or salmon, but also for many other products: butter, vegetables, nuts, etc. And this time, we invite you to try smoking cheese.
Which cheeses are best?
Any cheese can be smoked cold. Cheeses with a firmer texture are best suited for this purpose. Soft cheeses can also be smoked, but may not keep their shape at slightly higher temperatures.
This is another reason why we recommend choosing harder cheeses, at least to start with: soft cheeses can be 'over-smoked' much more quickly because of their structure and high moisture content. The latter absorb the flavour of smoke much more quickly, so you will have to be much more careful not to damage them.
The most popular are mozzarella and cheddar. Smoke also goes well with Gouda, Brie, Swiss and other cheeses. Choose the one you like that is also unsmoked: it will be even more interesting to taste it after it has acquired a wider range of flavours.
Preparing the cheese
Cut the cheese into smaller pieces: the larger the surface area, the faster and easier the smoke will penetrate and the less smoking will be required.
The surface of the product to be smoked should be dry and dried, ideally at the same temperature as outside. This will prevent condensation, give the cheese a nice colour and prevent any unwanted aftertaste.
Arrange the cheese on a grill or hang it in socks (special ones are available).
If you like, you can sprinkle the cheese with your favourite spices to give it an even more interesting and distinctive flavour.
Best temperature for smoking
Depending on the different countries, their particularities and the stringency of the requirements of the various authorities, the recommended temperatures for cold smoking vary. On average, the most commonly recommended temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees. 30 degrees is the maximum limit.
However, it should be noted that cheese, especially fermented cheese, is not as perishable as meat. It can already be eaten without being cooked, smoked or pickled. A slight deviation in time or temperature is therefore no big deal. If you exceed the temperature, you rather risk melting the cheese.
Which wood to choose for smoking?
It is recommended to choose lighter, milder-tasting smoke-producing woods for smoking. All fruit trees are suitable, e.g. apple, plum, cherry, lemon tree, Orange tree etc.
Each of these creates a distinctive flavour combination (some are sweeter and milder, others are more pronounced, more subdued and subdued), so we invite you to try cheeses made with the dust or chips of different trees. We guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised by the differences in both taste and colour.
One of the more interesting options for smoking is a cheese from Spain olive treegiving a sweet, subtle flavour that can't be confused with anything else. In the Mediterranean countries, it is the main tree for imparting a smoky flavour.
It should be remembered that the same amount of dust or chips from different trees produces different flavours and strengths. If, for example, a lemon or cherry tree has a mild smoke, it is difficult to spoil the product with it, whereas even 4x less of a bright tree (e.g. alder, oak) may be too much. You will need to add less, smoke shorter, or further reduce the smoke in the smoker by adjusting the air flow.
You will know when it has been smoked too long, when the wood chosen is too strong or when there is too much of it by the sickly, bitter-sour aftertaste.
Smoking time
It is recommended to smoke the cheese pieces 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 the smoke more quickly and should therefore have a shorter smoking time.
If you find that one side of the cheese is taking on a brighter colour than the other, turn the cheese over during the smoking process.
I have smoked. What next?
Let the cheese cool completely. Wipe off excess moisture from the cheese, if any.
Grillers disagree on further recommendations: some suggest wrapping in butter or butcher paper (butcher's paper)Others suggest wrapping immediately in cling film, aluminium foil or in a bag. We recommend leaving it lightly wrapped in buttered paper for a day to allow the smell of smoke to dissipate and the cheese to 'breathe'.
Whichever option you choose, you will need to be patient: to enjoy the full, settled flavour, you will need to refrigerate the cheese for at least 1, ideally 2, weeks before eating. During this time, the smoky flavour will soften, mature and spread throughout the cheese.
To preserve the cheese even longer, you can vacuum pack it. It will keep even longer - 4-6 weeks, maybe even 8 weeks. When unexpected guests arrive, you'll have something to surprise them with without any preparation.
What to use it with?
Enjoy on its own, combine with beer, wine or other drinks; grate it on pizza, lasagne; add it to salads as a regular cheese - the limits are your imagination.
Enjoy your discoveries!
