Have you ever smoked meat? If not, this is the best time to try it. There’s nothing complicated about it. It’s just a matter of avoiding a few basic mistakes, mainly related to the choice of wood, the preparation of the meat or its storage. If you pay good attention to these points, you are well placed for success. You can use the following types of smokers for preparation:
- Brick
- Wood
- Metal
Meat preparation
First of all, let’s look at how to prepare meat properly. If you are marinating the meat, you need to get the correct ratio of water and salt in the mixture, as the wrong ratio of salt has a very significant effect on the flavour. And I’m sure all of us know that under-salted or very over-salted meat doesn’t taste very good. It is also very important that the meat is in a cool place when you marinate it, not at room temperature. Also, keep in mind that no matter what kind of smoker you use, you need to put the meat on grates or some other place where excess water will drip off before you smoke it.
Choosing Wood
Whether you want to smoke red meat, poultry or pork, you need to choose the right wood to give the meat the right flavor and taste. For example, coniferous wood and its smoke would give the meat an aggressive flavor. And you certainly don’t want that. So choose wood that is suitable for smoking meat. These include apple, pear, cherry, walnut, lime or plum. The best wood, however, is beech, for example. The wood must be well dried. If you use wet wood, tar could be released and this is best avoided
Storage of meat
Store the meat only after it has cooled completely. Also remember that there is no need to wrap it with baking paper or any other protection, as it could be affected by mould due to the moisture. It is also good to know that it is best to hang the smoked meat and store it in a place with a lower temperature. The ideal place would therefore be, for example, the loft. However, the most permanent way of processing smoked meat is to freeze it. This way the meat will last the longest.