Smoked chicken - general principles
Smoking products is a process known from ancient times. The ancients subjected to prolonged treatment with a mixture of wood smoke and air, the meat, to provide it with antioxidant effect, which allowed to suppress the reproduction of harmful bacteria in it for quite a long time. In modern society, smoking is used more to give the product a specific taste and aroma.
The most popular among people was smoked chicken, which is widely eaten both in a separate form and as a supplement to various dishes, because its delicate aroma and savory taste are combined with a huge number of ingredients. The best part is that this delicacy can be purchased not only in stores, but also cook it at home on your own.
As you know, there are two relatively safe types of smoked chicken: hot and cold. What is the difference between them? During cold smoking, the chicken or its ingredients are suspended from the smoke of a smoldering fire. The process occurs at a temperature of about 30 degrees for a long period of time - usually several days. And hot smoking is characterized by the processing of products with the heat of smoke from coal at a high temperature (from 90 to 150 degrees). The process usually takes only a few hours. The texture of the meat becomes less dense and softer.
Smoked chicken - preparation of inventory
First you need to get a smoking machine that you can buy in a specialty store or make at home. However, if you decide to build such a device yourself, we advise you to contact an experienced welder, because the seams of the smokehouse must be sealed.
In principle, you can use a large bucket, pan, metal barrel or the body of an old refrigerator as a smoking machine, as long as the fixture fits tightly. Earlier in Russia for these purposes they used a large Russian stove. Inventory: In order to prepare the chicken for smoking, prepare a clean ax or hammer, a deep enameled bowl (a bowl can), a large chopping board, a hatchet for carcass cutting and a sharp knife.
Smoked chicken - food preparation
The chicken carcass must be cleaned of viscera, rinsed, cut in half and well beaten between two chopping boards with an ax butt, a home hammer or any other blunt heavy object. This is done so that the large bones and joints of the chicken become softer. Then heat the water and prepare the brine with the addition of a glass of salt (per liter of water), bay leaf, garlic, cinnamon, black pepper, sugar, vinegar, etc. Generally, there are no specific criteria, and it all depends on the specific recipe, type of smoking, individual preferences and tastes. Next, lay the chicken in a deep bowl and completely fill the cooked brine for a couple of days.
After the expiration date, we take out the carcasses, make deep cuts in them and stuff them with bacon and garlic. Hang the chicken to feed it, then you can begin the process of smoking. In addition to the whole carcass, it is possible to process its components in the smokehouse: thighs, wings, breast and legs.
Smoked chicken - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Hot smoked chicken
Do you want to cook aromatic and juicy meat, without spending a lot of money and a lot of time? Then this recipe is for you. Below we describe the easiest of the existing methods of smoking chicken. Before sending the meat to the smoking unit for only 40 minutes, we will perform a number of simple actions: we will plentifully rub the chicken with spices, pepper, salt, then we will dry it and send it to the smoking shed.
Ingredients: whole chicken, salt and black pepper to taste, any spices you like.
Preparation:
After the chicken is seasoned, we put it in a plastic bag for a couple of hours in order to give it a good soak. After this time, we get the chicken and hang it out in the fresh air to dry. Next, put the chicken in the smoking device, set the tray, which will drain the excess fat, and smoke chicken under the influence of intense fire for forty minutes. From the cooked bird we must remove the skin, as it has absorbed all the bitterness and cinder of the wood in the process of such smoking.
Recipe 2: Hot smoked chicken (option 2)
Ingredients: a glass of salt, three liters of water, bay leaf, three or four cloves of garlic, black pepper (peas), two tables. spoons of any spices, for example, for kebabs.
Preparation Method:
1. Prepare the brine: to do this, dip the salt, pepper, lavrushka, garlic and spices into warm water and bring to a boil, keep on fire only 3-5 blink from the moment of boiling, then remove the brine and cool to 20-25 degrees.
2. We thoroughly wash the chicken outside and inside, cut off excess fat from it (especially in the area of the tail) and lower it into the pickle. Put in the fridge for 18-20 hours.
3. Then we take out the bird, rinse it under running water, hang it for 1-2 hours, in order to get excess moisture from it, then cut it into two halves, tie it with a string.
4. We fall asleep 3 handfuls of sawdust (preferably alder) in the smoking device, set up the pan, hang the carcasses and close the lid tightly.
5. Put the smoke apparatus on the maximum fire, and in 10-12 minutes we reduce to moderate and smoke for one and a half hours.
Over time, gently open the lid and pull out our treat. The taste of chicken, cooked according to this recipe, you get just excellent. Enjoy your meal!
Recipe 3: Cold Smoked Chicken
For this recipe, you must take the meat of young poultry, preferably a large breed. Perfectly fit broilers not older than six months old.
Ingredients: 1 kg of chicken carcass, 200 gr. bran, a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of pepper.
Preparation Method:
Carefully gut and wash the chicken, chop it into 2 halves, which we place under the bend in a cool place (2-3 degrees) for two days, rubbing the halves with lemon juice. Immediately before smoking, the chicken should be rolled on all sides in a mixture of bran and pepper. Smoke the bird should be at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees for 7-10 days in a cold way. When smoking is recommended to use briquettes "Maple", "Oak", "Cherry". The finished dish can be served with marinated mushrooms or vegetables.
Smoked chicken - useful tips from experienced chefs
Many have probably heard about the so-called liquid smoke, which is used for smoking “on the fast arm”, but this approach to the processing of products is very harmful for the body, since liquid smoke is equated to the strongest carcinogens. It contains toxic chemicals (phenol, formaldehyde, etc.), which tend to accumulate in the cells of the human body and cause their mutation - healthy cells under their influence can transform into cancer cells over time.
In order for our smoked chicken to have a more refined taste, buy it fresh and chilled (not frozen). Prefer large breeds of birds rather young age.
To speed up the process of salting before smoking, experts advise to inject brine into the chicken by injection. This should be done in small portions for every 3-5 cm of the carcass surface. And the last thing to be remembered: only a knowingly healthy bird should be cold smoked, since some microorganisms, including parasite eggs, are resistant to smoking. If you are not sure about the quality of meat, it is better to choose the hot method of smoking.
