First time cold smoking (cheese) experience

[rveal23]

PZ, Everything is falling into plan. I asked my Mother-In-law last night if she would like to taste the cheese, and she declined. I asked why and she told me she didn't like how it looked.. LOL I told her to give it a shot. I handed over a slice and she popped it into her mouth. She looked like this --> :o, I asked her if that was a good face or a bad face and she explained its a great face. She loved the cheese, I then told her it was Smoked Mozzarella, and she was taken back since she does not like that cheese. After that I had to keep handing her samples while I cleaned the kitchen. Lucky enough my wife walked in with my baby, and was able to witness the whole thing.  My whole plan is falling into place  bwhahwhahwhahahha  :-X. Soon I will be able to buy everything I need for my smoker.... ;)

[pz]

LOL!!!  ;D

It's great when it works out!

[pz]

looks good to me, you might back your IT down to around 140-145 to keep it from drying out on you

Funny thing is that I was at 140F internal, but still managed to dry out a bit.  Perhaps it was tenting with foil while resting that allowed the temp to creep upward?

[tskeeter]

looks good to me, you might back your IT down to around 140-145 to keep it from drying out on you

Funny thing is that I was at 140F internal, but still managed to dry out a bit.  Perhaps it was tenting with foil while resting that allowed the temp to creep upward?

Probably the tenting, combined with cutting the loin into smaller pieces.  Smaller pieces = more surface area = more moisture evaporation.

If your next smoke is still a bit dry, you might try spritzing with a very light coat of a light cooking oil, such as canola oil before smoking.  I'd think that might reduce the evaporation a bit and keep the exterior from getting quite so tough.  (I'm going to try this on my next Canadian Bacon smoke.)

[pz]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep plugging away to get it right, but the favor is excellent and at least I can enjoy the practice !  :D

[Saber 4]

looks good to me, you might back your IT down to around 140-145 to keep it from drying out on you

Funny thing is that I was at 140F internal, but still managed to dry out a bit.  Perhaps it was tenting with foil while resting that allowed the temp to creep upward?

Probably the tenting, combined with cutting the loin into smaller pieces.  Smaller pieces = more surface area = more moisture evaporation.

If your next smoke is still a bit dry, you might try spritzing with a very light coat of a light cooking oil, such as canola oil before smoking.  I'd think that might reduce the evaporation a bit and keep the exterior from getting quite so tough.  (I'm going to try this on my next Canadian Bacon smoke.)

Ditto, I think the smaller pieces and the tenting did you in on this one, good news is you can take some cube it up small and mix it in with some eggs and cheese for some awesome breakfast taco's. :)

[pz]

Ditto, I think the smaller pieces and the tenting did you in on this one, good news is you can take some cube it up small and mix it in with some eggs and cheese for some awesome breakfast taco's. :)

That does sound good.  I make a spicy black bean, tomato, corn, and okra stew into which I put some kind of meat - tried little cubes of the Canadian bacon and it is delicious!

However, it is not as dry as the pics would lead one to believe; the flavor is marvelous, and I like eating thin slices as a snack - am doing so as I write - kind of gets me into the spirit of smoking as I peruse the forum  :D

[Saber 4]

That stew sounds really good, may have to make a version for us the wife loves black beans.

[tskeeter]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep plugging away to get it right, but the favor is excellent and at least I can enjoy the practice !  :D

Yup.  That's how I figured out how to make ribs back in my pre-smoker days.  Ribs every weekend for nearly two months.  Different preparation methods.  Different rubs.  Different sauces.  After all the practice, I finally earned my Smoke House Hero badge for ribs. 

Funny, my wife never complained about conducting sensory analysis on all those ribs.

[rveal23]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep plugging away to get it right, but the favor is excellent and at least I can enjoy the practice !  :D

Yup.  That's how I figured out how to make ribs back in my pre-smoker days.  Ribs every weekend for nearly two months.  Different preparation methods.  Different rubs.  Different sauces.  After all the practice, I finally earned my Smoke House Hero badge for ribs. 

Funny, my wife never complained about conducting sensory analysis on all those ribs.

When it comes down eating great food, I don't think anyone can complain! Especially if each time it is done it gets better and better!!!

[pz]

That stew sounds really good, may have to make a version for us the wife loves black beans.

It is a winner for anyone that likes black beans, and especially for those that love savory, spicy foods.  Here is the basic recipe:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can diced tomato
• beef stock (I use the concentrated form available in a jar at Costco)
• a handful of corn
• 1 package of sliced frozen okra
• your favorite kind of meat
• cumin, a rehydrated dried pepper, whatever you like (or one canned chipotle in adobo), finely diced, cilantro, thyme, chile pepper powder (or cayenne), smoked paprika, gumbo file, and if you like chocolate mole, powdered bakers chocolate (the unsweetened kind)

Dump the canned tomato and black bean into a pot and begin to heat.  Add the meat, corn, and okra, then barely cover with beef stock.  Add the spices and bring to a simmer - the aroma will be fantastic, and will bring the kids out of their rooms.  ;D

The flavor is smoky, rich, spicy, and with a bitter bite of the chocolate; this spicy dish will continue to be a favorite of mine

Here's a pic of what I made yesterday:

Funny, my wife never complained about conducting sensory analysis on all those ribs.

lol, you are so right!  The only issue I can see is rising cholesterol and triglyceride levels!

[pz]

Well, we repositioned the smoker and did some more cheese.  Using pecan, we smoked for 2 hours with the temperature not rising above 95F.  I did not connect the power wire to the smoker to prevent any current from reaching the main heating element.  I learned my lesson from the first cheese smoke and cut these into approximately 2.5-inch thick chunks to get good smoke penetration, but not too much.

Also, ice in the bottom pan proved very helpful to keep the temperature from rising too far.  One of these days I'll purchase some dryer vent and build an isolation box to truly deliver cold smoke.  :)

Here's the cheese list:

• Top rack: muenster on the left and goat cheese in the foil
• Middle rack: pepper jack on the left and Gouda on the right
• Bottom rack: more Gouda (left) and muenster (right)

Click the images to zoom

We put the Bradley on the side counter of the grill - it fit perfectly.  It is so much easier to work with the smoker when it is at counter height - no more hands-and-knees!

Done smoking: a friend gave me a huge muenster log to smoke and I cut it into 2.5-inch thick pieces - the ends are on the left.  A couple of goat cheese logs are on the right.

The pepper jack is on the left and Gouda on the right.

We spread a bit of smoked goat cheese on bread my wife baked this morning - it was absolutely delicious.

[rveal23]

I wasn't able to smoke Muenster the last time, so how does it taste smoked? The blocks here in so cal are expensive!  I have to go to SAMs club to get the block to get a good deal.

[pz]

The taste is really good, but I think the rind somewhat hindered smoke penetration because the flavor is milder than the other cheeses.  I did not think the rind would cause an issue because it is a simple paprika rub. However, it is a bit early to determine how it will shake out in the long run - until it rests in the fridge for a few weeks.  ;)  Many trim the edible rind off before eating because of the salty nature, but I like it, so left it on.  However, I might trim it off the next time if it has interfered too much with smoke penetration.

The bottom line is that I'll try it again in the future; plain muenster is a bit bland, and even a small amount of smoke gave it a deliciously different flavor.

The pepper jack tastes great right out of the smoker, and I'll be interested in seeing how it mellows out over the next few weeks.

The Gouda is fantastic as it was the first time - still one of my favorites.

The goat cheese was a pleasant surprise; still had the tang that we love, but now with a rich deep pecan smoke flavor.  I'm sure it will be a hit with our friends and family.  We like goat cheese simply spread on bread, or on crackers.  It is also delicious topped with a slice of jalapeno and wrapped with a strip of prosciutto.

[pz]

Well, still enjoyin' some of the first cheese we smoked some time ago - baked bread late last night with the intent that we would enjoy it this evening for dinner.

The bread: thyme bread baked late last night
The cheese: Bradley smoked Gouda
The wine: Chilean Carmenere from the Maipo Valley - didn't make this  :D

The food was delicious!