Smoked bacon is a real gourmet delicacy. How to soak bacon so that it is soft and tender, with a refined aroma and mouth-watering appearance at home? There are many recipes for cooking in a short time, without the availability of special appliances and equipment.

How to smoke fat in a home smokehouse

It is believed that the best taste of fat in a smoke-cured smokehouse is manifested when using fresh sawdust. Usually this is done by several methods: on the street or indoors in specially equipped devices of factory production, made with one's own hands, using improvised means. There are two ways - wet and dry.

Wet Way

The initial process begins with the preparation of fat, it must be soaked in brine:

  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • salt, peppercorns;
  • water;
  • Bay leaf.

The brine must cover a piece of bacon. If desired, add cloves buds, garlic, and other spices. Salting time - at least 24 hours. Then the product is dried and smoked for about 2 hours. At the beginning of the process, the fire should be as strong as possible. After 15-20 minutes, the heating is reduced and smoking continues for about 3-4 hours.

To get cold smoked bacon, it is also pre-salted in any convenient way. Then placed in a smokehouse for 2-3 days at a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees. Depending on the desired result, the process continues for another 1-2 days.

Dry way

It is believed that with dry salting, fat should be prepared in advance. Abundantly rubbed with salt pieces left for 1-2 weeks for salting.

To enhance the aroma and taste add spices:

  • Bay leaf;
  • garlic;
  • paprika;
  • coriander;
  • caraway;
  • allspice or hot pepper - to taste.

Before determining fat in the smokehouse, it should be thoroughly washed and dried. Smoking is carried out in the same way as with the wet method. For quick salting, place salted lard under pressure in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours. The better it is salted, the better the product will be.

Lovers of savory snacks prepare cooked smoked lard. To do this, it is pre-boiled in a marinade with salt, pepper and spices and only after that they are smoked in the usual way.

It is generally accepted that taste and aroma directly depends on the quality of sawdust used in smoking. The most suitable are obtained from fruit species of trees: cherries, apricots, apple trees, cherries.

In the oven, hot

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to smoke fat at home is to use an oven. It is worth noting that the smell of smoke in the room is inevitable. You need to have a baking sheet with high sides and a wire rack.

The cooking process is divided into several stages.

  1. 2-3 layers of foil are lined on a baking sheet, poured with a thin layer of wood chips.
  2. Put 2 layers of foil with wrapped sides on top so that the grease does not drain onto the bottom layer with sawdust.
  3. Pre-cooked lard is laid out on the grill.
  4. It is cooked in an oven at a temperature of 100 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
  5. After cooking, the oven doors do not open, the product is incubated for another 2-2.5 hours, taken out into the street.

To prevent smoke, it is desirable to have a quality hood.

A simple recipe in a cauldron on a stove

To avoid the smell of smoke and to simplify the process as much as possible, the available cooking method is used - with the help of a cauldron. This can be done on any stove: gas, electric, wood. If it is possible to cook a delicacy in the street, any open fire source is suitable: barbecue or just a bonfire.

Making smoked bacon in a cauldron is easy:

  • distribute at the bottom of the sawdust with a layer of 1-2 cm (depending on volume);
  • lay out the foil, forming "sides";
  • put a round lattice on top;
  • put the fat on the grill;
  • close the lid, seal it additionally;
  • keep on high heat for 15-20 minutes;
  • bring over low heat until cooked for 30-40 minutes.

To seal the lid, wrap it with foil or cover the cracks with fresh dough from flour and water.

Smoking fat with liquid smoke

The use of liquid smoke greatly facilitates the preparation of smoked bacon, the product is a beautiful golden color with a characteristic pleasant smell in a short time. To properly smoke fat with liquid smoke, several methods are practiced.

A simple recipe for smoked bacon with liquid smoke

For cooking, you need to prepare the marinade:

  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • 50-60 ml of liquid smoke;
  • water;
  • husk from 2-3 large bulbs of yellow hues.

The process is divided into several stages.

  1. The husk is boiled for 6-10 minutes, salt and liquid smoke are added.
  2. Salo is poured with marinade for a day.
  3. The pieces are dried, rubbed with hot pepper, garlic and paprika, laid out on a wire rack in the smokehouse.
  4. After cooking, each piece is wrapped with cling film and placed in the refrigerator.

Other spices are added if desired: coriander, zira, herbs.

Smoked boiled lard with liquid smoke

To make smoked bacon with a gentle pleasant taste and texture, you must first boil it in the marinade:

  • water;
  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • garlic;
  • husk of 1 large onion golden yellow;
  • 15-20 ml of liquid smoke;
  • Bay leaf;
  • allspice and peas.

The cooking process is carried out in stages.

  1. Pepper, garlic are added to the water and poured with water.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat for no more than 3 minutes.
  3. Lard drops (the product must be completely coated).
  4. Boiled for half an hour.
  5. Salo is infused in the marinade for at least 6-8 hours.
  6. The finished product is pulled out, dried.
  7. Rubbed with a mixture of ground pepper, chopped garlic and spices.
  8. Each piece is wrapped in foil, stored in the freezer.

To reduce the cooking time and get the most saturated color and taste, you need to cut pieces no thicker than 5 cm.

In a slow cooker

Modern housewives use multicookers to simplify the cooking process.

For the simplest and most common method, you need:

  • 1 kg of fat;
  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • allspice peas;
  • 1/2 tsp red hot pepper;
  • 2 tsp paprika;
  • husk of 2 large bulbs of yellow hues;
  • 1 medium head of garlic;
  • Bay leaf;
  • 50 ml of liquid smoke;
  • 1.5 liters of water.

How to properly smoke fat in a slow cooker:

  1. The husk is thoroughly washed and divided into 2 parts.
  2. One part is laid out at the bottom of the multicooker, lard pieces are placed on top.
  3. Sprinkled with pepper, bay leaf and paprika.
  4. Topped with garlic cloves.
  5. It is covered with a layer of the remaining husk.
  6. Pieces are filled with water, liquid smoke is added.
  7. The extinguishing mode is set for 1.5 hours.

After cooling, each piece is wrapped with cling film, stored in the refrigerator.

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