Hot smoked lard at home. Method for preparing hot smoked lard in a smokehouse

Smoked lard is a unique product. It can be served either in combination with other dishes or as an independent snack. After smoking, the product receives a wonderful taste and aroma that few people can leave indifferent. Despite the fact that smoking is a difficult process that takes a lot of time, such a delicious dish can be prepared at home without expensive equipment.

Taste qualities of smoked lard

After a long smoking procedure, lard acquires an incredible aroma and taste, as if it were soaked in “smoke.”

The taste quality of the final product directly depends on:

selected piece (raw material);
smoking method;
marinade

Did you know? Smoking was very popular in Rus'. Only there were no special smokehouses at that time, so they used baths that were heated black, and the meat (or fish) was hung on hooks near the stove.

Smoking methods

Before you start smoking, of course, you need to choose a convenient method, of which there are only two: cold and hot. It is important to note that you must follow all instructions exactly, because the product is very delicate and can be easily damaged.

Cold

Cold smoking is an ideal option for those who want a lighter product, after all, the result of cold smoking is less fatty than hot smoking. This method requires a special smokehouse.

There are some difficulties here, namely, the preparation process is very long and consists of several stages. Before starting the smoking process, the raw materials must be salted for 2-3 weeks. To do this, you need to rub it with spices and salt and put it in the refrigerator. After the required time has passed, the workpiece is taken out and all the salt and spices are removed with a knife.

After performing manipulations with the raw materials, it is necessary to load the chips of fruit trees into the smokehouse and hang the raw materials in the smoking box. The whole process will take another 2-3 days.

Important! Wood chips neededregularlyadd. Otherwise, the product will smoke unevenly.

Hot

Hot smoking is a less labor-intensive process. Before it, it is also necessary to salt the raw materials, however, for a maximum of a day. The procedure is the same as for cold: rub the workpiece with spices, salt and garlic and leave in the refrigerator for a day (less is possible, but at least 8 hours). After this time, everything is also removed with a knife.

The raw materials are smoked in a special smokehouse, which is located directly above the flame. Before laying, the product must be cut into small pieces, light a small fire (using fruit trees), place the smokehouse with lard over the fire and leave for 30 minutes to an hour until an appetizing crust appears. It is important to monitor the fire; the fire should not be too large, otherwise the workpiece may simply burn.

Afterwards, the product is removed from the smokehouse and placed on a plate.

Important! Hot smoked products must be completely cooled before use. Cold appetizers have a richer taste.

Rules for selection and preparation of lard

Regardless of the smoking method, the main role is played by the selection of the right raw materials, since it is the only ingredient, and, of course, its preparation for subsequent smoking.

How to choose lard

Salo- the product is simple, but it’s easy to get confused. The product should be white, with a small layer of meat (this will make the result even tastier). The best part is the brisket.

Read also about the processes of slaughtering and butchering a pig.

Salting lard

Immediately before smoking, the workpiece must be properly prepared, namely, salted, and, depending on the smoking method, leave the raw material for a certain time.

Dry method

The dry method is the easiest for salting lard, but the end result is in no way inferior to products after the most exquisite marinade.

For such salting you need to take salt, pepper, dry mustard, garlic to taste (you can use any spices) and thoroughly grate the bacon on all sides, rubbing with force for greater contact of the product with the seasonings. It is necessary to leave the lard in this form for a day in the case of hot smoking and for a week or two if the cold option is chosen.

Method with marinade

The liquid salting method will also give the lard an unusual spicy taste, and there is nothing complicated in preparing the marinade. It is important that the dry ingredients remain the same (salt, spices, garlic), but they are mixed in soy sauce or other traditional liquids. The product is completely rubbed with marinade and placed in the refrigerator for the period required for soaking.

Did you know? Peoples who had access to the sea used sea water as a marinade, and in Scandinavia some types of fish are still soaked in it.

How to smoke lard

So, the product has been selected and prepared, the smoking method has been determined, and it’s time to start cooking.

In a hot smokehouse

Soft, tasty lard is obtained after cooking it in a hot smokehouse.

You can use a purchased “special grill” as a smokehouse. or make it yourself from available materials (old barbecue, pots with grates, etc.).

In a cold smokehouse

After cleaning the lard after salting, it must be placed in a prepared cold smokehouse (20-30 degrees) for 2-3 days, depending on the size and preference for smoked meats. If the product has turned brown, it is completely ready and can be served.

Video: recipe for cold smoked lard

In the oven

This method requires prepared raw materials(at least 24 hours in spices or marinade) place in a heat-resistant container and place in the oven, preheated to 120-130 degrees. You can determine readiness by the characteristic spicy smell and smoky appearance.

Video: how to smoke lard in the oven

On a gas stove in a cauldron

To prepare lard in a cauldron we will need:

deep cauldron with a lid;
pickled bacon;
foil;
lattice;
wood chips (alder and fruit).

So, all the ingredients are ready, let's start cooking.

We take a cauldron and pour a small amount of wood chips into it.
Wrap the grate in foil and place it inside the cauldron.
Place lard on top (skin side down).
Cover tightly with a lid and place on high heat.
Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid or turning off the heat.
Let it cool and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The lard is ready.

In a convection oven

Cooking lard in an air fryer is very simple and, most importantly, quick. To do this, you need to marinate it in the same way as for hot smoking, after clearing it of salt and spices, spread the lard with “liquid smoke” and leave for another hour.

Many people are interested in how to smoke lard correctly, because smoked lard is a true delicacy and a delicacy for connoisseurs. Those who have ever tasted such a dish will agree that this food can easily be served for any holiday or celebration. Such a product is not found on the shelves very often, and for this reason many people are trying to master the basics of making smoked lard at home. This process is quite simple and not the longest. The main thing here is to prepare properly, and then wait until the smokehouse prepares the delicacy. But people don’t always have this device at their disposal, but they still want to try the product. There are several ways to prepare this dish at home or in your apartment.

Choosing the right lard

The method by which the thickness of a piece of lard is determined is very simple - it is measured using your fingers. A piece with a layer of meat and no more than three fingers high is ideal for the smoking process. A very soft and tender dish will be obtained if you give preference to the peritoneum.

Regardless of the chosen cooking method, the product must be the freshest, without foreign aromas and signs of even the slightest spoilage.

Preparation and salting process

To make a tasty and aromatic dish, lard should be prepared in advance. First you need to marinate it, and then smoke it. There are two different methods of salting before the smoking process: dry and marinade.

* Dry method

The dry method does not involve the use of liquid, but only uses salt and spices. The lard should be cut into small pieces, because it will be ready in 3 days. But a large piece of 2 kilograms will require more than 15 days.
Parts of the lard need to be grated well and thoroughly with garlic, and then with a mixture of salt and spices to taste. It is necessary to place pressure on top, and then place the product in a cool place in the house. Before the smoking process, you will need to wash off all the salt from the lard, drying the bacon with paper towels.

Before such salting, it is best to soak the lard in ordinary clean water for about three hours. This will give the product amazing softness and also help it absorb all the spices faster. Pieces of lard must be dried before salting.

* Marinade

The method of salting lard in a homemade marinade will require much less time, and the smell will be more attractive and rich. To make the brine you will need:

cold water - liter;
coarse salt – 150 gr.;
5 cloves of garlic;
2 bay leaves;
spices and herbs to taste.

First, you need to boil water in a separate bowl, and then add salt. When it dissolves, also add finely chopped garlic and spices. Boil the brine for a couple of minutes and then remove it from the heat. The marinade is cooled and poured cool onto the chopped lard. The dish is placed under pressure and left in a cold place for three days. Before pouring the brine, the bacon can be pierced with a knife in several places. This way the product can absorb the marinade evenly.

Hot smoked lard

How to smoke lard using hot smoking - the method involves cooking at high temperatures in less time. But for this you will need a special apparatus where you can maintain a constant temperature of at least 60 degrees.

First you need to prepare the device. Put more sawdust or leaves inside. Next, a grate is installed, and pre-marinated pieces of bacon are placed on it. The products should be placed at some distance from each other so that the smoke envelops them entirely.
The smokehouse is placed on fire and left for an hour. The readiness of the people can be determined by the beautiful golden crust of the lard.

It is better not to close the smokehouse lid during cooking. This disrupts the temperature balance, and the dish may lose its juiciness.

Cold smoking will help you obtain a product with the most delicate texture and a delicious smell of wood. All this will be achieved by low temperature (about 15 degrees). This method will take more time. The lard is laid out in the smokehouse or hung on special hooks, and the smoke is supplied through a special hose in portions.

How to properly smoke lard in an apartment

A person does not always have the opportunity to buy and use a real smokehouse. You can get the aroma of real smoke from lard using tricks that will help you make this dish in your apartment.

* On the stove

You can use a huge cauldron with a lid and a regular gas stove.

Place foil on the bottom of the container. Pour several handfuls of sawdust there, for example, cherries. The lard is placed on a grate, which is placed in a cauldron.
The container is closed with a lid and placed on low heat. This is what helps the cauldron warm up evenly.
The smoking time will vary depending on the size of the pieces. Most often it does not exceed forty minutes.

* In the oven

Instead of a smokehouse, you can also use a home oven. There it is easy to adjust the temperature and choose what kind of smoking will occur - cold or hot.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sawdust is poured into it, it is placed in the oven and heated to 90 degrees.
The lard should be placed on a wire rack that is placed in the oven. The product cooks in it for about half an hour.

In order for the lard to form an attractive and tasty crust, 10 minutes before it is ready, the temperature must be raised to 120 degrees.

For clarity, you can watch a video of how lard is smoked in an apartment on a stove:

Now, having read the article, it will be easier for you to understand and figure out how to smoke lard correctly. Smoking bacon at home is easy if you follow one of the technologies. And the taste of an amazing dish can please you any day.

Hot smoking is a long-known method of processing products. Home craftsmen have already come up with many different devices - both simple to implement and not so simple. For smoking, you can use a bucket, a barrel, or even an old refrigerator.

Simple DIY bucket smokehouse

There are two ways to make a smoking device. Both of them are equally simple.

First way:

Find any bucket on the farm, maybe enameled with a lid.
Weld (or attach in another way) hooks to the lid for hanging lard.
At the bottom of the bucket, place a lid with a smaller diameter than the diameter of the bottom. It is needed so that the fat drips onto it without getting on the sawdust, because then the finished product will have an unpleasant bitter taste. But it must let the smoke through.

Option with hooks

Second way:

You can use an old aluminum bucket with a lid.

Measure the diameter of the bucket above the middle height to make a grid.
You can choose a ready-made grate or make it yourself. Make a ring of the required diameter from wire ø3-5 mm. Then use 1 mm wire to make cells. The smaller they are, the better. Take stainless steel wire so that there is no harm from the prepared product.
Any metal bowl smaller than the diameter of the bottom of the bucket can serve as a tray.
If you use a pan instead of a bucket, then make a grate with legs, since there is no difference in diameters in this container.

Option with lard mesh

A hot smoked smokehouse can also be made from a metal barrel very quickly. It is enough to attach a lattice or two rods at the top, located perpendicular to each other and fixed at different levels. Place a grease tray at the bottom. Place the barrel on the hearth - it can be bricks or a cinder block.

A barrel is used as a camera

The advantage of hot smoking is the compactness of the installation and the speed of cooking in it. It is easy to make with your own hands and can be hidden, carried, or taken with you into nature.

A cold smokehouse is a more solid structure. Lard already requires careful preparation before smoking, and not everyone has the patience to wait until it is smoked using the cold smoking method. But the resulting product can be stored much longer.

Do-it-yourself smokehouse for cold smoking

The main difference between a cold smokehouse and a hot one is the presence of a chimney between the fire source and the chamber. Thanks to him, the smoke reaches the chamber already cooled. This increases the cooking time, but as a result the lard acquires a delicate taste and aroma.

Cold smoking in a barrel

Let's consider one of the simplest options for building a smokehouse. We make a smokehouse for cold smoking from a barrel with our own hands:

Drill holes in the bottom of the barrel;
We make a grate on which the lard will be placed;
We place the barrel on a pit, from which we dig a shallow ditch 2 m long;
Cover the groove with metal sheets or slate and sprinkle earth on top;
We make a firebox - we dig a small hole. It is advisable to line the firebox with bricks;
When cold smoking, the container is covered with burlap and secured with wire.

The chimney is buried or covered with sheets of iron

Attention! The smokehouse for cold smoking should not be covered with a lid.

For cold smoking, you can also use a wooden barrel.

Making a smokehouse from the refrigerator

An old refrigerator can also be used as a cold smoking chamber. Soviet-made devices are ideal, since the thickness of the metal there is much greater than that of modern ones.

The process of making a smokehouse from an old refrigerator with your own hands:

We remove everything unnecessary from the refrigerator compartment: plastic, rubber seals, etc. We leave only the metal box.
We place an electric stove below, and on it a pallet with tree chips.
Close all holes tightly.
We make a smoke hole at the top.
We attach a hook to the door, which we will later use to lock it.
Remove paint and zinc from refrigerator grilles to prevent harmful substances from getting into your food.
If you wish, you can make hooks at the top - they are useful for smoking large pieces of lard.
We install the smokehouse on a reliable foundation.
We install an electric stove at the bottom of the building.
We connect the stove and warm it up to remove foreign odors.

Thanks to the thermostat, the electric smoker will maintain an even temperature for as long as needed.

If you are not satisfied with the cost of electricity and its malfunctions, build a regular cold wood smokehouse. To do this, make a hole for the pipe at the bottom of the housing. A stove is also required. It is connected to the camera using a one and a half meter pipe. Provide another hole at the bottom of the housing which will have a damper necessary to regulate the amount of smoke supplied.

DIY smokehouse for an apartment

A device for smoking within the walls of a city apartment is not too different from a summer cottage smokehouse made from a bucket and pan. Let's consider the option of making a hot smoked smokehouse with your own hands. You will need:

30l aluminum pan with lid;
cast iron frying pan (slightly larger in diameter than the pan);
metal stand for hot food on legs - 2 pcs;
a round baking pan with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the pan;
drill, hacksaw for metal.

Operating procedure:

Use a drill to make holes in the bottom of the pan to allow smoke to enter.
Using a hacksaw, we cut holes at the top so that we can lay out the knitting needles for hanging products.

The smokehouse is almost ready. All that remains is to pour sawdust into the frying pan, place the pan in it (it is important that the bottom of the pan does not touch the bottom of the pan), place a metal stand, a roasting pan on it, and hang the prepared product. If desired, you can use another stand to smoke a larger piece. Place it on the roasting pan. Instead of a fire, you can use an electric oven or gas stove.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about making a smokehouse with your own hands. The main thing is to understand the principle of operation of the smokehouse and choose a suitable container.

Making smoked lard yourself is not at all difficult. However, you need to know all the intricacies of the process. How to smoke lard at home to make it tasty? What smoking methods are there? This is what this article will discuss.

Composition and calorie content of smoked lard

Lard is a high-calorie product, the composition of which is rich in nutrients. It is easily digestible, and almost everyone can eat it. However, the product is useful only when consumed in small quantities. You can eat no more than 60 g of treats per day.

Essential vitamins: C, A, E, PP, D and group B.
Arachidonic acid.
Useful minerals: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, selenium, zinc.
Amino acids: glycine, lysine, histidine, arginine and others.

Including lard in the diet increases immunity and brain activity, improves liver function, and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

100 g of smoked product contains:

Protein – 1.51 g.
Fat – 50.77 g.
Carbohydrates – 1.56 g.
Calorie content is 767 kcal.

Recipes for marinating lard

There are many recipes for marinating lard for smoking. To get a delicious product, you don’t have to use a lot of spices and ingredients. The smell of smoke will give the dish a spicy aroma and taste. Therefore, if you are smoking lard for the first time, try the simplest recipes.

Dry spice marinade

Mix the following spices: 100 g salt, 1 tsp. mixture of peppers. Rub the washed, dried lard with the mixture on all sides and place in a cool place for 1 day. Afterwards, take it out, clean it of excess spices, let it stand in a draft for 2-3 hours, and start smoking.

Marinating in brine

Add 100 g of salt, 1 tbsp to 1 liter of water. l. seasonings for lard, 1 bay leaf. Boil everything, cool, pour in the prepared and chopped pieces of bacon. The brine should cover the product completely. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Remove the lard from the marinade and hang to air for 12 hours. You can start smoking.

These recipes are suitable for any type of smoking.

Marinade with boiling

This recipe is perfect for quick cooking. Add 100 g of salt to 1 liter of water. The brine should completely cover the lard, then boil it for 7-10 minutes. Add spices to taste (bay leaf, allspice or nutmeg will do). Then into a cold smokehouse for 12-15 hours.

How to smoke lard in a hot smoker

To start the smoking process you need to prepare a smokehouse. If you do not have a special home mini smokehouse, you can make it yourself from a large iron bucket or barrel. For this you will need:

Two round grates on which food will be smoked. You can use an old dumpling maker or a stand for hot dishes. Install the first grid 20 cm above the bottom. The top grid is 10-15 cm below the top of the bucket.
Tight lid. If you don’t have one, you can cut it out of stainless steel or tin. The main thing is that the lid closes tightly.
Smokehouse stand. It can be built from metal or use ordinary bricks.

The simple smokehouse is ready and you can start smoking:

Place a good handful of wood chips (cherry, apple, alder) on the bottom of the smokehouse.
Place pieces of lard on the grill (not tightly). It can also be hung by attaching it to the top grill with twine.
Light a fire under the smokehouse. The heat should be high at first, but after 20 minutes it should be reduced slightly. The temperature of the smokehouse should be on average 90⁰C.
In this way, smoke the product for 60 minutes. Once finished, allow the smoker to cool completely. Then take out the finished dish and ventilate it for an hour. Now you can safely try.

Below is a video recipe for cooking lard using a hot method in a smokehouse with a water seal.

Cold smoking is different from the hot process. Lard is smoked using chilled smoke, the temperature of which should not exceed 30⁰C.

Also, the smokehouse itself differs in its design. It consists of a firebox and the smokehouse itself, between which a chimney is laid. To make it yourself, you will need:

Iron barrel, volume 200 liters
Metal mesh
Metal sheet
Iron grate
A piece of burlap
Shovel

Making a smokehouse:

Dig a hole for the firebox and lay a metal sheet on the bottom.
Lay a trench for the chimney, 25 cm wide and deep. The length of the chimney is from 2 to 5 m.
Cover the top of the chimney with fireproof material or a sheet of iron
Separate the bottom from the barrel and attach a mesh instead. Place burlap on the mesh. This will serve as a filter against soot. Place the barrel at the end of the trench.
At the top of the barrel, attach a grate on which you will smoke the food, about 25 cm below the top. Instead of a grate, you can install thick metal rods with hooks and hang food on them.

A simple design for cold smoking is ready, you can begin the process. To do this, you need to place the lard in the smokehouse and light a fire in the firebox. The fire must be maintained continuously throughout the entire process.

Do not use coniferous wood. It is best to take fruit ones: cherries, grapes, pears, apple trees, cherries.

The article discusses popular recipes for making smoked lard, following which you can get a fragrant delicacy at home.

What you need to know about smoking lard?

Any lard is suitable for smoking, but the product with layers of meat is especially tasty. For uniform heat treatment during hot smoking, it is recommended to cut the product into pieces no more than 4-5 cm thick (for convenience when slicing, you can measure the pieces using 3 fingers).

A salted product is used for smoking. Lard can be salted using the dry method or using a marinade. If you plan to ➤ SMOKE LARD, which subsequently needs to be stored for a long time, it is better to salt it in a marinade with heat treatment.

Methods for smoking lard

Depending on the equipment used, recipe and method of processing the product, the following smoking methods are distinguished:

In the smokehouse. A traditional way to produce tasty lard that has absorbed the aroma of natural smoke. Depending on the temperature in the smokehouse, there are two subtypes of this method:

Cold smoking. For cooking, large industrial or small home smokehouses are used. The cooking time can take up to three days, during which it is necessary to maintain a uniform concentration of smoke in the smokehouse. Cold smoked lard is characterized by a reduced water concentration, long shelf life, and a deep smoky aroma.
Hot smoking. It involves the use of factory-made or home-made smokehouses, in which, in addition to fumigation with smoke, the product is subjected to heat treatment. The cooking time for lard in hot smoked smokehouses is about 5 hours. The finished product takes on a beautiful brown-golden color, but remains juicy inside. Ready-made hot smoked lard can be stored under normal conditions for several weeks, and in the freezer - up to a year.

In improvised containers that replace the smokehouse. In the absence of a smokehouse, lard can be prepared in a container that can serve as a simplified and less functional replacement, for example: a deep frying pan, grill, metal bucket, etc. Wood chips are placed at the bottom of the container, above which grates or fastenings for crossbars are installed. The product is fixed on them. This is an easy option for getting a smoked delicacy within 2-3 hours. However, it requires additional materials and the quality of the finished delicacy is most often inferior to a similar product prepared in a specialized smokehouse.
Unnatural smoking. This is the name for the method of cooking lard, which is similar in appearance and taste to the product from a smokehouse. In this case, the desired effect is achieved by cooking, grating and marinating the product with the addition of liquid smoke. It is used when there is no smokehouse or when it is necessary to prepare a significant amount of lard in a short time at home.

Regardless of the cooking method, to obtain the desired result, you need to use a fresh product without signs of spoilage. Smoking will not help preserve lard that has begun to deteriorate or has become saturated with unpleasant odors (for example, after lying in the refrigerator for a long time).

Let's look at the basic recipes for smoking lard at home.

Recipe 1. Cooking lard in a home hot smoked smokehouse

To prepare the product, you need a factory smokehouse made of regular or stainless steel. You can familiarize yourself with the range of high-quality smokehouses of the KEDR Plus, Alder Smoke and Privolzhsky Mechanical Plant LLC (MPZ) brands in the catalog of our website.

A factory smokehouse is usually a metal container with wood chips placed at the bottom. Then the device is installed on a heat source: a fire, barbecue, gas burner, etc. Modern models are equipped with special shelves for laying out the product, made in the form of a stainless steel grid with the ability to load in one, two or three tiers.

Lard can also be prepared in an electric smokehouse, but the resulting product is inferior in taste and aroma to lard prepared with natural wood chips.

Ingredients

lard, pre-cut into pieces
pepper
garlic
Bay leaf

Product preparation

Prepare the marinade. To do this, fill a suitable container with water. Its quantity can be arbitrary, but sufficient for all the pieces to be completely hidden in the liquid. To better dissolve the salt, the water can be heated. Then they lower a chicken egg into it and begin to add salt, stirring, until it floats to the surface. This serves as a signal that the required concentration of the substance in the solution has been reached. Be careful: if the salt concentration is too high, the meat layers will become too tough.
Now add garlic, pepper and bay leaf. If desired, add any other spices and place the solution in a cool place until it cools completely.
Then we dip the pieces of lard into the marinade, press with a lid with a weight or in another way and leave in a cool place for 4 days to a week. This is necessary for effective salting.
After the specified time, remove the lard from the marinade, place it on a wire rack or hang it on hooks until it dries.

Smoking

You can prepare smoked lard outdoors or at home (for smoking at home, smokehouses equipped with a water seal system are used).

Procedure

A handful of fruit tree chips is placed at the bottom of the smokehouse (if necessary, chips from several tree species are combined in different proportions to obtain the optimal taste and aroma of the finished products). Apple tree chips are suitable for smoking lard.
To make cleaning the smokehouse easier, it is recommended to wrap the wood chips in a loose envelope made of heat-resistant foil. After smoking, it is completely removed from the smoking chamber, the bottom of which remains clean. If you don't have foil on hand, you can sprinkle a little clean sand on the bottom.
To smoke lard, it is better to use smokehouses equipped with a tray. It will prevent fat from getting onto the wood chips, which will prevent carbon deposits from forming during smoking. In addition, hot air and smoke will cool slightly as they flow around the pan, resulting in pieces of food that will cook evenly and not burn.
A grate for food is placed on top of the tray. When smoking lard, it is not necessary to lubricate it with oil: the fat from it will prevent burning. To prepare a significant amount of delicacy, smokehouse models with the ability to load in two or three tiers are used.
The lard is carefully distributed on the grates. In order for the smoke from the wood chips to be evenly distributed throughout the smoking chamber, the pieces must be laid at intervals of 1.5 - 2 cm.
The water seal trough is filled with drinking water.
A hose is put on the smoke exhaust fitting, the other end of which is placed in the hood or window.
The smokehouse is then covered with a lid and placed over a fire or other heat source. About 10 minutes after this, the chamber will begin to fill with smoke.
The cooking time for lard in a smokehouse set over medium heat is from 30 minutes to 1 hour. You need to remove the product from the smokehouse when a golden brown crust forms on the pieces. If you are using a smoker at home, you need to turn off the stove and wait until the smoke stops.
Then the product must cool completely. To achieve optimal hardness, it is recommended to keep hot smoked lard in the refrigerator for 1 day. After this, the product can be served.

Recipe 2. Cooking smoked lard in a cauldron (at home)

If you don’t have a smokehouse with a water seal, you can prepare smoked lard at home in a large cauldron.

Ingredients

black pepper

In addition, you will need a shelf for laying out the product inside the smokehouse (preferably in the form of a lattice), a lid that allows you to tightly close the container, and also wood chips (apple tree chips are suitable for smoking lard; if this is not available, you can use cherry chips).

Smoking

For cooking in a cauldron, you can use pickled lard (using the method described in the first recipe), as well as dry-salted lard. To prepare it, you need to generously sprinkle pieces of the product with salt, pepper and other spices to your taste, and then put them in a cool place for 2 weeks.
Before use, pieces of dry salted lard are cleared of salt, and the lard must be dried after soaking in the marinade.
Then wood chips are placed on the bottom of the cauldron. To make it easy to clean the wood chips later, you can wrap it in a loose envelope made of heat-resistant foil. Subsequently, the ashes can be easily removed from the cauldron.
Pieces of lard are placed on a wire rack and carefully placed in a cauldron.
Unlike factory smokehouses, equipped with a water seal system that prevents smoke from entering the premises, when using a cauldron, you will have to use improvised means for this. For example, you can make a batter from flour and water. It must be applied to the edges of the lid and cauldron. When closed, they must form a hermetically sealed seal that must not be broken until the end of cooking.
Then you need to light the maximum fire on the gas stove (or set the maximum value on the electric stove). After 15 minutes, you need to turn off the stove and leave the lard in the cauldron for 2-3 hours. In this case, the lid must not be lifted until the product has completely cooled down.
Before use, it is recommended to keep the lard in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Recipe 3. Making smoked lard at home using liquid smoke

Using a concentrated liquid smoke additive, you can prepare smoked lard using a simple method that does not require much time and effort. If you comply with all the requirements and recommendations, you will get a product that will be slightly inferior in appearance and taste to lard prepared in a cold smoked smokehouse.

Ingredients

Red pepper

Per 1 liter of marinade

100 g salt
3 tablespoons liquid smoke (about 50 ml)
onion peel from 2 large onions

Preparation

First you need to boil the onion skins in water for 5-7 minutes, adding salt and liquid smoke in turn.
After this, the pieces of lard are placed in a container of a suitable size and poured with hot onion marinade so that the entire product is under the liquid (it is advisable to use pieces with meat layers).
Then the lard should be placed in a cool place for deeper absorption of the marinade at least overnight, but preferably for a day (the larger the size of the pieces, the longer it will take for optimal marinating).
After the specified time, remove the lard from the marinade and remove the remaining liquid. To do this, you can spread the product on a wire rack for about an hour (you can use hooks instead of a wire rack) or dry the product with napkins. Then carefully rub each piece with pepper. If desired, you can add dry garlic and other seasonings. After processing with spices, each piece is wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator.

After a few days, the lard is ready for use.

Recipe 4. Smoking lard in the oven

A distinctive feature of this recipe is the need to pre-cook the lard, thanks to which it acquires special tenderness. In this case, the smoking time is reduced, since the semi-finished product is actually smoked. A tall tank or pan is used as a container for processing lard with smoke. Small metal rods are hung across the container, from which the product is suspended using metal hooks.

Ingredients

lard (about 1.5 kg)
salt (300 g)
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic
2 liters of water

In addition, food foil and wood chips are used.

Preparation - Product preparation

Put the water on the fire and bring to a boil. Dip the chopped lard onto the food and cook after boiling for 3 minutes (no more).
Place pieces of the product in a pan or food containers, add chopped garlic and onions, then pour in the broth in which the lard was cooked.
After cooling, place the product in the refrigerator for 4 days.
After the specified time, remove the container with lard, take out the product and place it on a wire rack (or hang it on hooks) to dry for several hours.

Smoking

Wrap 2-3 handfuls of wood chips in a loose foil envelope and lower them to the bottom of the tank.
Again we place the rods over the container and hang the lard on them.
Cover the tank tightly with foil pressed against the edges.
Turn on maximum heat for about 1 minute. After heating the tank, reduce the flame to the minimum level and continue cooking for one and a half to two hours.
After the specified time, turn off the heat, but leave the product in the tank until it cools completely. After this, the lard will be ready for use.

Smoking lard at home: tricks and useful tips

For uniform cooking, it is recommended to use small pieces of product weighing up to 0.4 kg.
The product should exude a pleasant aroma of smoke, and not the smell of spices, so they should be added in a volume no greater than when preparing ordinary salted lard.
You can preserve the delicacy for several months at normal temperatures only if it is a cold-smoked product (if you prepared hot-smoked lard, it is better to wrap it in cling film and place it in the freezer).
The readiness of the product is determined by its color: as soon as the lard has acquired a brownish-red hue, smoking can be stopped.
If during cooking the pieces of lard have acquired an arched shape, they can be placed skin side up on a flat surface and pressed down with a flat-bottomed press (a weighted cutting board will do). If necessary, the product can be continued to marinate in this position by filling it with brine.