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Hot and cold smoking of beaver is an excellent opportunity to prepare an exquisite delicacy. The product turns out to be truly tasty, aromatic and of high quality. In relation to pork, goose and turkey, beaver meat is not inferior at all. It is valued for its low-calorie and dietary content, which is especially important for people watching their figure and health. To smoke beaver at home, you need to become more familiar with the intricacies of its preparation, marinating, salting, and basic recipes.
Benefits and calorie content of smoked beaver meat
Despite the small size of beavers, they have quite a bit of healthy meat on their bones. In terms of taste, it can be easily compared with rabbit and chicken.These animals have a musk gland, in which many vitamins and complex compounds accumulate over the entire winter period, including:
- riboflavin;
- thiamine;
- a nicotinic acid;
- ascorbic acid;
- alanine;
- histidine;
- glycine;
- lysine;
- valine;
- protein;
- fat.
The most popular among lovers of exotic dishes are young specimens, characterized by the delicate structure of the meat. These carcasses taste similar to goose. When preparing beaver meat, it is important not to overheat it, otherwise long heat treatment will cause the fibers to become stiff and the fat will simply leak out. Unlike hot smoking, cold smoking is more successful; the delicacy turns out tender.
There are 146 kcal per 100 g of beaver meat. For this amount, the fat indicators are 7 g, proteins – 35 g, carbohydrates – 0 g.
Due to the antioxidant content in beaver meat, the following positive changes are observed in the human body:
- the process of rejuvenation occurs at the cellular level;
- aging slows down;
- oxygen delivery is normalized;
- the general condition of the skin and nails improves;
- The immune system is supported in the fight against eczema and psoriasis.
With regular consumption of beaver meat, you can effectively take preventive measures against kidney diseases, as well as normalize the functioning of internal organs. As a result, the central nervous system, cardiovascular, and optic nerves become stronger, and the clarity of vision improves. In addition, it will be possible to normalize metabolic processes in the human body and establish water-salt balance.
Smoked beaver meat is a dietary and very tasty delicacy that can be prepared in a smokehouse using hot or cold smoking.
It is not recommended to constantly consume beaver meat for people suffering from serious chronic diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys. Protein breakdown in such diseases is extremely difficult, unnecessarily loading the body.
Considering that the main diet of rodents is plant foods, their meat does not contain any pathogens. It is possible to cook beaver both by hot and cold smoking. Thanks to the smoke, you can get rid of the peculiar smell of beaver meat and make the fat layers more tender.
Principles and methods of smoking beaver
There are many recipes for smoking beaver using hot or cold smoking. But everyone has basic principles on how to do it correctly, which is important to take into account to obtain the desired result.
How long does it take to smoke beaver?
If meat is prepared by hot smoking, the procedure lasts 2-3 hours. The optimal temperature is 100 degrees. If it is cold smoking, the first 8 hours need to be cooked without interruption; during this period of time the product is preserved. If mistakes are made, the meat may deteriorate and rot. Then breaks are possible. The readiness of the delicacy is determined by the color of the cut; there should be no bright red spots. The fibers will turn brown.
How to cut and prepare a carcass
The final result depends on how correctly the meat is prepared for smoking. To do this correctly, you need to know the features of cutting and preparing a carcass. The technology is as follows:
- Cut off the animal's head, legs and tail.
- Remove the skin.
- Open the belly and take out the insides.
- Cut into several pieces if the beaver is large. This way the meat will marinate better, absorb spices and become much tastier.
Afterwards, the carcass must be rinsed under running water and dried with paper towels. It is mandatory to salt it, using either marinade or dry salting.
How to marinate beaver for smoking
No marinade is complete without the following spices:
- Bay leaf;
- carnation;
- garlic;
- ginger;
- pepper.
These spices go well with meat. If it is necessary to marinate the beaver tail for hot smoking, then add the following:
- lemon;
- wine;
- onion peel;
- cognac.
You can marinate beaver meat for smoking according to the following, most common recipe:
- Pour water into a suitable container.
- Add garlic (4 cloves), hot pepper (5 g), mustard (20 g), sweet peas (3 pcs.), bay leaf (2 pcs.), spices (20 g), salt (per 1 kg of net weight). 40 g).
- Boil the marinade for 10 minutes and let cool to room temperature.
- Place parts of the meat in a container with marinade and place in the refrigerator. Keep the workpiece for 3 days.
In order for beaver meat to have a soft fiber structure when cold smoked, it is either boiled in advance, but not until fully cooked, or vinegar is added to the marinade.
How to pickle beaver for smoking
To preserve the originality of the taste, experienced chefs recommend keeping beaver meat in salt, adhering to the following algorithm of actions:
- Mix coarse salt and ground pepper in a deep bowl.
- Dip each piece of meat into the mixture.
- Wrap in parchment or place in a bag and refrigerate for 48 hours.
There are no specific proportions of salt and pepper here; fatty meat will absorb the amount of salt it needs, the excess will be removed through the marinade. With the cold smoking method, beaver meat must be dried, otherwise it will simply boil under the influence of elevated temperatures, or the risk of developing pathogenic microflora will increase.
How to smoke beaver
There are different recipes for how to cook beaver using hot smoking, cold smoking, and semi-cold smoking. Each of them has its own subtleties that should be taken into account in order for the delicacy to be a success.
How to smoke beaver in a hot smoker
The cooking time for beaver meat using the hot smoking method is only 2-3 hours, as a result the product acquires a pronounced aroma and rich taste. The principle of smoking at home is as follows:
- Place fruit tree chips in the combustion chamber.
- Install a tray to collect grease. If this is not done, drops that fall on the sawdust will cause a bitter taste.
- Place pieces of marinated meat on the grill. If they are large, it is better to tie them with a rope.
- Cover with a lid and put on fire. The optimal processing temperature is 100 °C. Afterwards the meat needs to be ventilated.
Cold smoking beaver
Beaver meat prepared by cold smoking has a rich taste and sufficient elasticity. The temperature range varies between 25-30 °C.If the indicators are higher, the product will be baked, and if lower, the canning process will not be fully completed.
You can make a cold smoked smokehouse with your own hands from a 200 liter barrel
Smoking in specialized devices takes place when the temperature is set in the desired range using a mode regulator. If the smokehouse is at home, then this point can be corrected by changing the length of the chimney. Cooking time is 72 hours, where the smokehouse cannot be opened for the first 8 hours.
Semi-cold smoking of beaver meat
This smoking method involves treating meat with smoke, the temperature of which varies between 40-60 °C. Alder chips are loaded into the combustion chamber. The product cooks much faster, the meat turns out very soft and juicy.
The cooking time for beaver using the semi-cold smoking method is one day.
How to smoke beaver tail
In general, the process of smoking fatty tails is no different from meat. They also need to be prepared and treated with hot smoke.
Cleaning and cutting
First, the tail must be cleaned and scalded with boiling water. Then divide into 2 parts, making 2 cuts on top and 1 on the bottom.
How to marinate beaver tail for smoking
There are several ways to marinate the tail:
- Dry salting. Using medium-ground salt and pepper, basil, you need to process the workpiece on each side. Place the onion cut into rings and the prepared tail into a bowl or bag and leave in a cool place for 12 hours.
- Wet salting. The tail must be sprinkled with a mixture of salt and pepper, placed in a suitable container, add bay leaf and peppercorns. Prepare a brine from salt and vinegar, cool it and pour it over the workpiece. Marinating time 12 hours.
You can get very tasty tails if you use a marinade for smoking beaver from:
- water (200 ml);
- salt (1 tbsp);
- dry wine (150 g);
- cognac (100 g);
- chopped lemon (1 pc.).
Sprinkle the workpiece with chopped onion rings on top and leave to pickle for 12 hours.
Hot smoking beaver tail
Recipe for smoking beaver tail:
- Light a fire on the grill.
- Place alder chips on the bottom of the smokehouse.
- Place the workpieces on the grill, having previously installed a tray to collect fat. Place the smokehouse on the fire.
- Cooking time is 20-30 minutes from the moment white smoke appears.
Storage rules
In order for smoked meat to be stored well in the refrigerator or freezer, it must first be grated with fat and wrapped in parchment. You can also put the beaver meat in foil, then in plastic and a container. Depending on the temperature conditions, the storage periods are as follows:
- 24-36 hours at +0-5 °C;
- 12-15 hours at a temperature of +5-7 °C;
- 48-72 hours at a temperature of -3 to 0 °C.
There is an opinion that smoked meat in the refrigerator loses its taste. It is better to store it for no more than 3 days.
A video on how to cold smoke beaver will help you get acquainted with all the nuances.
Conclusion
Smoking beaver hot, as well as cold and semi-cold, makes it possible to enjoy an exquisite delicacy at home. The main thing is to make the marinade correctly, maintain it for a specific time, and not overdo it with the temperature.
