Content
Hot smoked knuckle is a delicious delicacy that you can prepare yourself. It is more convenient to do this at the dacha, but it is quite possible in a city apartment. This dish can be included in everyday and holiday menus. It is suitable for making slices, sandwiches, and also as an ingredient for salads.
Smoked drumsticks have an appetizing appearance
Calorie content and benefits of the product
The nutritional value and calorie content of pork knuckle are presented in the table.
| Composition per 100 g |
Proteins, g | 18,6 |
Fats, g | 24,7 |
Carbohydrates, g | 0 |
Calorie content, kcal | 295 |
The chemical composition contains many useful elements:
- vitamins: groups B, E, PP;
- iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper, iodine, fluorine.
This part of the carcass contains a lot of collagen, which is beneficial for cartilage and bone tissue. It ensures joint mobility.
Principles of smoking knuckles
Smoking is the processing of products with smoke resulting from the smoldering of sawdust. The knuckle can be smoked in different ways - hot or cold. In addition, they prepare boiled-smoked and smoked-boiled pork.
The easiest way is to smoke hot smoked pork knuckle at home. This method is technologically simple, does not take much time and is safe due to the fact that the meat undergoes full heat treatment and reaches culinary readiness. The smokehouse is a chamber for food with a tray, grate and tight lid. It can be of different sizes and shapes, industrial or homemade. The principle of operation is simple - the chamber with sawdust and meat is placed directly on the fire source and the product is brought to readiness.
Cold smoking is a long and complex process. It is very important to salt the product well beforehand - already at this stage it should be completely ready for use, and in the smokehouse it will only acquire a specific aroma. Often at home, pork is first boiled. To prepare such a delicacy, you need a cold smoked smokehouse. It consists of a container for products and a combustion chamber located at a distance of 1.5 m. They are connected by a chimney, which is often located underground. While the smoke passes through the pipe to the container with meat, it will cool to the desired temperature (19-25 degrees). A simpler option for domestic use is a smoke generator. This device for generating and transporting smoke into the chamber with products greatly facilitates the process of cold smoking.The smoke generator consists of a cylindrical body, which is also a sawdust combustion chamber, as well as a pipe for supplying smoke, an air duct nozzle, a removable bottom with a chamber for ash and resins, a compressor, and a lid with latches.
The principle of operation of the smoke generator is quite simple
How to select and prepare shank for smoking
For smoking, it is recommended to choose the hind leg, which has more meat than the front leg.
It is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of the lower leg. The skin should be free of damage and stains. If the meat is fresh, it is dense and elastic. If you press on the skin, you can feel how it springs, and the dent quickly disappears.
For smoking, it is better to choose the shank of a young animal. The color of this pork is light pink. The fat layer is small and white. An old animal has dark meat and yellowish fat - it is more suitable for making broth or minced meat.
You definitely need to evaluate the smell. It shouldn't be unpleasant.
For smoking you need to choose a fresh drumstick with a thin layer of lard
The knuckle is most often smoked along with the skin. First you need to singe it and scrape it with a knife, then rinse it thoroughly using a stiff brush or brush. If you do all this, the skin will marinate better and be softer.
If desired, the skin can be cut off, but it is better to leave the fat. In this case, the smoking process will take less time.
Some leave the skin, but cut out the bone, wrap the remaining part in a roll, and tie it with twine.
Pickling
Before smoking, pork must be marinated. To do this, you need to prepare a brine from the following ingredients:
- cold water – 3 l;
- salt – 250 g;
- black peppercorns – 1 tsp;
- sugar – 50 g;
- bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
- cloves – 6 pcs.
In addition, you will need 4 cloves of garlic.
For marinating, use spices according to your taste.
Marinating procedure:
- Mix salt and sugar.
- Grind black peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves in a mortar.
- Combine all ingredients for marinating.
- Bring the water in the pan to a boil, pour in the prepared mixture, boil again, reduce the heat and cook for five minutes. Remove the marinade from the stove and cool.
- Cut the garlic cloves into slices.
- Place the prepared shanks and garlic in a marinating container.
- Pour the cooled brine over the pork and stir. The meat should be completely in the marinade.
- Cover the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for four days. During this time, turn the shins over several times.
- After marinating, the shanks should be dried at room temperature on a wire rack or tied with twine and hung. Drying time – 5-6 hours.
After this you need to start the smoking process.
Hot smoked pork knuckle
Hot smoking is the processing of meat with hot smoke. Temperature ranges from 80 to 110 degrees.
How to smoke a shank in a hot smoker
After marinating in brine, the drumstick must be dried. Do not place wet meat in the smokehouse - excess moisture will prevent smoke from penetrating inside.
To prepare smoked shanks in a hot smoked smokehouse, you will need alder and cherry wood chips. You need to take about 6 large handfuls. In addition, you can add juniper branches.
Pour wood chips onto the smokehouse tray and cover with foil on top. Place the knuckle on the grill.
Light wood in the grill. Place the smokehouse on it and close the lid. If there is a water seal, fill with water.
Smoke over medium heat.The time begins to count from the moment smoke appears from the pipe in the lid. The smoking time for the knuckle is from 40 to 60 minutes. After this, open the lid, remove the foil, and leave the meat on the grill for another 10 minutes. This is necessary to remove excess moisture. Then remove the chamber from the heat and cool the finished product. Place the cooled shank in the refrigerator for a day - this will give it a more pronounced aroma and be tastier.
Any suitable container can be adapted for hot smoking
Recipe for smoking raw smoked shanks
To prepare raw smoked shank, you will need to be patient. First of all, it needs to be salted - this will take several days. Then dry for at least 10-12 hours. After this, cold smoke at 22 degrees for several more days.
The following ingredients will be required:
- pork knuckles – 4 pcs.;
- water – 2 l;
- salt – 200 g;
- garlic – 4 cloves;
- bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
- mustard powder – 8 tsp;
- black peppercorns – 15 pcs.
Preparation procedure:
- Pour cold water into the pan. Do not heat or boil.
- Cut the garlic into slices.
- Place salt, garlic, pepper, bay leaf, and mustard powder into the water. To stir thoroughly.
- Place the shanks in the marinade.
- Place in the refrigerator for 6 days.
- After 6 days, remove the drumsticks from the brine, rinse with running water, tie with twine, and hang to dry for a day.
- Then place them in a cold smoker.
- Smoke the pork knuckle for 3 days.
- Hang to dry for 12 hours. After this you can eat it.
Raw smoked drumsticks have undergone a more gentle cooking process
How to smoke shanks with Dijon mustard
Dijon mustard is used to make a glaze that is used to coat the shanks before going into the smokehouse.This is how it acquires a piquant taste and beautiful appearance.
The following ingredients will be required:
- pork knuckle – 3 pcs.;
- water – 3 l;
- salt – 250 g;
- Dijon mustard – 2 tsp;
- natural honey – 3 tsp.
Preparation procedure:
- Prepare the shank for smoking: singe, scrape with a knife and rinse.
- Prepare the marinade. Pour water into a saucepan, add salt, put on fire, wait until it boils, remove from heat, cool.
- Pour over the prepared marinade and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain the brine, rinse the shanks with water and hang to dry.
- Prepare a glaze of Dijon mustard and natural honey and apply to pork shanks.
- Smoke the shanks in a hot smoker until done.
Smoked meats in honey-mustard glaze look especially appetizing
How to smoke shanks at home
You can cook hot smoked pork knuckle at home in a mini smokehouse on a gas stove.
For 1 kg of pork you will need the following ingredients:
- garlic – 15 g;
- bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
- regular salt – 15 g;
- nitrite salt – 15 g;
- zira – 1/3 tsp;
- star anise – 1/3 tsp;
- black pepper – ½ tsp.
Preparation procedure:
- Place the shanks in a suitable container.
- Pour cold water until they are completely covered.
- Drain the water into a saucepan, add all the ingredients except garlic, put it on the fire, wait until it boils, remove from the heat and cool.
- Peel the garlic, pass through a press, add to the container with the shanks. Then pour in the cooled marinade, close the lid and put it in the refrigerator for 4 days. The pork should be completely submerged in the brine. During the marinating process, they need to be turned over several times.
- Drain the marinade and rinse the shanks with water.
- Tie each with twine and hang on hooks to dry for at least 3 days.
- Turn on the stove and put the smoking chamber on fire. Pour 4-5 handfuls of wood chips into the bottom, place a tray on it, then install a grill, place the shanks on it, and close the lid tightly.
- When smoke appears, put a smoke exhaust pipe on the pipe and heat the chamber to 100 degrees. Reduce heat, smoke for 1.5 hours at 95 degrees. The smoking time may be slightly shorter or longer depending on the size of the shanks.
- Then turn off the stove and let the pork cool to 55-60 degrees. After this, remove the lid, take out the shanks and cut off the twine.
- To make the meat and skin softer, it is recommended to lightly boil it after smoking.
Hot smoked pork is soft and tender
Smoking shanks at home in the oven
The simplest recipe for hot smoked pork knuckle is cooking with liquid smoke in the oven.
The following ingredients will be required:
- pork knuckle – 1 pc.;
- sugar – 1 tsp;
- salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 4 cloves;
- liquid smoke – 8 tsp;
- ground pepper – 1 pinch.
Preparation procedure:
- Prepare the shank and place it in a suitable container.
- Dissolve the salt in a small amount of water and pour into the bowl with the pork. Add clean water until the meat is completely covered. Leave for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towel.
- Chop the garlic, add sugar, pepper and mix. Pour in liquid smoke.
- Apply the prepared mixture to the shank, thoroughly coating it on all sides. Place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Place the drumstick on the oven rack with a baking sheet underneath. Another option is to wrap the pork in foil.
- Bake until done, turning over and basting with any juices. If it is cooked in foil, half an hour before the end of the cooking process it needs to be unwrapped so that it browns and takes on a more appetizing appearance.
- Remove the shank from the oven and cool completely. After this you can serve. It should turn out tender and juicy.
Drumstick in the oven with liquid smoke - the simplest smoking option
How to smoke cold smoked knuckle
According to this recipe, cold smoked pork knuckle must first be boiled.
The following ingredients will be required:
- pork knuckle – 3 pcs.;
- salt to taste;
- sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- garlic – 6 cloves;
- dark beer – 1 l.
Marinating drumsticks in beer is a popular way to prepare for smoking.
Preparation procedure:
- Place the prepared shanks in a suitable sized container. Add a large onion in the peel, cut into quarters, crushed unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife blade, salt and sugar. Pour in beer. If it does not completely cover the pork, add water. Leave overnight.
- The next day, light the grill and place a cauldron on it. Pour the beer marinade into it, add water, add a spoonful of salt.
- When it boils, add the shanks and cook at low simmer for 40 minutes. The meat should be ready, but not overcooked.
- Remove the pork from the cauldron, tie it with twine and hang it to dry for 1 hour.
- Transfer the shanks to a cold smoker for 6 hours.
How long should you smoke a shank?
When hot smoking, the process will take several hours.
It will take several days to prepare cold smoked pork.
Storage rules
Cold smoked shanks last longer.They can stay in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Products prepared hot have a short shelf life - no more than 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
For storage, the drumstick should be wrapped in parchment, foil or placed in a plastic container.
Conclusion
Hot smoked shank is the best option for home cooking, especially for novice cooks. The cold method is more suitable for experienced smokers.
