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With all the variety of choices on store shelves, it has become almost impossible to buy truly tasty pork belly. Manufacturers reduce the cost of the manufacturing process, which negatively affects the benefits and taste. Home-cooked smoked brisket is a high-quality product created according to all the canons of culinary art. The delicacy has an amazing aroma and exquisite taste. It can be used every day or served on a holiday table as a signature dish. Preparation does not require any special skills or complex equipment. Even a novice cook can cope with the task.
Benefit and value of the product
Boiled-smoked brisket is a high-energy valuable food product. It contains the following substances:
- minerals – potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, iodine, calcium, selenium, manganese, copper, zinc;
- ash, amino acids;
- saturated fatty acids;
- vitamins – thiamine, riboflavin, E, PP, A, C, group B.
During the cold season, this aromatic delicacy is an excellent source of energy needed by the body.
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Good boiled-smoked brisket is an excellent substitute for store-bought sausages.
How many calories are in boiled smoked pork belly?
The energy value of a homemade product is quite high. He contains:
- proteins – 10 g;
- carbohydrates – 33.8 g;
- fats – 52.7 g.
These are average figures that may vary depending on the thickness of the layers of fat and meat. Calorie content of boiled-smoked brisket: per 100 grams of product – 494 kcal.
Selecting and preparing brisket
To make a homemade delicacy tasty and of high quality, you need to take a responsible approach to the choice of raw materials:
- The meat must be fresh, from a healthy young pig or piglet. It is better to opt for farm products, with skins that have undergone a tarring procedure. This kind of pork is the most delicious.
- The surface of the piece must be clean, free of plaque, mucus, mold and foreign, pungent odors.
- Preference should be given to a chilled product, since a defrosted product loses its taste.
- Brisket is meat that has layers of fat. It is necessary to select those parts in which the ratio of veins is at least 50x50. It would be great if there was more meat.
Before the smoking procedure, purchased meat must be properly prepared.
Advice! To save time and effort, you should choose larger cuts of meat. The finished boiled-smoked meat product can be frozen, which will extend its shelf life to six months.
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A good brisket should contain layers of meat and fat in an approximate proportion of 70x30%
Pickling
Purchased meat must be cut into portions and salted. The procedure can be done in several ways:
- Dry is the simplest and most affordable. The products should be rubbed with salt with the addition of spices to taste (black and allspice, paprika, cumin, coriander) and a small amount of sugar, and placed in an enamel or glass container. Refrigerate for at least 5-7 days, turning occasionally.
- Brine - using brine and spices. For 10 liters of water you need to take 200 g of salt and 40 g of sugar. The raw materials should be completely immersed in water. If necessary, you can use oppression. Salting period is 2-3 days.
You can add fresh or ground garlic, bay leaf, and any herbs to the brine to taste.
Pickling
For the marinade you need to take 5 liters of water, 100 g of salt and 25 g of sugar. Bring to a boil, add black or allspice, bay leaf, any spices to taste, honey. Cool to room temperature. Pour over the meat and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
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Juniper berries in the marinade give the finished product a magnificent, subtle aroma and amazing taste
Syringing
The extrusion procedure allows you to speed up the salting process up to 24-36 hours. To do this, a brine of 50 ml of water, 10 g of salt and 2 g of sugar should be taken into a syringe and injected into pieces of meat with a total weight of 1 kg, making punctures at an equal distance from each other. Prepare another portion of brine and moisten the top of the semi-finished product well, put it in a plastic bag with spices, and tie it. Place in the refrigerator and stir the meat occasionally, kneading slightly.
After salting is completed, the semi-finished product must be soaked.This is important because it balances the flavor of the less salty middle and outer layers. Otherwise, the salt will be distributed unevenly throughout the smoked meat. To do this, remove the pieces of meat from the brine, rinse under the tap, and soak for 2-3 hours in cool water. For very thin slices, 30 minutes is enough.
How and how long to cook brisket before smoking
After soaking, the semi-finished product must be boiled:
- tie pieces of pork with twine and wrap in cling film;
- Place an inverted plate in the bottom of the pan, place the brisket, add water so that it completely covers it;
- cook at 80 degrees for about 3 hours for thick cuts, the inside of the brisket should be about 69-70 degrees.
The product can also be baked in the oven, setting the temperature to 80 degrees for 3-4 hours.
Boiled-smoked brisket made using nitrite salt in an amount of 2% by weight of the meat product is tastier, more aromatic and safer. The substance has antibacterial properties. It also acts on botulism bacteria.
How to cook boiled smoked brisket
The recipe for cooking smoked brisket at home is quite simple. The whole procedure takes from 30 minutes to 2 days, depending on the smoking method.
Boiled-smoked brisket in a hot-smoked smokehouse
Dry the boiled brisket by hanging it in the open air for several hours. Place special wood chips from fruit trees - apple, cherry, apricot, plum, pear, alder - into the smokehouse. You can use a sprig of juniper. You should not overuse conifers - they give a tart, resinous taste. Birch is also not suitable.
Place the tray and wire rack and place the meat.Smoke at 100 degrees for 1-3 hours. Cooking time directly depends on the thickness of the pieces and personal preferences of the cook.
Important! Only wet wood chips should be used in the smokehouse!
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Before you start smoking, you must carefully read the instructions included with the unit.
Recipe for boiled cold smoked brisket
Cold smoking takes longer, but the excellent result is worth the 2-7 days of waiting. Boiled-smoked brisket turns out aromatic, with an amazing delicate taste. The smoking period depends entirely on the size of the parts, so you shouldn’t use too large ones.
After boiling, the meat should be well dried in air for 120-180 minutes. Hang in a smoking cabinet at a temperature of 24-36 degrees for 2-7 days. Place the finished smoked meats in the open air for a day. After this, put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days so that the brisket is completely ripe.
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Under no circumstances should wet pieces of brisket be placed in the smoker.
Boiled smoked brisket cooked with liquid smoke
The easiest and fastest way to impart a smoky flavor to a brisket is to spray it with liquid smoke. If the household does not have its own smokehouse, or is running out of time, a bottle of a substitute will solve the problem. You can prepare it in two ways:
- place the boiled brisket in the marinade with liquid smoke added according to the instructions for several hours;
- Coat the soaked raw materials with liquid smoke and bake in the oven until cooked - about 30 minutes.
Advice! You can use simple baking technology in a disposable smokehouse. The set includes foil and wood chips.
The brisket should be placed on wood chips, packed tightly, and baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 90-120 minutes.
What can be prepared from boiled smoked brisket?
Boiled-smoked pork belly is a universal product, suitable for individual consumption and for preparing a lot of interesting and tasty dishes:
- bread, pea and bean soup, borscht, cabbage soup;
- solyanka, national Polish soup “Zurek”;
- stewed and baked potatoes, other vegetables;
- rolls and hot sandwiches with cheese and tomatoes;
- pasta with smoked meats and cheese, mushrooms;
- stewed lentils, beans;
- salads with herbs, eggs, potatoes, pickles;
- pizza, hot pancakes;
- pea puree with brisket;
- open and closed pies made from yeast and puff pastry;
- bigos and stewed cabbage;
- stuffed pancakes, tomatoes and peppers;
- stew and risotto with rice, brisket and chestnuts.
Boiled smoked brisket is perfect as a filling for a regular omelet or fried eggs for breakfast or lunch.
Attention! The calorie content of boiled-smoked pork belly is quite high, so you shouldn’t overuse it. Especially for overweight people.
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Sandwich with boiled-smoked homemade brisket - what could be tastier?
How to store boiled smoked brisket
At room temperature, cooked, smoked brisket should be stored for no more than 72 hours. Refrigerated for 30 days.
Conclusion
Cooked-smoked brisket at home is an excellent dish to surprise guests at a holiday and lift the spirits of your household. If you have high-quality raw materials and a small amount of free time, it is very easy to prepare a fragrant and delicious product.The technology is extremely simple, and even the lack of your own smokehouse is not a hindrance. This delicacy can be consumed either separately or as part of complex dishes and snacks.
