How to make your own meat smoker
Hot smoking game, venison and freshly caught fish is a delicious way of serving it up. You don't need fancy equipment either - you can make a hot smoker from an old sturdy biscuit tin and here's how
- Cold smoked food is smoked and not cooked
- Hot smoked food is smoked then cooked, or cooked while it is smoking
- The flavour comes from the preparation
- You need an old sturdy biscuit tin (with a lid) and an old cake rack to place the food on (or a colander or steamer)
- Line the tin with foil
- Put about two tablespoons of hardwood (oak, beech or fruit) dust or chips in the base
- Cold smoked food is smoked and not cooked
- Hot smoked food is smoked then cooked, or cooked while it is smoking
- The flavour comes from the preparation
- Anything that has been alive should be brined or salted before smoking
- Brining and salting start the drying process and the salt attracts smoke
- You can make brine with a litre of water with 100g salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a glug of white wine.
- Put the fish or meat in the brine for about 30 minutes, then rinse under running water
- Put the rack on top of the wood chips in the tin and then place the brined meat/fish on it.
- Put the tin on the hob and as soon as the wood starts to smoke, cover with the lid
- The wood will burn away in about 10 to 12 minutes and then the pan is just cooking the food
- Once the food is cooked, take the lid off and serve
With thanks to Jo Hampson. Want to know about smoking food? Read Smoking Food at Home with Smoky Jo.
Recipe for smoked pheasant fillets
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the cure or marinade:
50g sea salt
50g brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons sherry
4 pheasant breasts
Method
Step 1: Assemble the basic ingredients and remove the breast meat from a pheasant
Step 2: Mix the salt, brown sugar, thyme, sage and garlic in a bowl, adding the sherry, spoon by spoon. The mixture should resemble a rough paste.
Step 3: Spread the paste evenly over the fillets. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for two hours. Rinse the fillets with water and dry with kitchen paper.
Step 4: Sprinkle a very thin layer of smoking dust in the box.
Step 5: Place the fillets on the rack and close the lid. Light the burner and leave for 20 minutes, making sure the flame always stays alight.
