Cheese that has been smoked is delicious and may be served as a treat, desserts, or any food staple. If you want to serve smoked cheese at your next dinner party or host gatherings with your best friends, you should consider purchasing a high-quality smoker.
However, you can not simply choose whatever pellet smoker from the marketplace. You can only achieve superb outcomes by using equipment that is specifically designed for smoking cheese. When smoking cheese, keep in mind that you will not be utilizing the smoker as your heat source.
All it will do is act as a receptacle to contain the cheese while allowing any escaping smoke from the smoker to pass through. Please keep reading this article to learn how to smoke cheese using a pellet smoker.
Smoking Cheese on pellet Smoker: Tips and Tricks
As you may be aware, cheese melts pretty swiftly. Whenever you are smoking cheese, the temperature is the most crucial consideration. Use a thermometer to control the temperature and make sure it is below 90º at all times.
A tube smoker could be an alternative for making it a cold smoker or without purchasing a top generator. This cooking equipment is available in various forms and sizes. However, the twelve inches tube is the most convenient since it can smoke a substantial quantity of cheese in a short period of time.
If you want to utilize wood pellets, the taste you get will be influenced by the brand you choose. While you are free to pick whatever flavor you like, pecan, apple, maple, and cherry are among the most popular we recommend.
To begin with, ignite the tube smoker and afterward insert it inside the smoker to let it smoke. Check to see that the fire has been quenched and that is smoke is emanating from the smoker. Then, place and toss and place the cheese on the pellets grates. Maintain sufficient ventilation around every stick of cheese to ensure that it does not come into touch with the sides of the smoker. Let the smoker lid be covered while the cheese is allowed to slowly mellow.
As soon as your cheese has finished smoking, remove it from the smoker and wrap it tightly in parchment paper or a ziplock plastic bag. Allow the cheese to vent for a few minutes before putting it in the refrigerator for one to two days to make it more flavorful. The smoke cheese should be vacuum-sealed after being taken out of the fridge. Instead of vacuum-sealing the cheese, you may put it in a zip-top bag and close it with a twist of your wrist.
What Is the Best Cheese to Smoke with Pellet Smoker?
There are many factors that influence which cheese is ideal for smoking on a pellet smoker. While personal preference is essential, there are also additional considerations to consider. You will be relieved to learn that it does not need the most expensive and high-quality products available for smoking. Follow these instructions:
- It is best to stay away from varieties that have a wax or rind layer. When the cheese is enclosed in a rind, it will be more challenging to absorb the smokey taste throughout the process. You may, of course, remove the wax rinds or slice them into a block of cheese with its natural rind exposing it to the smoke. However, you will undoubtedly achieve delicious results with variations that don’t have a rind at all.
- Make sure the cheese you are using has the right degree of hardness. Among many of the tastiest cheeses to smoke on a barbecue are semi-hard cheeses. Although Gouda and Cheddar are pretty popular, other delectable cheeses to try are Gruyere, Swiss, and Monterey Jack (as well as others). Due to the fact that variations such as these do not totally melt until temperatures approach 150 °F, you have a little more leeway measurement while smoking them.
- When it comes to softer cheeses, use caution. Melting may occur at temperatures as lower for soft cheeses, owing to their more awesome moisture content than those of other kinds. If you plan on smoking cheeses such as brie and mozzarella, you will have to be cautious since they are softest and start to melt around 130 °F. Hard or low-moisture mozzarella is the best option if you genuinely want to experience the smokey flavor of mozzarella.
The specialty cheese case at the supermarket is an excellent place to check for smoked cheese variations. Many of the smoked cheeses seen in supermarkets can be made in your own kitchen using your favorite cheeses and a little ingenuity.
What Are the Perfect Types of Wood to Use When Smoking Cheese?
As soon as you have determined which cheese to use, the next step is figuring out what kind of woods to smoke it over on the pellet smoker. When you are first getting started smoking cheese, stick to mild tastes. As soon as you have experimented with it several times, you might like to try other preferences, or you may discover that the pellets you have selected are the perfect wood for smoking cheese. The following are examples of mild woods alternatives for smoking that pair perfectly with cheese:
- Apple Wood
- Cherry Wood
- Maple Wood
- Pecan Wood
Ensure that both the wood pellets and cheese you are using for smoking have a balanced taste profile. Cheeses with a milder taste might benefit from a strong smoking pellet, whereas you should only smoke those with a more pronounced smokey flavor with milder pellets. Ultimately, it is all about personal choice, so play with various flavor profiles to find what you favor.
Can You Cold Smoke on a Traeger Pellet Smoker?
Absolutely, you may utilize the Traeger to make a cold smoke cheese in a controlled environment. When you are ready to start smoking, just switch on the Traeger and enjoy. Wait with the lid flung open until a flame is generated before closing it, and this process will take approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Once you are done, put the lid back and turn it to the smoke setting. Continue to smoke for another hour after adding additional ice to the pan. When you are finished, take the cheese off the smoker, put it in parchment paper, and seal it. Put the parchment paper with cheese on it in the refrigerator and allow it to settle for around three days.