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Cold smoking some cheese ... beats the shop's cheese counter!

Stormbringer
Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
edited November 2017 in EggHead Forum
Our local supermarket stopped selling my favourite cheese, oak-smoked Wensleydale. But they still sold the unsmoked stuff. So I decided to make my own, smoking some others at the same time. Result - delicious, better than the stuff the shop sold. This is how I did it:

https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2017/11/03/smoke-your-own-cheese/

Tried some of the smoked cheddar with a Green Egg and Ham crumpet, outstanding. I smoked them for six hours, next time I'd do the Wensleydale for that long, the others (cheddar, double Gloucester, red Leicester) for four hours, they were a little heavy on the smoke.

Before pic, just as the smoke starts to get going:


... and six hours later:


The cheddar in particular had exuded some oils:


The smoking device:


Vacuum sealed to stabilise and mature the flavour:


Thanks for looking!
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| Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
| My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
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Comments

  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    I'm assuming you wrote the article. Nice job. I have been wanting to cold smoke some different fish maybe this will give me the push I needed. Thanks 
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    That's nice. 
  • Cheers folks.

    @GrillSgt I haven't tried fish yet, good luck and let us know how it goes please!

    @Eoin the offending supermarket was Waitrose. :D
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    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    I'm thinking about getting one of those cold smokers. Does your Waitrose have Lincolnshire Poacher? I think that would smoke well.
  • Eoin said:
    I'm thinking about getting one of those cold smokers. Does your Waitrose have Lincolnshire Poacher? I think that would smoke well.
    They are well worth getting, I use it for smoking veg as well, smoked aubergine is great in moussaka. Our local Waitrose probably has that, I'll look today.
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    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
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  • bluebird66
    bluebird66 Posts: 2,716
    Great job!
    Large Egg with adjustable rig, Kick Ash Basket and various Weber's
    Floyd Va

  • Eggcellent. One question, how much of an opening did you maintain on the bottom/top vents?
  • I've been wanting to smoke some cheese so thanks for the post. Looks wonderful. 
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited November 2017
    @GrillSgt forgot to say yes, I wrote that article, it's on my food blog.

    @WoodChuck very little, the same as if I was cooking at 135C/275F. Just enough air flow to the embers alive without allowing them to burn and generate significant heat. I've updated the blog article to make this clear.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Nice job. I've been smoking cheese (mostly Gouda) for a few years and I love the result.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited November 2017
    OhioEgger said:
    Nice job. I've been smoking cheese (mostly Gouda) for a few years and I love the result.
    Thanks, and Gouda is added to the list to try. I think that Jarlsberg, a Danish cheese, would be good too.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Gouda is made for smoking IMHO. Surprisingly, I didn't think much of my smoked Jarlsberg. Love it plain.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
  • @GrillSgt forgot to say yes, I wrote that article, it's on my food blog.

    @WoodChuck very little, the same as if I was cooking at 135C/275F. Just enough air flow to the embers alive without allowing them to burn and generate significant heat. I've updated the blog article to make this clear.


    Thanks
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    No Wensleydale? Sounds like you and Gromit need another visit to the moon, Wallace.


  • OhioEgger said:
    Gouda is made for smoking IMHO. Surprisingly, I didn't think much of my smoked Jarlsberg. Love it plain.
    OK cheers, I'll skip the Jarlsberg. I like it plain too. Any other suggestions? I have yet to find a blue cheese that works smoked.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • We bought a block of white cheddar horseradish to smoke, we saw it on the boards here. 
  • I took some in for the team at work, they all really enjoyed the stuff, the red Leicester being the clear winner. So smoking some more today for our meeting next week.

    @Eoin I managed to get some poacher, it was in the cheese counter rather than the pre-packaged stuff.

    @OhioEgger I'm trying two Gouda, a straight cave aged one but also some Old Amsterdam.

    @Woodchunk couldn't source any white cheddar horseradish, but I'll keep looking.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Woodchunk
    Woodchunk Posts: 911
    edited November 2017
    I took some in for the team at work, they all really enjoyed the stuff, the red Leicester being the clear winner. So smoking some more today for our meeting next week.

    @Eoin I managed to get some poacher, it was in the cheese counter rather than the pre-packaged stuff.

    @OhioEgger I'm trying two Gouda, a straight cave aged one but also some Old Amsterdam.

    @Woodchunk couldn't source any white cheddar horseradish, but I'll keep looking.


    Kroger had the white cheddar horseradish in big blocks in their deli.  Also we were in BJ's the other day and if you have one, and has a deli it should have it, ours does. See you are in the UK so I don't know.
  • Looks great!  This is a family tradition for us. 


  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited November 2017
    StratoEgg said:
    Looks great!  This is a family tradition for us. 


    @StratoEgg - wow. I mean. Wow! That's pro ... so sayeth SWMBO. What cheeses do you have there, and what smoke do you use?

    @Woodchunk - unfortunately that would be quite a trek from the UK :). I've found a local place that does it though.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Just put some on a little while ago. In the center is prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and basil. Also trying the horseradish white cheddar
  • Woodchunk said:
    Just put some on a little while ago. In the center is prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and basil. Also trying the horseradish white cheddar
    Awesome. Does the smoke penetrate the prosciutto to hit the cheese and basl inside? I assume you're cold smoking.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Woodchunk said:
    Just put some on a little while ago. In the center is prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and basil. Also trying the horseradish white cheddar
    Awesome. Does the smoke penetrate the prosciutto to hit the cheese and basl inside? I assume you're cold smoking.
    Yes, with a pellet tray with Apple pellets. It's the first time we have done the prosciutto so will let you know. Wife saw it already made up so she wanted to try it.
  • @Stormbringer - Nicely done.  Favorites in our house are the aged cheddars, mozzarella / burrata (works wonders on pizza) and goudas.  The vacuum seal and rest is a must, sweet spot i've found is 7-10 days but i'm sure anyone could argue more/less time is okay as well. 

     
  • Where did all of you get your cold smoking rigs, this is something that I have been wanting to try and I believe that I have finally found my motivation!

    Somewhere in central Pennsyltucky, not too far from Chocolatetown, USA.

    If it's on the internet, it has to be true - Abraham Lincoln

  • Stucci62 said:
    Where did all of you get your cold smoking rigs, this is something that I have been wanting to try and I believe that I have finally found my motivation!

    Tubes and trays. I use the tray
    https://www.amazon.com/A-MAZE-N-AMNPS5X8-Pellet-Smoker/dp/B007ROPJ1M
  • Woodchunk said:
    Just put some on a little while ago. In the center is prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and basil. Also trying the horseradish white cheddar
    Awesome. Does the smoke penetrate the prosciutto to hit the cheese and basl inside? I assume you're cold smoking.
    Yes it did penetrate the prosciutto and also shrunk it up some to the point it had splits, which allowed more smoke on the cheese, but it all stayed together. 
  • Stucci62 said:
    Where did all of you get your cold smoking rigs, this is something that I have been wanting to try and I believe that I have finally found my motivation!

    @Stucci62 good to hear! There are product links in the blog post I wrote, as you're in the USA I believe the A-MAZE-N smoker is the one to go for.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited November 2017
    Woodchunk said:
    Woodchunk said:
    Just put some on a little while ago. In the center is prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and basil. Also trying the horseradish white cheddar
    Awesome. Does the smoke penetrate the prosciutto to hit the cheese and basl inside? I assume you're cold smoking.
    Yes it did penetrate the prosciutto and also shrunk it up some to the point it had splits, which allowed more smoke on the cheese, but it all stayed together. 
    Cheers bud. That's added to my list of things to try. As I do food/wine matching quite a bit, I'm now thinking about some other smoked cured meat wrapped cheese combos, e.g. some Iberican ham encasing tetilla cheese, paired with some red wine from Rioja or Ribera del Duero.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • @Eoin - we tried the Poacher today after it had rested for a week. Nothing special tbh, have you tried it yourself?

    On the flipside, we got some Old Amsterdam from Waitrose and smoked that alongside some standard Gouda, the former cheese was amazing, our favourite smoked cheese so far. I also discovered there are two distinct types of Wensleydale, smooth (Kit Calvert style) and crumbly. I definitely prefer the crumbly one smoked.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------