Maple glazed smoked Cheddar!
I love smoked cheddarā¦I mean I *really* love it. The problem with buying it is that it can be hit or missā¦sometimes itās great, sometimes itās not, although always pricey!
The thing with smoking cheese is that it can turn out the same wayā¦.sometimes great, sometimes not, and because there are so many variables involved, it can require a lot of trial and error, before you hit that winning recipe.
The End Result of Three Years of Experimenting
What I am going to lay out here is the exact method and ingredients I use to make my cheddar. Is it the best smoked cheddar in the world? Youāll have to tell me!
What it *is* however, is the end result of three years of experimenting, tweaking and trial and error (and some truly terrible cheese in the process!).
Itās All About the Cheese
Iāve found that most commercial packaged cheeses are āOKā in the smoker, but rarely are they great. They tend to be a bit oily and prone to sweating, even at lower temperatures.
I did, however, manage to find a cheese that smokes exceptionally well: Armstrong Old Cheddar. The Armstrong cheddar is a bit drier than any of the other commercial cheeses Iāve tried, has a series of small crevices and pockets on its surface to hold yummy smoke and glaze, and is a *perfect* shape for smoking.
In addition, they are 2āx2āx7 Ā½ā instead of the more common 1āx4ā and, as an added bonus, Armstrong is made in Canada.
How to Glaze the Cheese
So weāve got the cheeseā¦.now about that glaze. I glaze my cheese with a light brushing of pure maple syrup before smoking.
The hint of sweet maple flavour balances really well with the richness of the smoke and the sharp edge of the cheese. Moreover, the syrup helps keep the cheese moist, besides giving the smoke a better surface to stick to, while not impeding the penetration of flavour into the block.
The method
(Note: I always smoke my cheese when the outdoor temperatures are between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius, for the best results)
1. Remove the plastic from the cheese, stand the block(s) on end and place it into the freezer for an hour. This wonāt freeze the cheese, but does cool it to optimum smoking temperature, while drying the outside skin of the cheese.
2. Remove the cheese from the freezer, and brush lightly with maple syrup, using a silicone basting brush. You donāt want to soak the cheese with the syrup, just a light skim. Arrange on racks.
3. Load a couple hours of apple pucks into the smoker, start it up and fill the puck catch bowl with ice cubes.
4. Load your rack(s) as high in the smoker as possible, and open the vents Ā½ way. Open more if the temp is above -5 or close them more if itās colder than -10.
5. Smoke your cheese for two hours, opening the door briefly every 30 minutes to rotate the cheese Ā¼ turn. While you will lose some smoke doing this, it ensures the cheese is evenly smoked, helps keep temperatures in check, and also allows any humidity to escape the smoker box. Donāt worry though, the smoke recovers quickly.
6. When the 2 hours is up, open the door and leave the cheese in the smoker for 15 min to chill.
7. Bring the cheese into the house, and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Then insert the wrapped cheese into a Ziploc bag and place in the back of your refrigerator for a minimum of two weeksā¦a month is better. Of course you may be tempted to try your cheese right away, but trust me on this: Donāt do it! The cheese will be extremely bitter until itās had a chance to age/the flavours are allowed to penetrate.
Be Patient and Donāt Mess up Your Cheese
However, if you canāt resist and absolutely HAVE to know what the cheese tastes like right away, go back out to your smoker, open the door and give the inside of the door a good lickā¦.itāll taste exactly the same, but you wonāt mess up the cheese this way.
Thatās it! Youāve followed my recipe, been patient, and are ready to sample your creation. Enjoy it on its own, as an amazing addition to burgers or pizza, or take that extra block and wrap it up for a good friend.
Cheers,
Ryan Shervill
www.RyanShervill.com
