Smoked meats: types, classification, preparation

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Smoked meats are cuts of carcasses of various animals (pork, lamb, beef) that have undergone s alting and subsequent heat treatment. In this case, the ambassador can be different: wet, dry, mixed. The meat is then placed in water to remove excess s alt from it.

The production of this product has been practiced for a very long time, since the 18th century. In the era of Peter the Great, such products were produced for the needs of the army. Consider what varieties of this product exist in our time.

Cooking technology

Classification of smoked meats is generally recognized. They are divided into groups according to the processing of raw materials. These include:

• Boiled smoked meats. Raw materials are boiled in specially designed containers, after which they are processed with hot steam.
• Smoked-baked. During the smoking process, the meat is baked.
• Smoked. Raw meat is not subjected to any pre-treatment, but only smoked for fivedays at 22 degrees.
• Smoked-boiled. After the meat has been smoked, it is boiled.
• Baked. Raw meat is fried or baked.

Varieties of finished product

There are several types of smoked meats, which are distinguished by the types of raw materials used. The most famous of them are the following:

• Loin. For its production, a section of the back is taken from half the carcass of a pig. It features alternating layers of bacon and meat, the boundaries of which are very sharply visible.
• Roll. It is made from ham meat, cleaned of all bones. The prepared fillet is rolled into a roll, after which it is tied with a special rope. This type of smoked meat can be different according to the manufacturing technology: smoked-boiled, only boiled, as well as raw-smoked. It is produced not only from pork meat, but also from beef, mutton. The last two types are exclusively boiled-smoked.
• Bacon. One of the most common types of smoked pork meats in the world. It is made from the cervico-scapular or abdominal part of the carcass, from which cartilage and ribs are previously removed. It has a rounded shape. The meat and fat in it are arranged in alternating layers.
• Breast. Another product that is made only from pork. For its manufacture, the abdominal area of the carcass is taken. Like the loin, this smoked meat can be found on sale in different forms: boiled-smoked, raw-smoked and baked-smoked. Lard and meat are also arranged alternately in each piece.
• Carbonade. Hisproduced from the back of the back or lumbar region of the carcass of a pig. This product is distinguished by a rectangular shape, with a thin streak of fat along the edge. It can be found on sale in fried or baked form.
• Buzhenina. Another pork smoked meat made from the back ham. It is distinguished by an outer layer of fat of moderate thickness (about 2 centimeters), as well as an oval shape. This is a baked meat product.
• Neck. Produced from the neck part of the carcass of a pig. As a rule, it is made by baking. It has a natural pattern on the cut, reminiscent of marble.
• Ham. For its production, pork ham meat, cleaned of bones, is taken. Made by boiling.
• Pressed pork. This is a boiled meat product made from the front hams, without bones and fat.
• Balykova sausage. This is a meat delicacy in a natural casing. It is made from fillets from the dorsal part of the carcass. Such sausage is found on sale in a smoked-boiled form, it is distinguished by a twine constriction over the entire surface.
• Pressed lamb or beef. These are smoked meats, similar in production technology to pressed pork. They are only boiled.
• Shpik. This is exclusively the fat layer of the pig carcass. It is found in smoked or s alted form. In the second case, it is subjected only to s alting, in the first - cold smoking.
• Beef fillet. As the name suggests, this is beef meat. The tenderloin is rubbed with a set of spices and then baked.
• Beef tongue in a bacon casing. At firstthis part of the carcass is boiled and then covered with a layer of lard and smoked.
• Lamb brisket. For its production, abdominal fragments of a lamb carcass are taken. It can only be found raw smoked.

How to make the right choice when buying

To purchase a delicious product, you should study all the characteristics of smoked meats. As a rule, they are fully indicated on the label. If it is a high-quality natural product, it cannot contain a large amount of additives (with the exception of spices) and preservatives.

The quality of products depends on the raw materials, as well as on the s alting process and subsequent processing. If the technology was not violated, the meat will be delicious.

What says good quality

The surface of such a product must be clean and dry. If you press on it with any object or finger, the juice should not flow out of the product. The consistency of the product should not be sticky or loose. Smoked meats containing bacon should look appetizing. The fatty layer in a quality product has a white or pinkish tint. If the fat has a yellow color and a loose texture, the product is most likely damaged. As you can see from the photo, smoked meats have a pleasant appetizing look. If you have the opportunity to try the product, you should pay attention to its taste. There should be no sourness in it.

How to store

Most smoked meats can only be stored in the refrigerator(no more than seven days). The product should not be placed in plastic bags, as they reduce the shelf life of products, as they do not allow air to pass through. It is best to use paper packaging. Some raw smoked products may last longer.

What is included

Because these products are made from real meat, they contain many he alth benefits:

• Vitamins of groups PP and B.
• Essential and non-essential amino acids.
• Potassium.
• Magnesium.
• Calcium.
• Sodium.
• Iron.
• Phosphorus.
• Manganese.
• Selenium.
• Copper.
• Zinc.

In our country, smoked meats are most often made from pork and beef, less often from lamb and horse meat. However, in Asian countries, you can find products from the meat of crocodiles, snakes and turtles.

Are they good for he alth

Of course, these products can benefit a person. Their composition, rich in minerals and trace elements, is able to provide the body with such assistance:

• Restore reproductive function, especially after exhaustion.
• Help treat anemia.
• They take part in the production of serotonin - the hormone of joy.
• Regulate blood sugar levels.
• Relieve migraine symptoms.
• Help keep hair, teeth and nails he althy.

Contraindications

Recent studiesfound that the abuse of meat smoked meats can cause oncological diseases. This is due to the fact that in the process of smoking and smoke processing, compounds are formed in the products that differ in carcinogenic properties.

In addition, smoked meat (especially pork) can contain a lot of "bad" cholesterol and s alt. For this reason, such products should not be consumed by hypertensive patients, as well as those suffering from obesity and kidney diseases.

How they are used in cooking

Smoked meat products are considered a delicacy. They are usually put on the table in the form of cutting, without mixing with anything. Serving in the form of sandwiches is also common, sometimes accompanied by vegetables. In addition, a range of delicious dishes can be prepared from smoked meats: sandwiches, casseroles, s altworts, salads, and so on.

Can I cook them at home

Despite the fact that smoked meats are usually made in industrial plants using high capacities, this product can also be made at home.

Recipes for homemade smoked meats are not difficult. First you need to pickle the selected piece of meat carcass. The ambassador can be dry or wet, depending on your preference. To perform smoking, you will need special equipment and sawdust. You can make deli meat on the grill, but such a product will not be stored for a long time.

Most often at home they s alt and smoke lard and brisket. In contrastfrom industrial production, bones are not removed from carcass fragments. These products can be made both without the skin and with it. Homemade bacon is produced in two variations: in the form of a layer or a roll.

When making homemade smoked meats, some care should be taken, since at home it is difficult to provide all the preventive measures used in industrial production.