Cheese! (smoked that is)

The real Old Faithful

Anyone who is really close to me, is familiar with the above image. They're also familiar with the severe weight comes with it. Spiderman's uncle might think that "with great power, comes great responsibility," but what are radioactive spider powers, compared to trying to recreate the lost recipe for the world's greatest smoked salmon™?

Top: Irish Cheddar & Pepper Jack. Middle: Sharp Cheddar. Bottom: Garlic Jack & Idonotrecall

Akin to Atlas, I've taken up this epic task, of trying to recall, just exactly how to make the world's greatest smoked salmon™, and when I need a little break I smoke whatever I can get my hands on. The other weekend, I asked Shawn if he could pick up some cheddar for me, when he went to to the store. Figuring I was going to smoke it, he came back with five bricks!

It's a smoke-HOUSE.... it's mighty, mighty...

My personal favorite woodchip for smoking is apple, but I had a ton of hickory on hand, so I used that instead. Smoking cheese is really great for those, like me, who love immediate gratification. We cut up the bricks into one inch cubes, while I pre-heated the smoker, and got the chips really going. I covered the racks with tin foil to make clean up easier, but the smoke would probably have penetrated better without it. However, after about 30mintues in the smoker, both the garlic and cheddar jack were so soft, I think it would have glooped through the rack!

Back to the immediate gratification: like I just mentioned, it only takes about 30mintues for the cheese to take on a good smoked favor. Cheeses without additions (like the garlic and the pepper) held their shape better, than those with (which turned into little blobbies). The shape is kinda moot though, if you're like us and use the cheese in the world's greatest macaroni and smoked cheese™!