Smoked Cheddar Recipes

SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Set up your smoker to maintain a temperature of less than 90°F (32°C). It's imperative that the heat be no higher than 90°F (32°C) to prevent the cheese from melting.
• To create cold smoke, place the cheese on the grate of your smoker. Set three lit charcoal briquettes flat in the charcoal pan or firebox of your smoker. Place a flat wood chunk on top of the charcoal to create smoke. Provide a little airflow and replace the charcoal and/or wood chunks as needed to keep the smoke going for the desired period of time.
• Place the blocks of cheese directly on the grate and apply light smoke for about 4 hours.
• Remove the cheese from the grate and place it in a resealable plastic bag. Store the smoked cheese in the refrigerator for 2 weeks before indulging to allow the smoke flavor to permeate the cheese and even mature slightly. (If you simply can't wait 2 weeks, no one's going to tattle on you. But just know that the smoke flavor will be more pronounced and even somewhat bitter or, dare we say, acrid. If you can resist temptation, a perceived virtue that we usually find to be highly overrated, you'll be rewarded with a more mellow smoke flavor.)

HOMEMADE SMOKED CHEDDAR SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Place the diced pork in the freeze for about 45 minutes to get it to a temperature of 32 degrees F (0 celsius). Grind the pork and fat through a 1/4 inch (6mm) die. Grind the meat quickly into the bowl of a stand mixer (ideally have the bowl set atop an ice bath to keep the meat cold) and then grind it all a second time. Chill the meat in the refrigerator while you assemble the spice mixture.In a small bowl combine all the spices.
• Remove the ground meat from the fridge and place it on the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the spice mix, dry milk powder and the ice water.Mix the meat mixture with the paddle for 3-4 minutes until threads begin to appear in the meat: If you take a clump of meat and pull it apart with your fingers you will see tiny threads pulling apart. When you see this your meat is ready. If the meat mixture is too dry and stiff, add a little more ice water. Stir the diced Cheddar into the meat mixture and chill it in the fridge while you prepare the sausage stuffer.*This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture so you can adjust the seasonings if needed. To do this, take a bit of the meat mixture, fry it up in a pan, taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.
• Thread the sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, fill the sausage stuffer with the meat mixture, and stuff the casings being careful to avoid air gaps while also being careful to not over-stuff the casings. Twist the sausages into links (about 6 inches each according to personal preference). Use a sausage pricker to prick any air bubbles out of the links.For best results chill the sausages overnight.
• Smoke the Sausages: Preheat your smoker to 175-185 degrees F. Smoke the sausages until their internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (try to avoid exceeding 160 F or you run the risk of the fat melting and ending up with shriveled sausages). Add a handful of wood chips twice throughout the smoking process. Hickory wood chips and apple wood chips are both great choices for pork.
• Cool Down the Sausages: Once the sausages reach the correct internal temperature they need to be cooled down very quickly to about 120 degrees F to keep the sausages from continuing to cook and to prevent the casings from shrinking and shriveling. Submerging the sausages in an ice bath is often recommended but I don't like to take the chance of getting water inside the casings. So I prefer the other commonly used method of spraying them with cold water for several minutes in the sink or you can even leave them on the smoker racks and spray them with a garden hose. The important thing is to work quickly and immediately after the sausages reach the right internal temp. Once you get the temp down to around 120 degrees F, let the sausages air dry for an hour or two. Now they're ready to eat. You can keep them stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. If you vacuum seal them you can freeze them a little longer.
• To reheat the sausages, pan fry them for a few minutes or heat them on the grill.Makes about 24 sausages depending on the diameter of the casings and how tightly they're stuffed.

MACARONI AND SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 F.
• Lightly butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Cook macaroni in boiling salted water following the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter; add flour and stir until blended. Stir in salt, pepper, and mustard. Gradually stir in the milk and continue cooking, stirring, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses until melted and smooth. Add the macaroni and stir to blend.​
• Spoon the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter, tossing to coat well; sprinkle over the macaroni mixture. Lightly sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

APPLE-CHEDDAR DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Heat the butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once it's bubbling, add the apples and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• While the apples cook, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt until mostly smooth. It's okay if a few small lumps remain.
• Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the apples. Top with the shredded cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.