Boiled lard with liquid smoke. Smoking fat with liquid smoke: the cooking process

Smoked lard is a real delicacy for gourmets. How to smoke lard so that it is soft and tender, with a refined aroma and appetizing appearance at home? There are many recipes for cooking in a short time, without special tools and equipment.

It is generally accepted that the best taste of lard in a hot-smoked smokehouse appears when fresh sawdust is used. Usually this is done in several ways: on the street or indoors in specially equipped factory-made fixtures, made with one's own hand, using improvised means. There are two ways - wet and dry.

wet way

The initial process begins with the preparation of lard, it must be soaked in brine:

  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • salt, peppercorns;
  • water;
  • Bay leaf.

The brine must cover the piece of fat. If desired, clove buds, garlic, and other spices are added. Salting time - at least a day. Then the product is dried and smoked for about 2 hours. At the beginning of the process, the fire should be as strong as possible. After 15-20 minutes, the heat is reduced and smoking is continued for about 3-4 hours.

To get cold-smoked lard, it is also pre-salted in any convenient way. Then placed in a smokehouse for 2-3 days at a temperature not higher than 20 degrees. Depending on the desired result, the process is continued for another 1-2 days.

Dry way

It is believed that with dry salting, lard should be prepared in advance. Copiously rubbed with salt, the pieces are left for 1-2 weeks for salting.

Spices are added to enhance the aroma and taste:

  • Bay leaf;
  • garlic;
  • paprika;
  • coriander;
  • caraway;
  • allspice or hot pepper - to taste.

Before you determine the fat in the smokehouse, it should be thoroughly washed and dried. Smoking is carried out in the same way as in the wet method. For quick brining, place the salted fat under pressure in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours. The better it is salted, the better the product will be.

Fans of savory snacks cook boiled-smoked lard. To do this, it is pre-boiled in a marinade with salt, pepper and spices, and only after that it is smoked in the usual way.

In the oven, hot

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to smoke lard at home is to use the oven. It is worth noting that the smell of smoke in the room is inevitable. In stock you need to have a baking sheet with high sides and a wire rack.

The cooking process is divided into several stages.

  1. 2-3 layers of foil are lined on a baking sheet, poured with a thin layer of wood chips.
  2. Put 2 layers of foil on top with wrapped sides so that the fat does not drain onto the bottom layer with sawdust.
  3. Pre-cooked lard is laid out on a wire rack.
  4. It is prepared in the oven at a temperature of 100 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
  5. After cooking, the oven doors do not open, the product is kept for another 2-2.5 hours, taken out into the street.

To prevent smoke, it is desirable to have a high-quality hood.

A simple recipe in a cauldron on the stove

To avoid the smell of smoke and simplify the process as much as possible, an affordable cooking method is used - using a cauldron. This can be done on any stove: gas, electric, wood. If it is possible to cook a delicacy outdoors, any source of open fire will do: a brazier or just a fire.

Making smoked lard in a cauldron is easy:

  • distribute at the bottom of the sawdust with a layer of 1-2 cm (depending on the volume);
  • lay out the foil, forming "sides";
  • put a round grill on top;
  • put the fat on the grate;
  • close the lid, seal it additionally;
  • keep on high heat for 15-20 minutes;
  • bring to a boil over low heat for 30-40 minutes.

To seal the lid, wrap it with foil or cover the cracks with an unleavened dough of flour and water.

Smoking fat with liquid smoke

The use of liquid smoke greatly facilitates the process of preparing smoked lard, the product turns out to be a beautiful golden color with a characteristic pleasant smell in a short time. To properly smoke lard with liquid smoke, several methods are practiced.

A simple recipe for smoked lard with liquid smoke

For cooking, you need to prepare the marinade:

  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • 50-60 ml of liquid smoke;
  • water;
  • husk from 2-3 large bulbs of yellow shades.

The process is divided into several stages.

  1. The husk is boiled for 6-10 minutes, salt and liquid smoke are added.
  2. Salo is poured with marinade for a day.
  3. The pieces are dried, rubbed hot pepper, garlic and paprika, are laid out on a wire rack in a smokehouse.
  4. After cooking, each piece is wrapped cling film and placed in the refrigerator.

If desired, other spices are added: coriander, cumin, herbs.

Smoked-boiled lard with liquid smoke

To make smoked lard with a delicate pleasant taste and texture, you must first boil it in the marinade:

  • water;
  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • garlic;
  • husks of 1 large golden yellow onion;
  • 15-20 ml of liquid smoke;
  • Bay leaf;
  • allspice black pepper and peas.

The cooking process is carried out in stages.

  1. Pepper, garlic are added to the water and poured with water.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for no more than 3 minutes.

    3. For the simplest and most common method, you need:

  • 1 kg of fat;
  • 100-150 g of salt;
  • allspice peas;
  • 1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper;
  • 2 tsp paprika;
  • husks of 2 large yellow onions;
  • 1 medium head of garlic;
  • Bay leaf;
  • 50 ml of liquid smoke;
  • 1.5 liters of water.

How to smoke fat in a slow cooker:

  1. The husk is thoroughly washed and divided into 2 parts.
  2. One part is laid out on the bottom of the multicooker, lard is placed on top in pieces.
  3. Sprinkled with pepper, bay leaf and paprika.
  4. Garlic cloves are laid out on top.
  5. It is covered with a layer of the remaining husk.
  6. Pieces are filled with water, liquid smoke is added.
  7. The "extinguishing" mode is set for 1.5 hours.

Any hot salting of fat is good because the prepared product is ready in a few hours. Fast cooking of lard is the main advantage of this method over cold salting, in which it takes at least 2 weeks to fully cook the product. The recipe for hot salting, in addition to the fact that lard is cooked quickly, makes it possible to cook a delicious, soft and most tender product. onion peel and liquid smoke give it a wonderful color, smell and taste of smoked meats.

For 1 kg of fat: 1.5 liters of water, 1 cup of coarse salt, 1 tsp. a spoonful of dry spicy adjika, 1 head of garlic, 15 black peppercorns, 5 bay leaves, 6 g of liquid smoke, 100 g of onion peel, 1 tsp. paprika spoon.

To prepare lard in a hot way, we take fresh white-pink lard, well cut, without fibers, up to 3 cm thick. Cut into pieces that will fit freely in the pan. Remember that if some piece is not covered with liquid, then it will not salt.

We prepare the fat for salting: we scrape the skin with a non-sharp knife until white, but so as not to cut ourselves, and wash it.

We prepare the brine separately

We take an old pan or a new one, if it’s not a pity (after the onion peel, the pan will be dark inside for a long time). Pour in water and set to boil. In boiled water, add salt, crushed black pepper, bay leaves, dry adjika, onion peel, and then, after boiling water again, liquid smoke. Who does not know, then this component can be purchased in stores. The composition of the brine according to this recipe must necessarily include liquid smoke, since without it the fat will have a completely different taste. It will also be tasty, but ... not as they say.

Put the prepared pieces of bacon into the newly boiled brine, put oppression on top of the lard so that it does not float up. As oppression, there may be another pot of water, smaller in size. Cook the lard for 5 minutes, but longer. Each hostess can choose the cooking time from her preferences. The longer the cooking time, the softer the lard will be. So everyone does what they like best.

Remove from heat, put in a warm place and let the lard boiled in brine cool down and brew for at least 12 hours.

We take it out of the brine, dry it, rub it with chopped garlic and paprika, wrap it in a film or foil, put it in a cold place for several hours.

Cooked in such a hot way, boiled in onion peel with liquid smoke and soaked in spicy aromas of pepper and garlic, chilled lard is ready for use in 10-12 hours. We store it wrapped in foil or film in the refrigerator or freezer. Saving in the freezer will allow you to cut it into thinner pieces.

In more detail about how to cook bacon in onion peel with liquid smoke, Elena Puzanova tells and shows in her video recipe.

Everyone loves smoked meats. Well, almost everything. It is hard to refuse smoked chicken, ham, fish, and even ordinary lard looks very attractive when smoked. Not to mention the taste and smell. We mainly buy smoked meats, but there are lucky ones who have a smokehouse at home or in the country, in which you can cook whatever you want. But there are not so many such lucky ones. Residents of the private sector will not get around without this hassle (this is from my own experience), and not everyone has a dacha. And those that are, do not always correspond to a sufficient level of comfort.

As for the smokehouse, you constantly come across various articles and listen to talk about the dangers of natural smoking. The ecology, they say, is not the same, but there are a lot of carcinogens in the smoke, and you need to be able to do this - to smoke different products correctly. But for some time now, you can find “liquid smoke” on sale. This is the most common flavoring agent that gives the products the look, smell and taste of real smoking. There is also a lot of controversy around him about the benefits and harms. Nobody can give a definite answer. Manufacturers (which is quite natural) claim that liquid smoke is absolutely harmless and does not contain harmful substances. Skeptics and supporters of naturalism in nutrition are convinced that chemistry is chemistry. And there is nothing good in it. Without taking sides, on my own behalf I will remind the old truth - "everything is good in moderation." There is plenty of chemistry in modern products even without “liquid smoke”, and we go to stores and buy products knowing about it. Therefore, if you want to treat yourself to some smoked meat, then you can cook it at home. In the presence of "liquid smoke", it is very simple. To get started, just to try what and how, I offer you a simple recipe. We will train in salo. What could be easier.

Salo with liquid smoke. Recipe.

I leave the choice of fat to you. You can process anything, with or without a layer, soft or hard, there is no difference. Which one do you like better.

First you need to prepare a brine with liquid smoke.

We take a liter of water and add two handfuls of onion peel to it (to give a more saturated color) and one hundred grams of salt. Salt can be taken less if the fat is heavily salted, or vice versa. Boil this mixture. Not for long. Five minutes will be enough.

Then remove from heat and pour in the liquid smoke itself. For such an amount of liquid, it will take 60-70 grams, no more. If desired, you can add various spices to the brine.

It is advisable to cut the lard into small pieces, so it will be better processed. But you don't need to cut it too thin. We put it in a saucepan (preferably enameled). There must be some space between the pieces of fat.

The fat laid in this way is poured with hot brine so that it completely covers it. Cover with a lid and leave for twelve hours.

Having endured this time, we take out the fat from the pan and let it dry. Particularly impatient, can wipe it with a napkin.

If you wish, you can grate, now “smoked” lard, with red pepper or a mixture of “For lard”, there are a lot of them on sale. But, in my opinion, this is overkill. Although this is only a subjective opinion. That's all. Simple enough. If you like it, you can treat fish, meat, poultry with “liquid smoke”. There, of course, the technologies are different, but they will be discussed in other articles.

Pork fat is rightfully called a favorite snack on the table, even though it is considered an offal. When cutting a carcass, a part of the subcutaneous fat, which has a hard and elastic structure, is cut off separately from the meat and used to prepare various dishes. In terms of taste, lard is on a par with meat products, provided that it is cooked correctly, taking into account specific features.

Useful offal

Salo is usually salted as it is the easiest way to prepare and preserve it. But a real delicacy is a smoked product, with the smell of fragrant smoke and a characteristic tart taste.

As a main dish, lard is not used. The high fat content not only causes limited consumption, but also affects the overall taste perception.

Few people know that fat is very beneficial for the body. Today there is such a stereotype that represents a fatty product as the cause of the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, increased blood cholesterol, and weight gain. In defense, we can only say that any meat product consumed in large quantities will invariably lead to a similar result. As for fat, in moderation it has an invaluable effect in strengthening the body.


B vitamins prepare the body for the aggressive effects of the outside world. They comprehensively protect themselves, increasing immunity, protective functions, normalizing the functioning of the nervous system and internal organs. Fat provides a lot of energy when broken down, therefore, a high calorie content can not only scare off dieters, but also attract those who need such an energy intake. First of all, these are workers associated with heavy physical labor, as well as those employed in hazardous production.

The amino acids that make up lard are truly unique. There is no such variety in any plant product, therefore, without the consumption of animal food, the body will not be able to receive full support. Special attention should be paid to microelements. All rare substances are presented in their pure form, eliminating the need for the body to generate them. These substances include zinc, iodine, cobalt, magnesium, nickel.

Preparing fat for smoking

The prices for meat products have now crossed all conceivable limits, so the issues of preparing quality meals at home are becoming more and more relevant. Everyone knows that smoking is associated with the process of burning and smoldering sawdust, which automatically makes the process inaccessible to residents of multi-storey apartment buildings. But this does not mean at all that this category of citizens does not have any opportunity to smoke lard. They will come to the rescue folk remedies, liquid smoke and a little imagination.


Of course, smoking lard with liquid smoke can hardly be called a natural cooking method, but as an imitation, the step-by-step algorithms presented below are excellent, and are considered quite affordable for a huge category of people. Like any other product, lard, if it is to be cooked at home, is also subject to preliminary preparation. Moreover, this preparation refers not so much to the direct process of smoking, but to pre-salting or pickling.

First of all, you need to remember that the taste of smoked lard will depend on the place of its cut. The classic layer, up to 10 cm thick, is located on the back. This is where the fat is thickest. It must be cut into pieces so that the thickness turns into length. In simple words, a piece of fat will be a parallelepiped, in which the skin is the base. Such art is necessary in order for the product to be better soaked, salted and smoked.

The most valuable fat for gourmets is localized on the brisket. After removal, it is a ring encircling the carcass in the thoracic region. Fat is valued for a thick layer of meat. Meat layers are also present on the peritoneum, however, due to the small thickness of the peritoneum, it is better to make other dishes.


To prepare the fat for smoking, you need to stock up on salt, pepper, spices and liquid smoke. The latter is an aqueous solution of wood splitting products. By chemical composition liquid smoke is no different from natural smoke, so all stories about its dangers remain just stories. The liquid cannot be called useful, but it does not give up its positions to wood smoke either. There is no single recipe for preparing lard, as anyone who understands the essence of the process can improvise with a variety of tastes and smells.

Basic principles of smoking imitation

Unfortunately for many readers, imitating smoking is not as easy as it sounds. Otherwise, everything would come down to smearing pieces of lard with smoke extract. The reason lies in the change in the structure of the fat layer when natural smoking occurs. Even at the salting stage, the fibers are loosened, and the fat becomes softer.

This is followed by smoking, which can take place at high or low temperatures. Cold smoked lard is saturated with smoke, which is both a preservative and an active substance. Hot smoking is accompanied by heat treatment of fat. In any case, we get a soft elastic product suitable for consumption. If raw fat is moistened in the extract, it will remain tough.

The principle of imitation comes down to two major steps.


  1. The first is to make the fat soft to a greater or lesser extent. To do this, you can use salt brines, marinades, active substances. But sometimes they resort to more drastic methods. The heat treatment of fat occurs in all available ways, they are very diverse, since the level of development of household appliances seems to have reached perfection. You can cook smoked bacon in the oven, slow cooker, and finally, you can just boil it in the marinade.
  2. The second task is to fill the product with liquid smoke throughout its volume. Naturally, conventional lubrication will not help here. Be sure to soak the fat. Depending on the recipe, liquid smoke is used in concentrated form or as a solution. Before smoking lard with liquid smoke, it is necessary to determine exactly how these two tasks will be implemented.

Liquid smoke with simple salting

It is quite possible to imitate cold smoking at home if you salt the lard simple ambassador. It will have an elastic texture, and the smell and taste will harmoniously fit into any dish, if you use the delicacy as an appetizer. Most importantly, there is no need to arrange any open fire in the apartment.

  • First you need to prepare a dry mixture consisting of pepper, other spices to taste and, of course, salt. The pieces of fat are rubbed with the finished mixture and placed in a separate bowl.
  • Salo should be salted in the refrigerator for a day. Before you remove it from there, a solution of liquid smoke is prepared. It is necessary to take exactly the solution, since the concentrate should act on the food product for no longer than a few minutes. But during this time, the liquid will not have time to penetrate deep into the fibers. If you dissolve liquid smoke in water, then you can soak salted lard for several hours. After drying and cooling, it is ready for use.

Natural smoking at home

Imitation can be minimized if there is such a device as an air grill in the arsenal. In modern models, a smoking function is provided. This process is unlikely to be similar to smoking in a smokehouse, but nevertheless, wood smoke is formed during the smoldering of shavings.


  • Salo is first marinated in liquid brine, which requires spices to prepare. For one liter of water, 60 g of salt is taken. Pepper and other seasonings are added as desired. The taste of lard will become original if garlic is not added to the marinade, but mixed with pepper and grated over each piece after pickling.
  • The brine is put on gas and brought to a boil, then lard is placed in it. Cook the product should be no more than 10 minutes. After that, the fat, together with the marinade, cool to room temperature. Alternative option is a ready-made campfire marinade, which includes popular seasonings in the right ratio.
  • The sequence of manipulations with the air grill is described in detail in the instructions for this model. General principle lies in the fact that sawdust or shavings are poured into a special container. A homemade foil tray is placed on top to collect fat. The air grill works in automatic mode, but with the help of such a device you can only lightly smoke the fat, so after cooking it will have to be moistened with liquid smoke and then slightly dried.

Recipe for boiled smoked bacon

Another recipe that does not involve the use of expensive equipment is that the lard is baked in the oven or in a slow cooker. Smoked lard in a slow cooker will turn out to be softer, since the heat flow covers the product from all sides at the same time, while at a gas stove, heating is carried out from below.

In order to smoke lard at home, an oven is also quite suitable. The main thing is that it bakes. At this time, we are preparing the brine, since it will salt the finished product, then the salt concentration should not be high, because the excess and baked fat cannot be removed.


It is advisable to prepare the marinade in oil. AT vegetable oil salt, peppers, bay fox, thyme, dill are added. The key ingredient is liquid smoke. It only takes a few grams. Salo from the oven is dipped on all sides with brine and lies in a cooked bowl for 6 hours. Every hour, the pieces must be turned over. When the process comes to an end, the smoked lard is sent to dry.

It is not worth waiting for any noticeable effect, since the oil will not evaporate from the surface of the fat. After the pieces lie down in a draft, excess fat is removed with a napkin.

Considering the issues of smoking in an apartment, one cannot help but recall that if there is a ventilation duct, it is possible to use a smoke generator. This device allows you to get natural wood smoke, which will fill the smoking container. Exhaust smoke is discharged through a special tube into the ventilation shaft. With good draft, neither you nor your neighbors will smell the smoke.

Salo is a well-known, tasty and often found dish in the most various types. Probably, there are no people in the world who would not try it, but if there are, then there is a great opportunity to correct this situation. It is not only delicious product, but also striking in its naturalness, given the large number of genetically modified products. One of the most is its salting or smoking. On an open fire in a real smokehouse, the dish will turn out simply inimitable, but what if you do not live in a country house, but in an apartment building? There is a solution and quite simple - lard smoked with liquid smoke, the recipe of which we will describe below.

On the video, the recipe for making lard in this way:

When choosing a product for cooking, pay attention to the fact that there is a layer of meat, so it will turn out tastier. If you purchased a large piece, it should be cut into pieces about 12 centimeters long. Do not remove the skin, as the fat may fall apart and lose its attractive appearance.

Salo should be salted first: one liter of water will require 6 tablespoons of salt and the same amount of concentrate. You can also add spices to the water to taste, for example, bay leaf or allspice. Onion peel will serve as a good dye and give it an attractive golden look in the end. Be sure to observe the allowable proportions, which in most cases are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

After the lard is salted, it is placed in a large saucepan and poured with a solution. You can, of course, leave it to brew for a day, but if you don’t have enough time, then you can immediately proceed to direct “smoking”. For 40 minutes it is boiled over low heat. When the fat smoked with liquid smoke boils, it is taken out and dried with napkins or in the fresh air. Serve by rubbing garlic on top.

Storage and use of smoked meats

It is wise to place the smoked meats or in the freezer so that they remain firm and ready to eat.

You now know how to smoke lard with liquid smoke, but be sure to try using it for other products as well.

Many, of course, may argue that with carcinogens can harm your body. But you can talk about the harmfulness of various products for hours, or even days on end. Of course, you should not abuse the delicacy, and in small quantities it is unlikely to harm.

We smoke lard with liquid smoke, the recipe was mentioned above, not for the first year, and during this time we have not encountered negative consequences. Liquid smoke serves only to impart a smoked smell and does not make it useful. In some of the European countries it is prohibited, but in our country it is still allowed. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying your favorite dish.